MUSEUM OF CHINESE AUSTRALIAN HISTORY |
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Dear First name / Chinese Museum Friend Over the past two centuries, Chinese Australians have participated in Australian Society with fervour, contributing to its contemporary character as you see it today. The Chinese Museum fosters this in many ways. We sponsor Our Story: Aboriginal Chinese in Australia, an exhibition now on display at the Guangzhou Library that explores the integration of Aboriginal Chinese families during the 1850s gold rush. It was highly acclaimed last year, on show for 10 months at the National Museum in Canberra. Chinese families sent their sons to fight as Chinese ANZACs during WWI and also served in WW2. This exhibition is currently showing at the Xin Jin Shan Chinese Library in Ballarat for the next month, particularly to commemorate Anzac Day this Saturday. Chinese connectivity has also extended beyond our shores, including the introduction of banana plantations in the 1870s, which marked the start of the banana industry in Queensland. Whilst influences were not only one-way. Famous department stores, such as Sincere Company and Wing On, were introduced into China after Chinese Australians observed this retail style in Australia. Chinese Australians now number 1.4 million (5.5%) of the Australian population, amongst Australia's 300 different ancestral backgrounds. Mandarin is the second-most-spoken language in Australia after English. We all have a migrant story of our own about our settlement in Australia. Our One Million Stories Exhibition at the Museum highlights this diversity while we maintain our cultural connectivity. In Australia our diversity can be enjoyed! Our duality is a blessing! Our museum promotes the spirit of being a multicultural Australian. Mark Wang CEO, Chinese Museum |
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A VERY SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY |
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All Community Museums struggle annually to generate enough income to maintain a meaningful role as custodians of their communities and to help perpetuate their heritage into the future. The Chinese Museum has the greatest Gratitude to those Community Organisations and members of the public who have supported the Museum with notable donations recently. - Two weeks ago, the Hui’an Association undertook a Fundraising Run around the Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. The Event raised $51,680 in donations for the Chinese Museum. Major donors included Centreland Group, Bruce Wong, and the Bruce Wong Foundation. The event honoured the 16,000 Chinese who undertook the arduous 480km walk from Robe, South Australia, to the Victorian Goldfields from 1857 to 1862.
- In March, Yue Xin Hui Association held Her Glory Awards recognising the recent contributions of Chinese Australian women to Australian society and donated $20,000 to the Chinese Museum.
- In February, the Australian Chinese Events Committee made a donation of $10,000 to the Museum at their Chinese New Year Charity Ball 2026 held at 1 Hotel. The funds are to be used to develop a new Museum facility.
The funds received help us deliver a strong year-round cultural program, introduce 25,000 schoolchildren annually to Chinese Australian heritage, create and send meaningful exhibitions regionally and internationally and represent Chinese Australians to local and international visitors every day of the week. We also receive personal donations from individuals and through Trusts such as: Basil Lim, Alex Tseng, Carrillo Gantner, Bruce Wong, George Yeung, Jacky Zhang, Peter Wu, Susan Gin, Charlie Xu and the Lee Family (Sylvia and Justin) … and many more. Please contact Mark Wang on 04 0938 8813 to discuss how your financial support can provide lasting benefit to the community. Donations are tax deductible. |
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Let us not forget the young Chinese Australians who served in WW2… In 2019 the late Eunice Leong (nee Chinn) donated to the Museum this photo of herself with her sister Valda and brother Max in uniform in 1943, after they had signed up to serve in Australia’s Defence Forces. It was only five years after Eunice had made her debut at the Young Chinese League’s (YCL) inaugural debutante ball in 1938 and she was the first of the siblings to enlist. Eunice joined the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) in 1942 and worked as a telegraphist with the Australian Army Signal Corps until her discharge in 1945. Valda, three years younger than Eunice, served in the RAAF as an aircraftwoman whilst Max, the youngest, first served in the Home Guard (1943-1944) before joining the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) serving with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan before his discharge in 1947. |
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Left to right: Eunice, Max and Valda Chinn 2019.5.9 Donated by Eunice Long nee Chinn |
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Many Chinese Australians joined the defence forces for WW2 and of the 12 debutante couples in 1938, six men and one woman (Eunice) enlisted in the Defence Forces. See the bolded names in the photograph below. Some of the 1938 YCL debutantes who enlisted had a sibling who didn’t serve, for example, Ivan Young’s brother Owen didn’t enlist, whilst George Tyedin didn’t enlist but his brother Eddie did. In these cases it was most likely because one brother needed to stay home to help with the family business. |
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1938 Young Chinese League Inaugural Debutante Ball Back from left: Claude WONG HEE, Jack GOON, Arthur WHEE, Gordan NAM, Gordon LOUEY, Owen YOUNG, Stanley AH MOUY, Harold KONG, Ivan YOUNG, Dennis QUON, George TYE DIN, Harold MEW Next Row: Linda YOUNG, Doris WHEE, Rose YIN, Phyllis POON, Violet TOW, Thelma WING JAN, Kim SHEE, Violet LOUEY, Eunice CHIN, Edna KONG, Betty WHEE, Jean LIM, Norma YOUNG 1993.8.1 donated by Jeff Moy |
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Other YCL members who enlisted during WW2 and served with the RAAF include Victor Sing (1941 Debutante) and his brother Ivan, Eric and Russell Moy, and Lesley Marsh. For those interested in learning more, the Chinese Museum holds photos and memorabilia about the YCL in displays on the third floor. Information and stories about Chinese Australians in WW2 can also be found here and the book “For honour and country” by Edmond Chiu and Adil Soh-Lim published by the Chinese Museum and for sale at the Museum. There is also an exhibition being held at Ballarat: Chinese Anzacs Exhibition Exhibition Dates: Sunday 19 April - Saturday 9 May 2026 Location: Xin Jin Shan Chinese Library at 200 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central VIC 3350 Click here to plan your visit Courtesy of 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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