Wind & Sky ProductionsMany Roads: Chinese on the Goldfields
Info
Commissioned by: Culture Victoria
Produced: 2017
Length: 11.35 minutes
Chinese people took many roads to get to the goldfields of Victoria in the 1850s. Image: Samuel Charles Brees, Flemington Melbourne, watercolour, ca 1856, courtesy of State Library of Victoria.
Chinese culture would influence Victoria in many unexpected ways. Image: Parade costume jacket (detail), silk, cotton, gold thread. China, c. 1880. Courtesy of the Golden Dragon Museum. Image by Jary Nemo.
Chinese miners faced discrimination which they resisted through petitions and other means. Image: Petition to Governor Barkly. PROV, VA 475 Chief Secretary’s Department, VPRS1189/P0, Inward Registered Correspondence, Unit 522, Item: 59/7364, Sub Item: B82/59. Courtesy of Public Record Office Victoria. Image by Jary Nemo.
The digital exhibition features video and audio interviews with historians and experts such as Anna Kyi, historian. Image by Jary Nemo.
The digital gallery features 100 images of engravings, maps, photographs, documents and artefacts. Image: Going to market, China [picture], John Henry Harvey, photographer, Thomas Allom, artist. 1 transparency : glass lantern slide. ca. 1900-1920. Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria.
The Story
In the 1850s tens of thousands of Chinese people flocked to Victoria, joining people from around the world who came here chasing the lure of gold. Fleeing violence, famine and poverty in their homeland they sought fortune for their families in the place they called ‘New Gold Mountain’. Facing discrimination and injustice they carved out lives in this strange new land.
The Chinese took many roads to the goldfields. They left markers, gardens, wells and place names, some which still remain in the landscape today. At the peak migration point of the late 1850s the Chinese made up one in five of the male population in fabled gold mining towns of Victoria such as Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Beechworth and Ararat. It was not just miners who took the perilous journey. Doctors, gardeners, artisans and business people voyaged here and contributed to Victoria’s economy, health and cultural life.
Many Roads: Stories of the Chinese on the Goldfields of Victoria showcases the extent of the Chinese influence in the making of Victoria, which reaches farther back than many have realised.
Digital Exhibition
The all-digital project features an eleven minute film featuring curators, historians and Chinese Victorian descendants, two extended audio interviews and one extended video interview with key experts, a digital gallery featuring a hundred images of artefacts, documents, photographs and illustrations from museums, galleries and historical societies, and six essays written by Victorian historical experts. The story canvasses the discrimination the Chinese faced and the famous overland treks the Chinese were forced to take to get to Victoria, but also the various positive ways the Chinese contributed to the economy and culture of Victoria.
All items in the digital exhibition are free to watch, show and share from the link https://cv.vic.gov.au/stories/immigrants-and-emigrants/many-roads-stories-of-the-chinese-on-the-goldfields-of-victoria/ .
The project was commissioned by Culture Victoria, an online platform that shares the stories held by collecting organisations across the state. It was produced by Ballarat-based production company Wind & Sky Productions in collaboration with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, the Gold Museum- Sovereign Hill Museums Association, the Golden Dragon Museum Bendigo and the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre Ararat.
The Film
The story’s 11 minute documentary film explores the story of Chinese people in the Victorian gold rush, uncovering the routes the Chinese took to seek gold, the lives they lived and the sort of people they were.
The film contains beautiful montages of archival images, illustrations and photographs from Victoria’s regional collections. It features interviews with Cash Brown, Curator and Conservator at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, Anita Jack, General Manager of the Golden Dragon Museum and great grand daughter of a goldrush-era Chinese migrant, Professor Keir Reeves, Director, Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History, Federation University Australia, and Heather Ah Pee, Former Coordinator, Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre and related by marriage to a goldrush era Chinese forebear.
An extended video feature includes a full interview with historian Anna Kyi on attitudes towards Chinese migration from the 19th century to the present, harmony and conflict on the goldfields and the complexity of the Eureka story.
