Chinese Market Gardens (La Perouse) facts for kids

The Chinese Market Gardens are a special historical site in La Perouse, Australia. They are heritage-listed, which means they are protected because of their importance. These gardens are known for growing fresh vegetables and herbs. They are owned by the NSW Department of Industry, a government group in New South Wales. The gardens were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on August 13, 1999, recognizing their unique history and value.

A Look Back: History of the Gardens

First People: Aboriginal History

Before Europeans arrived in the 1780s, Aboriginal people lived in this area for thousands of years. They used the land for fishing and important cultural activities. You can still find signs of their presence, like rock carvings and grinding grooves. The local Aboriginal people were the Kameygal clan, who enjoyed the rich resources of the coast, including plenty of fish and fresh water. By the mid-1800s, many Aboriginal people had either moved away or sadly died from European diseases. However, some later returned to La Perouse, and today there's still a strong Aboriginal community there.

Early European Settlement

In 1788, the First Fleet, carrying British settlers, first landed near here at Yarra Bay. But they soon moved to Sydney Cove because the land was too swampy. A French explorer, La Perouse, also arrived shortly after. He set up a small garden nearby to grow vegetables for his crew. This was one of the very first European gardens in Australia! While the exact spot of La Perouse's garden isn't known, it was very close to where the Chinese Market Gardens are today. This shows that the area has a long history of growing food.

The town of La Perouse is about 14 kilometers south of Sydney's city center. It was quite isolated for a long time, only getting a proper road connection in 1869 and a tram line in 1902.

How Randwick Grew

One of the first land grants in this area was given in 1824. The suburb of Randwick got its name from a town in England. Simeon Pearce, who helped develop Randwick, named it after his birthplace. He and his brother bought and sold land, helping the area grow.

Randwick was a bit slow to develop at first because it was surrounded by swamps and sandhills. Travel to Sydney was difficult, with buses often getting stuck! Society in Randwick was divided: wealthy people lived in big houses, while working-class people ran market gardens, orchards, and piggeries.

In 1859, Randwick became one of the first suburbs in New South Wales to become a municipality, which meant it could manage its own local affairs. The establishment of Randwick Racecourse in 1863 also helped the area grow, bringing trams and making it a more lively place.

Chinese Market Gardens Begin

Maps from the late 1800s show many market gardens around Randwick. The land here was good for farming because of its fertile soil and plenty of water from the swampy areas near Botany Bay.

Chinese people started farming market gardens in La Perouse from the early 1900s. After the gold rush in the 1800s, many Chinese immigrants faced unfair treatment and laws. Market gardening became one of the few jobs they could do.

• Why Chinese Gardeners? Many Chinese families in Australia started their lives here by working in market gardens. It was a way to earn a living when other jobs were hard to find. They often passed their skills down through generations.
• Hard Work and Community: The gardeners worked very hard, often waking up before dawn to take their fresh vegetables to market. They lived in simple huts on the land. These gardens were sometimes linked to bigger Chinese businesses in Sydney's Chinatown.
• Supporting Immigrants: For many Chinese immigrants, these gardens were a crucial way to survive and build a new life in Australia. They helped many families get established.
• A Changing Landscape: Over time, most market gardens in Sydney were replaced by houses. But the Chinese Market Gardens in La Perouse survived longer, partly because they were a bit isolated. Today, only three of these traditional market gardens are left on Bunnerong Road.

A Timeline of the Gardens

• 1902: James Thomas Smith was granted a special lease for 15 acres for a market garden and poultry farm.
• 1904: William Foster Anderson received 10 acres for a market garden.
• 1905: Parish maps show the market gardens were active.
• 1909: James Hancock sublet 4 acres to Ah Choon, who then leased it to other Chinese gardeners. This is one of the earliest records of Chinese gardeners on the site.
• 1920s: More Chinese gardeners, like Tiy War & Co, started leasing parts of the land.
• 1941: Special leases were granted to Sun Lee and Henry Chan Lum for gardening.
• 1968: Bing Sun Ng and Lo Wun Leong began farming on one of the sections.

The Gardens Today

What They Look Like

The Chinese Market Gardens are located on Bunnerong Road in La Perouse, between a cemetery and a school. They cover about 7 hectares (about 17 acres). The land is low-lying and grows many kinds of vegetables and herbs, like bok choy and shallots. The gardens use a pipe irrigation system, and a creek flows through them, providing water. There are also simple corrugated iron or fibro sheds used for washing vegetables, storing tools, and sometimes as homes for workers.

Current Condition

As of 2012, two of the three garden sections are still actively farmed by Chinese families, the Teng and Ha families. They continue to grow fresh vegetables every day. The third section, Lot 1079, became overgrown in 2011 when the gardener retired, and no new lease was given.

The gardens sometimes get damaged by hailstorms and floods. The buildings are in poor condition. The creek near the gardens can also overflow in heavy rain, washing away vegetables and leaving rubbish.

New Vegetables and Local Food

With more Asian immigrants arriving since the 1990s, new vegetables have become popular in Australia. Gordon Ha, whose family has farmed here for 40 years, says they used to grow mostly Australian vegetables like celery. Now, they grow Chinese vegetables like Bok Choy and Choy Sum because there's more demand for them.

There's also a growing interest in "local" food and reducing "food miles" (the distance food travels). These existing market gardens are very important because they provide fresh, locally grown food, which is something many people care about today.

Why These Gardens Are Special

Heritage Listing

The Chinese Market Gardens in La Perouse are very important to the history of New South Wales. They are special for many reasons:

• Continuous Farming: They show a continuous history of growing food for Sydney by Chinese market gardeners since at least 1909. The traditional ways of farming have largely been kept.
• Chinese Immigration: These gardens are a living example of one of the few jobs available to Chinese men in the past, especially during times when there were unfair laws against Chinese immigrants (like the White Australia Policy). They show how ethnic communities influenced local industries.
• Connections with Other Communities: The gardens also have historical links with the Aboriginal community in La Perouse and with the "depression camps" on nearby Hill 60, where unemployed people lived in the 1930s. This gives us a unique look into the lives of marginalized people in Sydney.
• Community Value: The Chinese community in NSW highly values these gardens. For many, working in market gardens was their first step in Australia before they started other businesses like restaurants.
• Feeding the Community: These gardens have played a big role in feeding local people, especially during tough times like the Great Depression and after World War II. Today, with a new interest in sustainable farming and local food, their value is growing even more.
• Beautiful Green Space: They also add beauty to the Sydney suburbs. They look like a peaceful rural area with their neat garden beds, irrigation channels, and old sheds. They are a "charming contrast" to the surrounding city.
• Research Potential: The gardens offer a chance to learn about Chinese farming methods used in NSW. There's also potential to find out more about Aboriginal cultural use of the land before European settlement.
• Rarity: These gardens are very rare. While market gardens were common in the 1800s, most have disappeared from Sydney. In 2009, a study found only five market gardens left in Sydney, and these are among them. It's especially rare that they have been continuously farmed by Chinese families.

The Chinese Market Gardens were listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on August 13, 1999, because they meet these important criteria.