Chinese voices, Australian lives: Oral history and the Chinese contribution to Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield and surrounding districts during the first half of the twentieth century

Abstract

This thesis demonstrates how an oral history based study of a specific group of Chinese-Australians in a particular locality can deepen our understanding of the history of the Chinese in Australia. It considers the methodological, intellectual and ethical issues involved in working closely with members of a Chinese-Australian community, and in utilising oral history interviews as the core of the research material. Attention then turns to an analysis of the Chinese presence in and around the towns of Glen Innes, Inverell and Tenterfield during the first half of the twentieth century. What emerges is an account which emphasises the resilience and ingenuity of Chinese residents as they negotiated racist immigration legislation, established and expanded general stores throughout the region, and created a social life which was anchored in Chinese community networks but which also bridged the gap between Chinese and non-Chinese residents. The oral histories assist in revealing not just the nature of this history but also what it has meant to Chinese-Australians. The recollections and explanations of the oral history participants invite an understanding of how their historical consciousness as a group and as individuals has evolved and adapted, and how it has informed their sense of individual and collective identity.