MUSEUM OF CHINESE AUSTRALIAN HISTORY |
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Dear First name / Chinese Museum Friend A THRIVING COMMUNITY Commencing 22 August 2026, the Museum will be host to a full five-month program of events presented by Chinese Australian cultural, heritage and faith-based community groups, with support from the Victorian Government. The first event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the erection of the archways at each of Little Bourke Street's intersections in Melbourne's Chinatown in 1976, with an exhibition of traditional Chinese lions at the Museum. This “Coming of Age” was a defining moment in Chinatown’s history when Melbourne’s Chinese Community was visually and formally recognized and celebrated by the whole community. The arches stand as a tangible recognition, not only for the local community, but for Australia as a nation. This was the defining decade when the remnants of the White Australia Policy were totally dismantled, when it became unlawful to be racist and Australia's multicultural and social policies were totally redefined... becoming the basis of today's modern and progressive Australian society, which we should all celebrate and reaffirm! Inspired by creativity, cultural and spiritual meaning the following event series of contemporary and traditional arts, will include workshops and participatory activity that will inspire visitors young and old. We will send you out a full program soon. I look forward to seeing you at one of these events where we can share the celebration of our heritage and culture with all. Mark Wang CEO, Chinese Museum |
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John Young Replicates Segments of Jong Ah Siug's Diary |
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Curatorial Reflection on Time’s Slow Passing: Voices Between Past and Present Time’s Slow Passing: Voices Between Past and Present opened on Saturday, 2 May 2026. Since then, the exhibition has been warmly received by audiences and the wider community and has been extended until 31 July 2026. The original concept for this exhibition began in 2024, when we acquired eleven contemporary works from History Projects by John Young AM, made possible through the generous support of Carrillo Gantner. This led us to explore how contemporary artworks and historical materials might be brought together in a meaningful and engaging way. At the heart of both John Young’s works and this exhibition is the story of Jong Ah Siug, a nineteenth-century Chinese miner in colonial Australia who was unjustly confined in a mental asylum for more than thirty years. During this time, he wrote a small, palm-sized diary titled The Case to prove his innocence. |
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Landscapes of the Colonial World |
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Rather than presenting a single narrative, the exhibition unfolds as a journey. It begins with Young’s work, where his etchings, created through close engagement with Jong’s diary, serve as a point of departure, before expanding into the broader world of colonial Victoria. Through historical materials, we encounter a society marked by cultural mistranslation, miscommunication and systemic prejudice. Towards the end, we return to Young’s work, reflecting on a voice that was recorded, yet not truly heard in its own time. Together, these elements connect past and present, silence and expression. Within this framework, we selected nineteenth-century political cartoons, prints and illustrations to reconstruct the visual landscape of the colonial period. These materials are not only valuable historical sources, but also important visual evidence. At a time when photography and modern media were not yet widespread, such images played a critical role in shaping how people understood the world around them. They reveal how colonial society imagined and judged those considered “different”. Cultural mistranslation and miscommunication are not always obvious. They can be subtle, hidden in language, in everyday thinking, or in the way stories are told. Over time, these small misunderstandings can accumulate and sometimes result in serious consequences for individuals. We might ask ourselves: if different judgments had been made at the time, if greater care had been taken to understand Jong Ah Siug’s words more fully, and if he had lived in a more inclusive and respectful society, might his fate have been different? (Aimee Li, Collections Manager, Associate Professor in Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies) |
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For those who would like to explore the exhibition in greater depth, the exhibition e-book includes texts, details and images of featured objects and works, and research references. |
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You might have seen a flyer advertising a recent book release about William Ah Ket (See the image below). The book is a fascinating read written by his daughter, Toylaan Ah Ket.
The Chinese Museum holds some information about William in their oral and research archives which includes an extensive 1993 oral history Paul McGregor undertook with Toylaan Ah Ket, and articles from Toylaan, John Lack and Andrew Godwin.
Museum members can book time through the Collections Manager to view Research Archive material and/or listen to Toylaan’s tapes.
There is also a small collection of borrowed items celebrating William Ah Ket on the 3rd floor of the Museum.
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Cover of William Ah Ket: His Life and Times by Toylaan Ah Ket. |
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William Ah Ket was born in June 1876 in Wangaratta, the only son of seven children of Mah Ket and his wife Hing Ung who married in Melbourne in 1864 after Mah Ket’s arrival in Victoria in 1855 to the goldfields. He later became a storekeeper and tobacco grower.
While William was educated at Wangaratta Primary and High Schools, he also had a Chinese tutor at home so that he became proficient in both Chinese and English. After matriculating William enrolled in the Law Faculty at Melbourne University completing his articles with Maddison and Jamieson before being admitted to practice in 1903. After signing the Bar Roll in 1904 he became the first Chinese barrister to practice in Melbourne.
William quite actively supported the Chinese community and took part in social events. He opposed discriminatory laws against the Chinese in Australia including making successful submissions against the Victorian Government's attempts to amend the Factories and Shops Act 1896 to exclude Chinese in the furniture making trade.
In 1912, William married Gertrude Bullock and had two sons and two daughters. The eldest son, also named William, became Deputy Superintendent of Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. His youngest son, Captain Stanley Ket, served in WW2 and was killed during the Allied landing at Tarakan. His eldest daughter Malaan, married Len Williams, their only son, John becoming the world acclaimed classic guitarist. It was the youngest daughter, Toylaan, who gained her BA (Hons) from Sydney University in 1982 who wrote the biography of her father published posthumously this year.
The book is published by Scholarly Publishing and available to order for $55.
Irene Poon, Curatorial Volunteer and Family Historian
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Chinese Museum Major Supporters |
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Museum of Chinese Australian History acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. |
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22 Cohen Place
Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia |
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