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Ballarat (Victoria)

Gallery

  • Photograph - Thumbnail

    Ah Chew, c. 1900, by Black, Ballarat
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  • Photograph - Thumbnail

    Ah Chook, c. 26 November 1899
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    Ah Yung, c. 17 May 1900
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    BALLARAT BENEVOLENT ASYLUM FETE - THE CHINESE PROCESSION. [picture], 1 December 1875, courtesy of State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection.
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    Joss House, Ballarat, 1955, courtesy of Central Highlands Regional Library.
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  • Photograph - Thumbnail

    Chung Wai, c. 8 February 1900
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    Golden Point (Ballarat) primary school class with two Chinese teachers, c. 1914 - c. 1929, by Edmends, W., 168 Donald St, Brunswick, courtesy of F. Anderson (private hands).
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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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    Jeremiah Francis O'Malley, 1870? - 1900?, courtesy of R. Ansell (private hands).
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    Lew Fai Wea, c. 29 December 1899, by Fraser, 30 Bridge St, Ballarat
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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 Corporate Bodies

Related Places

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
Ah Chew
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 1900
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Creator
Black, Ballarat
Details
Title
Ah Chook
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 26 November 1899
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Details
Title
Ah Yung
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 17 May 1900
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Details
Title
'Ballarat Benevolent Asylum Fete - The Chinese Procession'
Type
Illustration
Date
c. 1 December 1875
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Details
Title
Ballarat Chinese temple and Kuomintang Hall in Main St, Ballarat
Type
Photograph
Date
1955
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat - Main Street
Details
Title
Chung Wai
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 8 February 1900
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Details
Title
Golden Point (Ballarat) primary school class with two Chinese teachers
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 1914 - c. 1929
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Details
Title
Guests (some appear Chinese) seated at birthday party
Type
Photograph
Date
18 November 1922
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Details
Title
Jeremiah Francis O'Malley
Type
Photograph
Date
1870? - 1900?
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat?
Details
Title
Lew Fai Wea
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 29 December 1899
Place
Australia - Victoria - Apboga
Creator
Fraser, 30 Bridge St, Ballarat
Details
Title
Lo Kwoi Sang
Type
Photograph
Details
Title
Louey Hee Hock
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 18 June 1900
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat
Details
Title
Rosita, Les & Patricia Whay
Type
Photograph
Date
1940s
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat?
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 lepers Clayton St. 1868
Type
Photograph
Date
c. 1868
Place
Australia - Victoria - Ballarat - Clayton 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