Queensland

The history of Chinese settlement in Queensland raises a number of questions that need to be explored. Were there more anti-Chinese leagues active in the this Colony? Was indentured labour more openly favoured there, perhaps seen by colonial authorities as a necessary solution to labour shortages — a gap particularly noted in New South Wales? Many of its early migrants from China came via Amoy in southern Fujian, while the Palmer River goldfields attracted larger numbers proportionally than in Victoria. In centres such as Cooktown and Cairns, Chinese residents at times formed a majority of the population. This demographic reality invites further investigation into surviving artefacts, patterns of settlement, and even long-distance movements such as the overland walk from Darwin. Together, these threads suggest a northern story that differs markedly from the more familiar southern goldfields narrative.

Sandi Robb thesis