Ballarat (Victoria)

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 Concepts

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

Related People

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

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

Chinese-Australian Historical Images in Australia

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