Chinatown, Atherton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chinatown, Atherton |
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Site of Chinatown, 2011
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| Location | Herberton Road, Atherton, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1880s - 1920s |
| Official name: Chinatown, Cedar Camp | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600011 |
| Significant period | 1880s-1940s (historical) |
| Significant components | trees/plantings, well |
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Chinatown, Atherton, is a special historical site in Queensland, Australia. It was once a busy settlement where many Chinese people lived and worked. This area, located on Herberton Road in Atherton, was active mostly between the 1880s and 1920s. It was also known as Cedar Camp. Today, it is protected as part of the Queensland Heritage Register, which happened on 21 October 1992.
The Story of Atherton Chinatown
This open area near the Atherton Chinese Temple was once a thriving Chinese settlement. It started in the mid-1880s. The settlement grew to support Chinese farmers in the Atherton area. It was most important in the early 1900s. At that time, there were over a hundred buildings here.
After the First World War, the settlement began to decline. Land that Chinese farmers leased was given to soldiers returning from the war. Because of this, most Chinese people left the area. By the late 1940s, almost all the buildings were gone.
Why Chinese People Came to Australia
Atherton Chinatown was one of many Chinese settlements in Australia. These settlements appeared during the 1800s. Many Chinese people arrived after gold was discovered in the 1850s. Most came from poor areas in southeastern China. They hoped to earn money to send home to their families. They also wanted to save enough to secure their own futures.
To help each other and stay connected to their homeland, they lived and worked together. This led to the creation of Chinatowns. These were often located within or near European towns.
Gold and New Beginnings
In 1873, gold was found on the Palmer River in Far North Queensland. This brought many miners, including Chinese people, to the area. By 1877, there were 17,000 Chinese miners on the Palmer River fields. They greatly outnumbered other miners.
Some Europeans felt worried by the large number of Chinese miners. They also worried because Chinese people often worked for less money. Also, the Chinese kept their own culture. Because of these reasons, rules were made to limit Chinese immigration. They were also not allowed to access new mining areas.
As gold became harder to find on the Palmer field, Chinese miners looked for other ways to earn money.
Farming on the Atherton Tableland
In 1880, tin was discovered on the Wild River. This helped the Atherton Tableland area grow. The Tableland is a volcanic plateau with a mild climate and rich soil. It was originally covered in thick forests.
In the early 1880s, a group of Chinese people worked with European timber cutters. They moved into the Atherton area. They started a settlement called Cedar Camp. It was across Piebald Creek from the European settlement of Prior's Pocket. In August 1885, this area was surveyed and renamed Atherton. Land sales then began.
Farming Success and Community Life
Laws in Queensland prevented Chinese people from owning land. However, many leased land from Europeans. The newly cleared land was hard to plough. But it was perfect for the hand-farming methods used by the Chinese. They became very successful farmers.
They supplied fruit and vegetables to the growing town of Herberton. They also pioneered growing maize (corn), which became an important crop for the area. The rent they paid to landowners also helped during the difficult economic times of the 1890s.
Atherton's Chinatown was on land first leased in 1887. By 1897, over 180 Chinese people lived there. The settlement grew into a main street with small timber and iron shops and houses. Around 1909, at its busiest, Chinatown had many businesses. These included corn sellers, food stores, general goods shops, and a herbalist. There were also two gambling places and an entertainment venue with musicians.
The community also had a Tong society meeting hall and a temple. At this time, Chinatown was the main social and business hub for over a thousand Chinese people living in the Atherton district.
Decline and Preservation
In 1911, the Manchu dynasty in China was overthrown. A new republic was declared. This caused some disagreements within the Chinatown community. The authority of the Tong, which helped manage the community, weakened. Gambling increased, and there were some violent events. Some Chinese people moved away at this point.
There was also growing pressure from local people to use the land for Europeans. The mild climate was seen as very suitable, and the land was now ready for ploughing or dairy farming. After the First World War, land leased by Chinese farmers was given to soldiers returning from the war. Most Chinese people moved south or to nearby coastal towns.
During the 1920s, many buildings were pulled down or moved to be used elsewhere. A few older men stayed in the settlement until the late 1940s. The temple was used sometimes until the mid-1970s.
A group of local Chinese families bought the land where Chinatown stood. Eventually, the Fong On family, who had lived in the town, bought it completely. In 1975, the National Trust of Queensland received money to research the site. The Fong On family then offered the temple to them the next year to help protect it. This donation was made final in 1980.
In 1991, John Fong On divided the land. He gave part of it to the National Trust of Queensland. He sold another part to the Atherton Shire Council. This part of the site has no buildings. However, reports suggest it might contain interesting archaeological items.
Since then, the temple has been researched and preserved as a museum. Researchers from James Cook University have also studied the town site. This included mapping old relics and the original street. They also did excavations in 1991 and 1992. Although some damage happened from casual digging in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it is believed that some areas remain untouched.
What You Can See Today
The Chinatown site is about 4.5 hectares (about 11 acres) in size. It is on a gentle slope south of Piebald Creek and east of Herberton Road. The site includes the land around the Atherton Chinese Temple.
The location of the site seems to have been chosen carefully, possibly using traditional Chinese methods. This is shown by its relationship to natural features like the Herberton Range and the creek.
The ground has dark grey clay soils. The lower northern part can flood during wet seasons. The area is mostly covered in guinea grass, lantana, and clumps of Japanese sunflowers. There are also some eucalyptus trees, tea-trees, and grevillea. You can also see mango trees that were planted by the Chinese settlers. The area near the temple is regularly mowed to keep the grass short. Thick plants cover much of the site. This may help protect the many old items scattered on the ground. You can still see signs of the old settlement, like wells, building foundations, and possibly old plantings.
In 1996, the National Trust put up signs. These signs mark important spots and show what life was like in Chinatown.
Why Chinatown is Important
Chinatown was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it is a very important historical place.
Showing Queensland's History
Chinatown, Atherton, helps us understand how Queensland's history developed. The Chinese people were pioneers in farming in North Queensland. They played a big part in opening up the Atherton area for settlement.
A Rare Historical Site
This site is a major Chinese settlement in tropical Queensland. It has never been built over since the original settlement. Such a large and untouched site of Chinese occupation is rare in Australia. This makes Chinatown a very important archaeological site.
Learning About the Past
The site has the potential to teach us more about Queensland's history. It can show us how a large Chinese settlement in Australia was formed and what life was like there.
