Chinese restaurants in Australia facts for kids
Chinese restaurants have been a big part of Australian towns and cities for a very long time. Many have been open for over 50 years, and some for more than 150 years! These restaurants first started as businesses during the Victorian gold rush in 1854.
Contents
How Chinese Restaurants Started in Australia
Chinese food became popular in Australia in the mid-1800s. Many Chinese workers came to Australia, and some found jobs as cooks on large farms called "stations" or in country pubs.
The Gold Rush and New Businesses
A huge number of Chinese people moved to Australia during the Australian gold rush in the 1850s. Some of these new arrivals opened food shops. They offered hot meals to Chinese gold miners. European miners sometimes bought food from these shops too. People called them "cookhouses" or "cookshops." Often, these food places were connected to other Chinese businesses.
By 1890, about one-third of all cooks in Australia were Chinese. This shows how important Chinese cooks had become!
Growing Across Australia
From 1901, it became harder for Chinese people to move to Australia because of a rule called the White Australia policy. However, chefs were allowed to come. Also, after 1934, Chinese business owners could bring in workers from China who were not family. These workers often learned to cook on the job. By the 1970s, Chinese restaurants were found in many country towns and all major cities.
Early Restaurants in Canberra
The oldest Chinese restaurant in Canberra opened in 1962. It was still serving customers in 2016!
First Restaurants in Victoria
The very first Chinese restaurant recorded in Australia opened in 1854. It was in Ballarat, Victoria, on the goldfields. Chin Thum Lok owned this restaurant. Interestingly, it served English-style food, like roast beef, not Chinese food.
In Melbourne, there were 18 Chinese restaurants listed in 1920. By 1939, eight of them were outside the main Chinatown area. By 1970, there were 150 Chinese restaurants across Melbourne and its suburbs.
Popular Dishes and Ingredients
The types of Chinese dishes served in Australia have changed over time.
Traditional Dishes and New Flavors
In the 1960s and 1970s, popular dishes included sweet and sour pork, or beef and black beans, usually with fried rice. Today, many restaurants use more traditional Chinese ingredients. For example, Tofu used to be uncommon, but now many people enjoy it.
Most of the early Chinese migrants came from Guangdong Province in southern China, and later from British British Hong Kong. This means that Cantonese cuisine has been the main style of Chinese food in Australian restaurants.
Yum Cha and Dim Sim
Yum cha is a popular meal, often served in fancier Chinese restaurants in Australia. It involves small dishes and tea. Cantonese food uses fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, chicken, pork, rice, herbs, and spices.
The Dim sim is a very popular snack all over Australia. It was inspired by Cantonese food and created by a Cantonese chef in Melbourne's Chinatown.
Images for kids
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The interior of a Chinese restaurant in Canberra during 2016