Awards and Nominations
Highly Commended, Communicating, promoting and celebrating heritage, 2019 Ballarat Heritage Design and Excellence Awards
Credits
- Creative Producers:
- Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo
- Commissioning Editors on behalf of Culture Victoria:
- Eleanor Whitworth and Dimity Mapstone
- Production Company:
- Wind & Sky Productions
- Project Manager:
- Jary Nemo
- Digital Gallery Curator:
- Lucinda Horrocks
- Film Director:
- Jary Nemo
- Interviewees:
- Heather Ahpee, Cash Brown, Anita Jack, Anna Kyi and Keir Reeves
- Essay Contributors:
- Cash Brown, Fred Cahir, Ian Clark, Liz Denny, Anna Kyi and Benjamin Mountford
- Research Advisors:
- Cash Brown, Fred Cahir, Snjezana Cosic, Liz Denny, Yvonne Horsfield, Anna Kyi, Elizabeth Marsden, Leigh McKinnon, Benjamin Mountford, Rick Mitchell, Diann Talbot, John Tully and Charles Zhang
- Produced in collaboration with:
- the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, the Gold Museum- Sovereign Hill Museums Association, the Golden Dragon Museum and the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre
- Contributing Organisations:
- Art Gallery of Ballarat, Bendigo Chinese Association, Bright and District Historical Society, Chinese Museum, Creswick Museum, Dunolly Museum, Golden Dragon Museum, Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre, Library of Congress, Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, Museums Victoria, Myrtleford and District Historical Society, National Library of Australia, Newstead Historical Society, Public Record Office Victoria, Sovereign Hill Museums Association and State Library of Victoria
- Camera, Sound, Editing and Post Production by:
- Jary Nemo
- Story Research, Interviews and Digital Gallery Content Written by:
- Lucinda Horrocks
- Additional Digital Gallery Content Written by:
- Cash Brown, Liz Denny and Yvonne Horsfield
- Digital Content Upload and Assistance:
- Sharon Turley
- Content Management System Co-Ordinator:
- Dimity Mapstone
- With Thanks to:
- Kay Adams, Lauren Bourke, Sam Brown, Fred Cahir, Angela Campbell, Ian Clark, Snjezana Cosic, Jan Croggon, Kate Dunn, Andrew Evans, Peter Freund, Margaret Fullwood, Luke Grimes, Henry Gunstone, Yvonne Horsfield, Sam Henson, Jemma Holcombe, David Hood, Bill Horrocks, Heather Horrocks, Julie Kilpatrick, Elizabeth Liddle, Hong Lim, Geoffrey Lord, Lucy Lv, Samantha Mackley, Elizabeth Marsden, Sarah Masters, Pauline McCall, John McDonald, Moya MacFadzean, Kathryn McKenzie, Julie McLaren, Gordon Morrison, Bill Moy, Jim Oastler, Philippa O’Halloran, Dennis O’Hoy, Michelle Philips, Anne Rowland, Padmini Sebastian, Kylee Smith, Jane Smith, Michelle Smith, Diann Talbot, John Taylor, John Tully, Sharon Turley, Mindy Meng Wang, John Watson, the Chinese Australian Cultural Society Ballarat, the Chinese Community Council of Australia Victoria, the Bendigo Chinese Association, the Bright and District Historical Society, the Myrtleford and District Historical Society, the Ballarat Historical Society, Ararat City Council, Ballarat City Council, Bendigo City Council, Federation University Australia, La Trobe University, the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Creswick Museum, Dunolly Museum, Museums Victoria and Public Record Office Victoria
- Film Shot on Location at:
- Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, Ballarat, Golden Dragon Museum, Bendigo, Gold Museum and Sovereign Hill, Ballarat, Wind & Sky Productions Studio, Ballarat
- Acknowledgements:
- This project was created for Culture Victoria with the support of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Project production and development took place on the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung, Djab Wurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples. We would like to acknowledge these traditional owners and pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.
- Copyright with:
- Wind & Sky Productions ©2017 unless otherwise acknowledged.
Memories of War – The Last Goodbye
Film: The Last Goodbye
Info
Commissioned by: Australian and Victorian Governments
Produced: 2015
Length: 18 minutes
The film features Federation University Australia actors reading authentic letters. Pictured here is Alisha Eddy. Photograph by Jary Nemo.
Film research included archival photographs from the era. Here is a photograph of Egypt circa 1915 from State Library of Victoria.
Students of Federation University Australia were interviewed about their perceptions of WW1 in Ballarat. Here actor Nick Murphy is interviewed. Photograph by Jary Nemo.
As part of the project students from Federation University Australia visited the Gold Museum WW1 collection and wrote about their perceptions in the ‘Memories of War’ blog. Here a group of writing students visit the museum. Photograph by Jary Nemo.
The project aimed to capture the attitudes of young people towards the events of WW1 in Ballarat. Here education student Maryanne Deller talks about her experience working on the Daylesford Primary School Honour Board project. Photo by Lucinda Horrocks.
Poster for Remembrance Week Screenings at M.A.D.E Ballarat, 2015.
