The Chinese gold rush of the 1850s to 1870s brought people and cultures together from around the world.

Whether Chinese diggers returned to China or settled in Victoria, the intercultural exchanges between people continued for generations, and continue to this day.

These transnational networks extend beyond Victoria and Southern China: Chinese goldrush travellers moved between countries and places in an unprecedented way. Many Chinese-born had come via Singapore, Borneo or California before they reached Victoria. Some travelled onwards to other parts of Australia, and some left to sail around the world to places like New Zealand, where they would again make new connections.

An example of intercultural transfer is a set of gifts donated by the Taishan Museum, China, to the Gum San Museum of Ararat. A large proportion, perhaps the largest, of the Chinese voyagers to Victoria came from Taishan, in Guangdong Province, Southern China. These 19th century domestic objects are thought to have been brought back to Taishan by diggers returning from the gold fields of Victoria. The Taishan Museum had preserved the objects and donated them to the Gum San Museum in Ararat.

CULTURE & IDEAS

Chinese culture became a permanent feature in some towns. At the same time the gold rush diaspora helped spread ideas and culture around the world.

Although much of the memory of Chinese gold rush pioneers has been erased, it is wrong to assume that everything they experienced has been forgotten.

Unique places like Bendigo and Melbourne in Victoria, and international hubs such as Vancouver in Canada and San Francisco in California developed an ongoing relationship with Chinese culture.

As well, those Chinese who returned home from the gold fields took their experiences and a different cultural understanding back with them.

As a result some counties and villages in Southern China themselves changed and became melting pots of cultural fusion as overseas-based Chinese communities returned and brought new ideas home.

PLACES

The Chinese left tangible traces on the landscape.

And we can see them sometimes in place names, street names and sometimes in whole cities, notably in the city of Ararat, founded in 1857 after gold was discovered by Chinese gold seekers walking overland from Robe.

ECONOMY & INDUSTRY

Chinese gold rush pioneers founded new industries in Victoria.

For instance the tobacco industry of the Ovens Valley, the region's major industry in the 20th century, was initially developed by Chinese who settled in the area after the Ovens Valley gold rush.

Chinese were also pioneers in the market garden industry, setting up in Melbourne suburbs like Brighton, Camberwell, Coburg and Hawthorn. From 1901-1921 Chinese were the principal vegetable cultivators and distributors of Melbourne.

In some instances, there was no opportunity for Chinese industry to take hold. Chinese cabinet makers began to make a mark in the late 19th century until forced out of the market place by Victorian legislation in the early 20th century.

PEOPLE

Perhaps the greatest legacy left by the Chinese is the people who went on to help form our community.

Descendants of Chinese Australian families from the gold rush era went on to form part of the Victorian and Australian tribe.

Those with Chinese ancestry from the gold rush era number premiers, mayors, engineers, soldiers, journalists, butchers, farmers, writers, poets, artists, musicians and the unheralded everyday people who are part of our community.

Second and third generation descendants of Chinese migrants would go through World War 1 and give service, such as the Langtip Brothers who were sons of Chin Lang Tip, a market gardener who settled in Tarraville, Victoria in 1867.

Victorians with Chinese ancestry contributed to our society in immeasurable ways.

Pictured here is the school teacher Doris Tong Way.

Doris was the daughter of the last Presbyterian Superintendant Missioner to the Chinese in Ballarat and district from 1903 -1949, Reverend John Tong Way. He came to the Victorian goldfields in 1882 and married his wife Mary by proxy; she joined him in 1893, travelling from Hong Kong. They settled in Ballarat where they raised a family of nine children whilst living at the Presbyterian Manse adjoining the Chinese Mission Church.

Doris, the third child, was born in 1898. She was an outstanding student who won a scholarship to study at Ballarat High School. In 1918 she joined the Education Department as a junior teacher at the Ballarat Orphanage School followed later by a scholarship to Teachers' College in 1921.

Prior to World War 1 she was engaged to be married to a young man of European descent, but the young man's family disapproved and the marriage was called off. Her ex-fiance went to fight in WW1 and was killed in action. Doris never married, but continued with her career, teaching many generations of young students.

The photograph shows her whilst a staff member at the Newstead State School near Castlemaine in Central Victoria, where she is still remembered fondly by former pupils.

With thanks to Yvonne Horsfield for the primary research and her contribution to this text.