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History & Heritage
Chinese Mining Heritage
An archaeological excavation at a Chinese mining hut in north-east Tasmania has unearthed thousands of artefacts, including what might be Australia’s oldest soy sauce bottle.
The discovery of a number of historical sites in Tasmania’s north-east has revealed a fascinating story of the Chinese mining community that lived and worked there in the late 1800s.
The archaeological excavation centred on the remains of an old miner’s hut, near the town of Moorina. About 4,000 artefacts were collected; a number of these were found intact, including a curious ceramic jar – quite possibly used to store that staple of the Asian diet, soy sauce.
The history of the Chinese in northern Tasmania dates back to the 1870s, with the boom in alluvial tin mining. By 1891 the population of Chinese miners in northern Tasmania numbered almost 1000.
It is the job of Objects Conservator Linda Clark, of Launceston’s Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, to preserve the thousands of artefacts discovered. Everyday items of their time, these broken jars and rusted tin cans provide a fascinating insight into the lives of the miners.
The relics reveal that the Chinese imported the majority of their food and drink from their homeland. The rest they supplemented with Australian-grown staples such as rice and vegetables.
In addition to the artefacts collected and displayed at Launceston’s QVMAG, Tasmania’s Chinese mining heritage can be explored along the north-eastern touring route. The Trail of the Tin Dragon celebrates the contribution of the Chinese community to Tasmania’s rich mining history in the north-east.
More information
The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery has two sites in Launceston:
Inveresk – Invermay Road, Launceston
Royal Park – 2 Wellington Street, Launceston
Opening hours: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm daily (closed Good Friday and Christmas)
www.qvmag.com.au
The Trail of the Tin Dragon is a part of the North-East Trail touring route
The Trail of the Tin Dragon starts in Scottsdale and heads east through Branxholm, Derby and Weldborough.