Early Chinese settlers.

[Upside]

What were all the Chinese doing out in the rural Australian towns back in the mid to late1800s?

Was it all about searching for gold , or something else?

I visited a friend today who lives about 100kms west of Dubbo , a small town of about 2500 people today. Back in the late 1800s the towns population was about 1000 people with 15% of that number being Chinese. The town was never a goldrush town. Far as we know gold was never discovered here according tk the history books

Today's Chinese population is about 5.

So what would have driven such a large number way back then?

 

[LONEWOLF]

Store Keepers and Suppliers for the Prospectors on the near-by Goldfields.... Who else would Walk 100's of Miles every Week to deliver goods to the Goldfields... Aussies wouldn't do it as they were Mining...

LW....

 

[Upside]

Makes sense! :Y:

 

[Dron]

Perhaps they came to work on a station and decided to stay?

In the developing colony of Australia, pre-gold rush, there was a labour shortage so Chinese workers were sought after for cheap labour ... especially as more convicts earned their freedom by serving out their penal sentences. They were called 'coolies' from the Chinese characters K'u li.

From this book:

 

[Keitzy]

-------------------------------, but sure are efficient on a job site. Was prob the same back then, good workers.
.
Comment edited owing to reports.

 

[mudgee hunter]

Bare in mind of governments figures of the Chinese population during the "rush" days where most likely played down dramatically, following the uproar in the first part of the "white Australia policy".
Boasting how many of them returned to the motherland. And how few came out.
My belief is this cannot be believed in any government documentation of the era.
Due to the fact of denial of the truth of what was. Trying to play down the truth.
Many found other ports in Australia to evade the migration laws, and unaccounted for. Walking thousands of kilometers to the gold fields.

 

[ctxkid]

discovered in ophir not bathurst

 

[Occasional_panner]

Bare in mind of governments figures of the Chinese population during the "rush" days where most likely played down dramatically, following the uproar in the first part of the "white Australia policy".
Boasting how many of them returned to the motherland. And how few came out.
My belief is this cannot be believed in any government documentation of the era.
Due to the fact of denial of the truth of what was. Trying to play down the truth.
Many found other ports in Australia to evade the migration laws, and unaccounted for. Walking thousands of kilometers to the gold fields.

Yeah, they weren't allowed to dock in Melb, so they landed in Adelaide and bloody walked the whole way to Vic goldfields.

 

[ctxkid]

-------------------------------, but sure are efficient on a job site. Was prob the same back then, good workers.
.
Comment edited owing to reports.

that didn't take long ]

 

[user 4386]

What were all the Chinese doing out in the rural Australian towns back in the mid to late1800s?

Was it all about searching for gold , or something else?

I visited a friend today who lives about 100kms west of Dubbo , a small town of about 2500 people today. Back in the late 1800s the towns population was about 1000 people with 15% of that number being Chinese. The town was never a goldrush town. Far as we know gold was never discovered here according tk the history books

Today's Chinese population is about 5.

So what would have driven such a large number way back then?

The Tottenham, Condoblin, Fifield,Nymagee district did produce some gold from all of these towns (although copper mining and some platinum were important). For example, half the population of Nymagee was Chinese, but they left when the copper mine closed. Even now - the Hera mine is producing steadily, nearly 50,000 ounces of gold in 2016, and other mines are being explored or re-opened around every one of these towns..

I don't know the situation in NSW, but the Chinese during the Victorian gold rushes reached nearly 17% of the State population one year. They were contracted to businessmen back in China due to economic depression because of China losing the opium war against Britain (we flooded them with opium to bring them to their knees). They were not illiterate peasants but came without women, were armed with Chinese-English phrase books, worked their contracts and mostly then went home (more than 90% in Victoria). They were not made particularly welcome because "they work too hard" (a common complaint - a "white man" would not be so undignified as to work so hard). A very few remained, supplied vegetables from their market gardens, got into commerce and served on town councils and married Anglo women (well, Fenian not just Saxon women , who quite liked them as partners because they treated them better than did Anglo men, as did also the Afghans) The sands of time......

 

[Ramjet]

What were all the Chinese doing out in the rural Australian towns back in the mid to late1800s?

Was it all about searching for gold , or something else?

I visited a friend today who lives about 100kms west of Dubbo , a small town of about 2500 people today. Back in the late 1800s the towns population was about 1000 people with 15% of that number being Chinese. The town was never a goldrush town. Far as we know gold was never discovered here according tk the history books

Today's Chinese population is about 5.

So what would have driven such a large number way back then?

The town wouldn't be Nyngan?? My home town. There i a fair sized Chinese section at the cemetery. My dad told tales of groups of Chinese jogging our 20 miles and more with axes and other tools over their shoulders to work for the day. Ring barking trees to clear land for farming was the occupation. To get firewood we often went out to these standing, dead forests. Ring barked by the Chinese workers. There are also old gold mines 30 miles to the west around Girilambone. My brother and I climbed down a few rickety ladders in old shafts as teenagers. I am not sure if the Chinese were in this area. I should research that.

There was also Canbellego, about 50 miles south west of Nyngan, where my great, great Grandfather work in the gold mines.

The Chinese workers were very industrious and I am sure they would have been in all these areas if there was enough gold.

PS. there are lead, zinc, copper mines around Cobar and word is that there is some gold in the ores. A more recent mine art Girilambone which I believe is similar to Cobar... Lead, Zinc with some gold.

 

[Jaros]

I will stand aside in this topic as my wifes great, great grandfather was the first chinese landowner in NSW. He was given a lot by Blaxland after working for him as a carpenter.

 

[Mackka]

I personally would like to hear more of that story, Jaros.
Mackka

 

[Manpa]

I personally would like to hear more of that story, Jaros.
Mackka

Me too.

 

[Jaros]

I will see what I can do as Carolyn's Father, Barry has just participated in the anniversary of 200 years since the chinese came to Australia in 1818. This was all done in Sydney over a few days a few weeks ago. :Y:

 

[Jaros]

Here is a bit of the story:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-...escendants-reconnect-with-their-roots/9845804

 

[Manpa]

Here is a bit of the story:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-...escendants-reconnect-with-their-roots/9845804

Very interesting, thank you. Wouldn't think there would be too many wedding certificates with both English and Chinese characters on them.

 

[Occasional_panner]

What were all the Chinese doing out in the rural Australian towns back in the mid to late1800s?

Well they also made quite a few quid out of selling opium, no one likes to bring it up though.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-23/curious-melbourne-opium-dens-in-little-lon/9575652

https://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?storyid=46

https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/2639390/view-sly-grog-opium-use-was-widespread/

not exactly a great influence.

Westerners had no idea about these substances beforehand.

 

[Mackka]

I do remember reading this but didn't think much more about it. A great story Jaros and that I am sure your wife is very proud of. Thanks for sharing.
Mackka :Y:

 

[HippyProspecting]

What were all the Chinese doing out in the rural Australian towns back in the mid to late1800s?

Well they also made quite a few quid out of selling opium, no one likes to bring it up though.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-23/curious-melbourne-opium-dens-in-little-lon/9575652

https://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?storyid=46

https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/2639390/view-sly-grog-opium-use-was-widespread/

not exactly a great influence.

Westerners had no idea about these substances beforehand.

Interesting articles :Y:

It was the westerners that sold most of the opium to the chinese though. Even went to war over the chinese banning the import and sale of opium.