Gold and the Chinese - (Gold! Hidden Stories of Australia's Past) by Marji Hill (Paperback)

About the Book

Abuse, misunderstanding, and discrimination against Chinese on the Australian goldfields and how these anti-Chinese sentiments led to institutionalised racism.

Book Synopsis

Gold and the Chinese is the story of the Chinese on the Australian goldfields: the abuse, misunderstanding, and discrimination against them and how these anti-Chinese sentiments led to institutionalised racism.

Marji Hill, the author of more than 70 publications, tells:

• about the Asian visitors to Australia who were part of a great north-south trade route stretching from China to Australia and back.

• about the arrival of the Chinese, who contributed greatly to the Australian story, but whose migration to the goldfields gave birth to racist, anti-Chinese sentiment.

• why there was this ill-feeling towards the Chinese.

• how the White Australia Policy was shaped by decades of anti-Chinese sentiment extending back to the goldfields.

• about the stories of violence against the Chinese in Victoria's Buckland Valley and at Lambing Flat in New South Wales.

If you relish the uncovering of hidden stories, iconic episodes or truth-telling to do with Australia's past, then this beautifully illustrated book and the others in the series are for you.