The Story
In 1914 Australia went to war. Thousands of young recruits passed through Ballarat on their way to the front, to prepare for battle and to say a last goodbye.
This documentary explores the meaning of remembrance and looks at the way the Great War changed us, through the eyes of the young people of Ballarat today.
The Memories of War Project
‘The Last Goodbye’ was part of the ‘Memories of War’ film and research project collaboration between the RSL Ballarat, Federation University Australia, the Gold Museum, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka and Wind & Sky Productions.
The project connected with writing, history, drama and education students from Federation University Australia who explored what World War One was like for the people of Ballarat.
As part of the project community members were invited to produce content for the Gold Museum on the topic of ‘Memories of War’. Publication of content began in September 2015 and continues to be published. Contributions were diverse and included reflective essays, biographies, poems and performances.
Documentary Approach
From the stories, contributors, content and people unearthed in the project a film ‘The Last Goodbye’ was produced.
The film draws on the performances, reflections, findings and stories of researchers, curators, historians, writers, performers, artists and students of Ballarat.
The core principle of the film was that the narrative would be guided by the perspectives of the central contributors, and is an assemblage of the learning and the journey of local people who have worked on understanding WW1.
The film provides a view point on the way Ballarat has remembered the impacts and legacy of the Great War in this commemorative year.
It is a compilation of seated interviews with four young people who have researched, in various ways, the impact of WW1, interspersed with performed readings and reminiscences chosen by the performers themselves from texts provided by Ballarat-based historians. These live voices are complemented by a selection of historical photographs from local and international archival collections and with music of the WW1 era performed by the Graduating Actors of the Arts Academy.
Screenings
Carmarthen Bay Film Festival: Friday 12 May 2017, Stradey Park Hotel, Furnace, Llanelli, Wales, SA14 4HA, UK
Ballarat Mechanics Institute Twilight Talk: Friday 28 April 2017, Ballaarat Mechanics Institute, Sturt Street, Ballarat, Victoria 3350.
Veterans Film Festival: Saturday 26 November 2016, 1B Castle Street, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales, SY23 1DT, UK
Screening and Remembrance Event at M.A.D.E Ballarat: Sunday 8th-9th November 2015 the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E Ballarat), 102 Stawell Street South, Ballarat, Victoria 3350.
Are you interested in showing this film to your community? Contact Wind & Sky Productions to find out how you can.
Online
Freely available.
To watch click ‘play’ above or watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/gNFQLorLpwM
Partners
The Memories of War Film and Research Project was a collaboration between the Ballarat RSL, Federation University Australia, the Ballarat Gold Museum, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka and Wind & Sky Productions. It was funded by the Australian Government Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program and the Victorian Government Anzac Centenary Major Grants Program.
Film Credits
- Written and produced by:
- Jary Nemo and Lucinda Horrocks
- Production Company:
- Wind & Sky Productions
- Directed by:
- Jary Nemo
- Featuring:
- Robert Lewis Snjezana Cosic Maryanne Deller Nick Murphy
- Players:
- Alisha Eddy David Gallagher Mark Simmonds
- Voices:
- Olivia Cirillo Alisha Eddy Jacqui Essing Isabel Mulrooney Nick Murphy Grace Pernar Nick Rijs Mark Simmonds Laura Telford
- Images and artwork courtesy of:
- Ballarat RSL, Dreamstime.com, Federation University Australia, Harvey Photography, Imperial War Museums, Library of Congress, Museum Victoria, State Library of New South Wales, State Library of Victoria, Sovereign Hill: Gold Museum
- Oral history research by:
- Ailsa Brackley du Bois, The Editorial Suite
- Research advisors:
- Anne Beggs-Sunter, Snjezana Cosic, Jan Croggon, Zeb Leonard, Robert Lewis, David Waldron
- Casting facilitators:
- Jenene Burke, Kim Durban, Bryce Ives, Annette Chappell
- Camera, lighting, sound, editing, visual effects and post-production by:
- Jary Nemo
- Research, interviews and music direction by:
- Lucinda Horrocks
- Music:
- ‘If You Want the Old Battalion’, traditional. Arranged by Nathan Gilkes and Bryce Ives (Present Tense). Solo vocalist: Brendan McCosker. Piano: Nathan Gilkes. Performed by the 2015 Graduating Acting Company, Arts Academy, Federation University Australia. ‘Are We Downhearted No!’, by Worton David and Lawrence Wright © EMI Music Publishing. Arranged by Nathan Gilkes and Bryce Ives (Present Tense). Solo vocalist: Casey Binks. Piano: Nathan Gilkes. Performed by 2015 Graduating Acting Company, Arts Academy, Federation University Australia. ‘Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy’, by C.W Murphy and Worton David. Arranged by Nathan Gilkes and Bryce Ives (Present Tense). Piano: Nathan Gilkes. Performed by 2015 Graduating Acting Company, Arts Academy, Federation University Australia. ‘Hitchy Koo’ by Lewis F. Muir, Maurice Abrahams and L.Wolfe Gilbert. Arranged by Nathan Gilkes and Bryce Ives (Present Tense). Piano: Nathan Gilkes. Performed by 2015 Graduating Acting Company, Arts Academy, Federation University Australia. Additional incidental piano music performed by Lucinda Horrocks. ‘Minaret – Early Morning Prayer’ and ‘Arabs Gathering their Horses at Dawn’ by Digiffects © Digiffects. ‘Trench Warfare’ audio soundscape by Thorn FX © 2008.
