Chinese-Australian Historical Images in Australia

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Gallery

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  Guests seated at Basil's birthday party, J. Chung Leong, NovemberR 18, 1922., 18 November 1922, by Thornton Studio, Ballarat, courtesy of Museum Victoria.
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  A miner working a cradle near Ballarat in the 1980s [sic], 1880s, courtesy of Knowledge Resource Centre, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria.
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  Annie Moyle with her grandson, 1950s, courtesy of P. Spark (private collection).
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  Ballarat Mines, c. 1875 - c. 1938, by Ward, H. C. photographer, courtesy of State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection.
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  Chang, the Chinese Giant, c. 1870, courtesy of State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection.
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  Decorated Chinese arch for visit by Duke and Duchess of York, 1901, courtesy of Museum Victoria.
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  Joss House, Ballarat, 1955, courtesy of Central Highlands Regional Library.
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  F.S. Goon, - 1911, by Richards & Co, Ballarat, courtesy of F. Anderson (private hands).
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  Frank Shun Goon in car with chauffeur outside house and practice, Peel St, Ballarat, c. 1920, by Eden Photo Studios, Ballarat, courtesy of F. Anderson (private hands).
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  Goon family portrait, ca.1916-1918. From left: FS Goon, Colin, Ernest, Ada, Roy, Edna and Verna Goon, c. 1916 - c. 1918, by Eden, Society Studios, courtesy of Chinese Museum.
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From

c. 1852

Details

The majority of the first Chinese arrived in Ballarat to mine for gold. Gold was first discovered there in September 1851. Chinese miners were working in the area from 1852 with between two to five thousand on goldfields by 1855. In 1858 the Chinese population reached its peak of just under 10,000 individuals, of these only two were women. About 50 percent lived in the township of Ballarat, clustered in Chinese camps.

In the late 1850s six Chinese 'villages' were under the supervision of W.H. Foster the 'Chinese Protector' for the Ballarat area. These villages were mostly in the Ballarat East area which by this time had become less popular for the European population. Never-the-less European residential areas and commmerical ventures were located among Chinese ones. The community centred around Young Street with Chinese shops also taking over several blocks of Main Road. Two Chinese temples were established. One as early as 1857. In early 1856 a Chinese-English newspaper was printed by Robert Bell, an Englishman. The paper appeared weekly and translated the latest government regulations into Chinese as well as publicising notices for religious groups and commercial advertisements. A number of Chinese missionaries from the Anglican Chinese Mission, the Chinese Evangelization Society of Ballarat and the Presbyterian Mission worked on the Ballarat goldfields. A Chinese leper camp was also established in the area.

By the late nineteenth century the mining industry was less dominant in Ballarat and many Chinese turned to alternative employment. The largest group became market gardeners. Gardens were established along the Yarrowee Creek from north to south Ballarat. Most of these market gardeners appear to have been single men working cooperatively.

Eventually due to the decline in the number of new Chinese residents arriving in the area after the introduction of the 1901 Immigration Restriction Act the Chinese community began to decline. The Chinese temple and associated Kuomintang Hall fell into disuse and much of the early Chinese camp was removed to make way for a sports reserve. However families of joint European-Chinese descent and the next generation continued to be active in community activities and their descendents still live in the area.

Sources used to compile this entry: Cooper-Ainsworth, Barbara, 'The Chinese in Ballarat, Victoria', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 168-176.

Prepared by: Sophie Couchman, La Trobe University

Related Subjects

Related Concepts

• Christianity
• market gardening and farming
• mining and miners
• temples

Related Corporate Bodies

• Chow Yew Apothecary
• Woah Hawp Canton Mine

Related Events

• celebrations - Duke of York visit and opening of Federal Parliament, 1901 (1901 - )

Related People

• Cheong, Cheok Hong (1851 - 1928)
• Cheong, James M.A. (1871 - 1943)
• Choy Ying Wong (1849 - 1927)
• Goon, Bertram Ronald (1918 - )
• Goon, Edna May (1912 - )
• Goon, Eric William (1922 - 1997)
• Goon, Ernest Leonard (1917 - )
• Goon, Frank Shum (c. 1865 - 1963)
• Goon, Norman Geoffrey (1922 - )
• Goon, Roy Francis (1913 - )
• Goon, Verna Frances (1911 - )
• Mahlook, Ada Elizabeth (1882 - 1966)
• unidentified man in light suit

Related Places

• Victoria

Archival Collections

State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection

• J.H. Harvey collection; State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection [ Details... ].

Published Resources

Books

• Welsh, Lionel, Vermillion and Gold: Vignettes of Chinese Life in Ballarat, Banyan Press, Sandy Bay, 1985. [ Details... ]

Book Sections

• Brumley, Linda, 'Turning history into people: The people on the Chinese gravestones in 19th century Ballarat cemeteries', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 320-326. [ Details... ]
• Cooper-Ainsworth, Barbara, 'The Chinese in Ballarat, Victoria', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 168-176. [ Details... ]

Theses

• Ware, Helen, 'The Chinese at Ballarat, 1880-1900', BA (hons) Thesis, University of Melbourne, 1976. [ Details... ]

See also

• Reeves, Keir, 'Jacjung, Lee Heng', in eGold: Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia, http://www.egold.net.au/biogs/EG00220b.htm. [ Details... ]
• 'Silverpen', James Oddie, Esq. J.P., of Ballarat and his guests, Mr and Mrs Quong Tart of Sydney (who were on their bridal tour), C. Boyd Printer, Ballarat, 1886?. [ Details... ]

Images

Title

Guests (some appear Chinese) seated at birthday party

Type

Photograph

Date

18 November 1922

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Lo Kwoi Sang

Type

Photograph

Details

Title

Unidentified miner working a cradle near Ballarat

Type

Photograph

Date

1880s

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

See also

Title

Annie Moyle with her grandson

Type

Photograph

Date

1950s

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Ballarat mines (including Chow Yew Apothecary)

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1875 - c. 1938

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Chang, the Chinese Giant

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1871

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Chinese Arch, Barkley Street, Ballarat, 1901

Type

Photograph

Date

1901

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat - Barkly Street

Details

Title

Chinese Students' Club

Type

Photograph

Date

1893 - 1933

Place

Australia - Victoria - Melbourne

Details

Title

Chinese temple Main street, Ballarat

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1955

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat - Main Street

Details

Title

F.S. Goon

Type

Photograph

Date

- 1911

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Frank Shum Goon in car with chauffeur outside house and practice, Peel St, Ballarat

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1920

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat - Peel Street

Details

Title

Goon family portrait, c1916-1918

Type

Photograph

Date

1916 - 1918

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Goon family portrait, c1925-1926

Type

Photograph

Date

1925 - 1926

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

J. Chung Leong, Chinese herbalist, in his car, outside his premises

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1920

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Reverend Hoban and F.S. Goon

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1911

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Unidentified Ballarat man

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1896 - c. 1919

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Unidentified man

Type

Photograph

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

unidentified man, woman and child

Type

Photograph

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

View of Ballarat Chinese camp

Type

Photograph

Date

c. 1875 - c. 1938

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Title

Woah Hawp Canton Mine

Type

Photograph

Date

1880 - 1900

Place

Australia - Victoria - Ballarat

Details

Created: 10 May 2001, Last modified: 7 November 2005

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