The Australian gold rush years saw a boom in immigration and prosperity, but it wasn’t always a harmonious time. Racist attitudes towards Chinese people in Victoria led to discriminatory legislation. Standing up against this oppression, thousands of Chinese people presented petitions to government. These petitions are some of Victoria’s earliest examples of activism and they provide a rare opportunity to capture Chinese perspectives and their experiences in the young colony. This is a recording of a guest lecture by Anna Kyi for History Month 2022. 

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