Anti-Chinese Violence

Numerous incidents ranging from attacks to riots have been directed against Chinese people.

The Victorian goldfields were probably the most consistently violent with that on the Buckland goldfield resulting in most deaths Ararat and other places saw Chinese miners driven off their claims. Nevertheless that on Lambing Flat, despite no Chinese deaths, is considered the most violent. Mainly because it was used by a later generation as a symbol for anti-Chinese aggression.

Such violence was never supported by everyone and a similar “Roll up” call in Hyde Park Sydney at the time of the Lambing Flat riots had no one turn up

 Queensland also produced violence:

"Late in April all Chinese on the field were given fourteen days to depart. With local passions running high, the Queensland Government vacillated on the issue with little foresight, and hoped the agitation would subside (Evans 1993: 286). For several days the local Chinese community was panic-stricken, and refused to enter the town boundary for fear of violence and intimidation. Some Chinese illegally on the field were removed by the warden, but the others chose to stay. On the day the deadline expired, violence was narrowly averted. Twenty-two special constables were sworn in, including some of the leaders of the anti-Chinese league. The willingness of their leaders to serve in this capacity cooled the tempers of the Croydon miners. But on the Etheridge field, Chinese were forcibly expelled in May, and in June violence erupted at Normanton (The Queenslander June 2, 1888: 861; Markus 1979: 151; Evans 1993: 286-287)."

Historical overview in Conservation Plan: Croydon Cemeteries by Gordon Grimwade, January 2000 (Gordon Grimwade Associates, 2000), p.15.