Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Hidden treasures: The First Chinese − a Walk in Queanbeyan

May 14, 2023 @ 10:15 am - 12:00 pm

The Chinese Heritage walk will depart from the Thai Lime Leaves Restaurant, 20 Lowe St, Queanbeyan at 10.15am on Sunday 14 May. Please arrive a little early so we can start on time. Lunch will be at the restaurant at ~12.15pm and the cost will be $25 pp for members and $30 for non- members.
The walk will be a roughly 2 hour mostly urban walk of about 3.5km, with some hilly parts and unpaved sections in a cemetery.
If you are interested in coming on the walk and/or the
lunch would you email acfsevent@gmail.com by 10 May. The cost will be a donation of approximately $10 for members, $15 for non-members, of which $5 goes to the National Trust.

Tour information
The tour will cover the fascinating story of one of this area’s earliest migrant populations, and visit some associated heritage sites.
Access to skilled and reliable labour was a problem in early New South Wales, and particularly so after convict transportation ended in 1840. A plan to contract Chinese mechanics and labourers was proposed as early as 1837. Some of those from the Canberra area that backed the plan were Charles Campbell, George Thomas Palmer, and Thomas McQuoid. Later, the gold rushes attracted thousands of Chinese miners. Inevitably, some Chinese men married European women, had children and settled down. They went on to run a network of gardens, stores, eating houses and boarding rooms essential to life in towns across the colony. Henry Lawson celebrated them, and Braidwood’s Quong Tart became as well regarded as
the Governor. One Chinese-European family became part of the commercial, journalistic and religious fabric of Queanbeyan and Canberra. The Tankey family story
will illustrate the contributions of the early Chinese to the Queanbeyan district, one of whom became the business partner of a militant Canberran that led a national political party.

Details

Date:
May 14, 2023
Time:
10:15 am - 12:00 pm