- With thanks to:
- Casey Binks, Lauren Bourke, Zoe Bradshaw, Jenene Burke, Fred Cahir, Angela Campbell, Di Campbell, Annette Chappell, Oliver Cowen, Yvon Davis, Brett Dunlop, Kim Durban, Leah Ferguson-Grieve, Clare Gervasoni, Nathan Gilkes, Luke Grimes, Kayla Hamill, Dominic Hanrahan, Daniel Henderson, Bryce Ives, Maurie Keating, Neil Leckie, Neil Leonard, John MacDonald, Sarah Masters, Brendan McCosker, Sarah Morey, Kristine Morgan, Katy Nethercote, James O’Callaghan, Lynne Redman, Rianh Silvertree, Jane Smith, Kayla Elizabeth Stone, Alexandra Tascas, Amy Tsilemanis, Roger Trudgeon, David Waldron, Sarah Wallis, Ballarat Ranger Military Museum, The Editorial Suite, The George Hotel, Present Tense Ensemble.
- Project partners:
- Ballarat RSL, The Gold Museum, Sovereign Hill, Federation University Australia, MADE Ballarat and Wind & Sky Productions
- Acknowledgements:
- The Memories of War Film and Research Project was funded by the Australian Government Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program and the Victorian Government Anzac Centenary Major Grants Program. Filming and production took place on the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their traditional custodianship and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
- Copyright with:
- © Wind & Sky Productions MMXV
Project Credits
- Project Producers:
- Jary Nemo and Lucinda Horrocks
- Creative Director:
- Jary Nemo
- Executive Group:
- Ballarat RSL: Alex Tascas, Maurie Keating, Federation University Australia: John McDonald, Sovereign Hill: Gold Museum: Brett Dunlop, Roger Trudgeon, Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka: Jane Smith, Wind & Sky Productions: Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo
- Project Team:
- Project Management, System Design, Web Development:
- Jary Nemo
- Project Coordination and Communications :
- Lucinda Horrocks
- Student Engagement and Recruitment Team:
- Student Liaisons – Mt Helen Campus:
- David Waldron, Jenene Burke, Annette Chappell and Zeb Leonard
- Student Liaisons – Arts Academy:
- Kim Durban, Angela Campbell and Bryce Ives
- Gold Museum Access and Tours Facilitation:
- Snjezana Cosic
- Memories of War Blog Team:
- Blog Co-Ordinator:
- Snjezana Cosic
- Editor:
- Kayla Elizabeth Stone
- Blog Contributors:
- Ian Clark, Richard Eldridge, James O’Callaghan, Danni Roberts, Phil Roberts, Rianh Silvertree, David Waldron, And more blog contributions to come…
- Film Production Team:
- Producers:
- Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo
- Director:
- Jary Nemo
- Featuring:
- Snjezana Cosic, Maryanne Deller, Nick Murphy and Robert Lewis
- Players:
- Alisha Eddy, David Gallagher, Mark Simmonds
- Voices:
- Olivia Cirillo, Jacqui Essing, Grace Pyone Pernar, Isabel Mulrooney, Nick Murphy, Nick Rijs, Laura Telford
- Music:
- Nathan Gilkes, Bryce Ives and the Arts Academy Graduating Acting Company
- Research Team:
- Research Manager:
- Lucinda Horrocks
- Research Advisors :
- Jan Croggon, Anne Beggs-Sunter, Robert Lewis, Zeb Leonard, David Waldron, Snjezana Cosic, Roger Trudgeon
- Oral History Research by:
- Ailsa Brackley du Bois, The Editorial Suite
- Event Team:
- Creative Director:
- Jary Nemo
- Lead Vocals:
- Casey Binks (Are We Downhearted No!), Alisha Eddy and Kayla Hamill (I’ll Make a Man Out of You)
- Bagpipes:
- Amber Sinclair
- Piano:
- Nathan Gilkes
- Banjo:
- Oliver Cowen
- Guitar:
- Nick Rijs
- Choir:
- Casey Binks, David Gallagher, Kayla Hamill, Brendan McCosker, Isabel Mulrooney, Nick Murphy, Katy Nethercote, Grace Pyone Pernar, Mark Simmonds, Laura Telford
- Speech by:
- Alexandra Tascas, Ballarat RSL
- Featured photographs by:
- Lachlan Bence, courtesy of the Ballarat Courier, Lucinda Horrocks Jodiee Hutchinson, Jary Nemo, Adam Trafford, courtesy of the Ballarat Courier, Amy Tsilemanis Justin Whitelock, courtesy of the Ballarat Courier
