Golden Threads: The Chinese in Regional New South Wales 1850–1950 (review)

This book is the product of research carried out by author Janis Wilton and other researchers as part of the Golden Threads project. Utilizing a combination of traditional and innovative research methods, this project sets out to record the objects, documents, memorabilia, oral traditions and stories that mark the early Chinese presence in regional New South Wales, Australia, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.¹ The Golden Threads volume documents the results of this research, which involved visits to local museums and historic sites, the sourcing of private collections, and recordings of the memories of local residents and descendants of Chinese migrants.

Attractively presented with good quality photographs and illustrations, many of which are in color, the Golden Threads volume is an interesting and valuable resource for academic and non-academic readers who would like to know more about the material culture and ways of life of early Chinese migrants to Australia. Images of objects, documents and memorabilia are displayed according to themes and are accompanied by explanatory notes and written narratives which provides the historical context in which these can best be understood. Oral traditions, stories and memories are integrated into the text and give it a personal touch which brings this history to life. Together these provide new information and insights regarding patterns of migration and aspects of everyday life including beliefs, language, eating and work habits, and leisure activities that characterized the

lives of Chinese migrants and their descendants, and shaped their interactions within local communities of which they were a part. While some of the contextual information provided will not be new to readers in the field, this volume does include important information on a range of topics that are often overlooked or neglected in traditional modes of history telling of the Chinese in Australia. For example, Wilton incorporates fresh perspectives on the roles of Chinese women and children within the family, and their contributions to Chinese business and regional communities of which they were a part. She also includes numerous photographs and stories showing the involvement of Chinese migrants and their descendants in local music and dance bands, sports clubs, local churches and Christian groups (for example, the Salvation Army), and their joyful participation in picnics in the company of Chinese and non-Chinese friends. These images go a long way in breaking down popular stereotypes of the early Chinese community that circulate within Australian society.

While Wilton provides ample evidence of the assimilation of the Chinese into the Australian way of life, she does not ignore the continuing influence of the Chinese heritage and culture on the lives of the descendants of early Chinese migrants, in spite of generational changes. Indeed, Wilton reveals both the attempts of Chinese migrants to preserve Chinese culture by transplanting Chinese traditions and practices (and the material objects that supported these) from the "ancestral home," and the various ways in which their descendants modified and adapted these to make them relevant and meaningful to their everyday lives. Wilton's empathetic approach and the use of oral history records which enable Chinese Australians to contribute to the writing of their own histories, offers a different view of the Chinese presence in Australia which is rich and refreshing. Golden Threads is both a visual treat and a fascinating read for those interested in this field.