Chinatown in Melbourne

When Chinese immigrants began arriving in Melbourne to seek gold during the 1850s, many European residents were decidedly hostile. Only recent arrivals in the area themselves, they were still insecure about how strongly their own society had been established. This led to racial tension and violence.

The very first Chinese immigrants landed in Australia as early as 1818, but it was during the late 1840s that larger contingents arrived. These newcomers replaced the pool of cheap labour which had dried up with the winding down of convict settlements in the new colonies. This wave of immigration was harmonious until the vast influx of Chinese visitors who came not for labour, but to seek their fortune in the Victorian gold fields in the 1850s. The large numbers of immigrants and a decline in gold finds made the Chinese targets of vicious and organized riots.

This attitude was sanctioned by government policy. The Chinese were charged a poll tax in most states of £10 each – a huge sum, particularly as many were peasants. Even harsher was a restriction on the number of passengers that boat-owners could carry. This acted as a disincentive for them to bring Chinese immigrants to Australia. What resulted were “Chinese marathons”, as new arrivals dodged the tax by landing in “free” South Australia and walking to the gold fields, covering distances of up to 800 km (500 miles).

As an immigrant society in Melbourne, the Chinese were highly organized and self-sufficient. A city base was established during the

1850s, utilizing the cheap rental district of the city centre. As with other Chinatowns around the world, traders could live and work in the same premises and act as a support network for other Chinese immigrants. The community largely avoided prejudice by starting up traditional Asian businesses which included market gardening, laundering, green grocers and furniture-making (but work had to be stamped “Made by Chinese labor”).

Today, Chinatown is known for its restaurants and Chinese produce shops, with the community’s calendar culminating in its New Year celebrations in February. Ironically, in view of the early prejudices, this community is now one of Australia’s oldest and most successful.