- Stage and Musical Direction and Arrangement:
- Bryce Ives and Nathan Gilkes, Present Tense Ensemble
- Venue Manager:
- Sarah Masters
- Venue Marketing and Bookings :
- Zoe Bradshaw
- Lead Tech:
- Luke Grimes
- Lighting operator:
- Liam Drennan
- Event Publicity Team:
- Marketing Manager:
- Lucinda Horrocks
- Artwork Production:
- Wind & Sky Productions
- Event photographer:
- Aldona Kmiec
- M.A.D.E Ballarat PR & Social Media:
- Jane Smith and Zoe Bradshaw
- Administrative Support:
- Kristine Morgan
- Envelope Stuffers:
- Peter Millynn, Michelle Dado-Millynn, Kristine Morgan, Maurie Keating, Jary Nemo, Lucinda Horrocks
- Thank you to:
- the M.A.D.E Ballarat front of house staff
- We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of:
- Kim Durban of the Federation University Arts Academy and Bryce Ives and Nathan Gilkes of Present Tense Ensemble in facilitating and arranging the event performances.
- A general thank you to the following Brains Trust and Project Evangelists:
- Lauren Bourke, Fred Cahir, Di Campbell, Yvon Davis, Brett Dunlop, Andrew Eales, Leah Ferguson-Grieve, Clare Gervasoni, Dominic Hanrahan, Daniel Henderson, Maurie Keating, Neil Leckie, Neil Leonard, John McDonald, Sarah Masters, Kristine Morgan, Lynne Redman, Jane Smith, Alexandra Tascas, Amy Tsilemanis, Roger Trudgeon, David Waldron, Ballarat Ranger Military Museum, The Ballarat Courier, The Editorial Suite, The George Hotel, Present Tense Ensemble.
- Project partners:
- Ballarat RSL, The Gold Museum, Sovereign Hill, Federation University Australia, MADE Ballarat and Wind & Sky Productions
- Acknowledgements:
- The Memories of War Film and Research Project was funded by the Australian Government Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program and the Victorian Government Anzac Centenary Major Grants Program. Filming and production took place on the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their traditional custodianship and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Chinese in Victoria took Many Roads to Fortune
Ballarat, Victoria, 12 December 2017.
Author: Wind & Sky Productions
New film and digital exhibition celebrates Victoria’s Chinese goldrush history
An ambitious online project called Many Roads brings together the collections of eighteen Victorian cultural organisations, both metropolitan and regional, to tell the story of the Chinese on the goldfields of Victoria.
In the 1850s thousands of Chinese journeyed to the fabled goldfields of central, northern , northeastern and western Victoria. ‘The gold was what drew them here,’ says Anita Jack, General Manager of the Golden Dragon Museum and great grand daughter of a goldrush-era Chinese migrant. ‘Here in Bendigo at the peak of the gold rush a quarter were Chinese. The other three quarters were people from America, Europe, New Zealand, all across the world. It was a very multicultural time.’
Read More
Canoe Project Sheds Light on Hidden Aboriginal History
1 July 2015 (revised)
A new project about bark canoes reveals a forgotten history of encounters between Aboriginal Victorians and settlers in the 1800s.
On the rivers of remote colonial Victoria, 19th century European settlers depended on Aboriginal navigators and canoe builders to transport goods, mail and people.
A documentary and multimedia project, now live on Culture Victoria, explores this little known aspect of colonial history through a short documentary film, image gallery, audio interviews and three short educational essays.
The film was screened on the Big Screen at Fed Square every day from the 5-11 July 2015 as part of NAIDOC week 2015.
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