Haymarket Chinatown Stories: Past, Present, Future

Prof Ien Ang was invited to speak with Dr Shuxia Chen, curator of MOCA and Dr Sophie Loy-Wilson, historian of Chinese Australian Communities, at a panel conversation to explore the rich social history and evolving identity of Haymarket Chinatown.

Speakers of Chinatown panel from left: Ann Toy, Dr Shuxia Chen, Dr Sophie Loy-Wilson, Prof Ien Ang (photo by Brad Powe, courtesy of MOCA)

At the panel, Prof Ang shared her views on the transformation and significance of Haymarket Chinatown in the 21st century. 

She mentioned Sydney Chinatown only took its shape with a Chinatown identity when Australia became much more appreciative of its multicultural makeup. 

'Australian multiculturalism only started in the 1970s after the official decline of the White Australia Policy. That was the time when Sydney Chinatown could be recognised as an area that is of importance to say something about what it is to be a multicultural society.' 

Chinatown became officially known as 'Chinatown' when the Chinatown gates were established, and tourism has come in as well. In the 1980s, Australia was increasingly oriented towards Asia—there were a lot of economic relationships with Asia and a rapid increase of Asian migration.

'We have to signal the importance of an area like this because Chinatown really symbolizes the connections that Australia has with not just China, but other Asian countries as well...'

The arrival of international students from Asian who live near Chinatown actually led to the expansion of the area, not only 'Asianisation' of the city but the development of more diverse areas around the core of Chinatown such as Koreatown and Thaitown.

'Chinatown is an area of getting coming together, just as it was in the past, for a lot of people from diverse backgrounds to come to Chinatown. So that does not change, but the newer generations come from many different countries, not just from areas in China'. Prof Ang concluded.

The panel discussion, organised by the Museum of Chinese in Australia (MOCA) was held on 11 December 2024 at Sydney Mechanics School of Arts.

From left: Ann Toy, Dr Shuxia Chen, Daphne Lowe Kelly, Prof Ien Ang, Dr Sophie Loy-Wilson, Dr Sophie Loy-Wilson, (photo courtesy of Dr Shuxia Chen & MOCA)