Key Factors
- There are 253 place names throughout Australia that embody the phrases ‘Chinaman’ or ‘Chinamen’.
- The title dates again to the nineteenth century and is considered linked to Chinese language gold rush migrants in addition to market gardeners and fishers.
- Some Chinese language group members say the time period is ‘racist’ and are calling for the re-naming of landmarks.
When second-generation Chinese language Australian Osmond Chiu turned conscious {that a} standard Sydney seashore bore the title Chinamans Seashore, he felt “very uncomfortable”.
“‘Chinaman’ isn’t a respectful phrase, and it’s usually used as a (racist) slur,” he stated.
“It’s a slur in opposition to myself and my (Chinese language) mates.”
Nevertheless, Chiu stated few agreed with this perception when he later raised the problem amongst individuals who didn’t have Chinese language heritage.
“Some thought the phrase ‘Chinaman’ was merely old style however not deeply problematic, even after my clarification,” he stated.
“Others didn’t assume the unique intent of naming a spot ‘Chinaman’ was malicious.”
For Osmond Chiu, the time period ‘Chinaman’ is a racist time period stemming from the nineteenth century and needs to be modified. Credit score: SBS Chinese language
The time period is utilized in place names believed to be linked to the historical past of early Chinese language migrants, with one such location being Chinamans Seashore in Mosman, Sydney.
Data from the New South Wales Geographical Names Board point out that the seashore title was related to close by market gardens, tended by members of the Chinese language group within the 1800s.
Data present a person named Cho Hello Tick leased the land and created the market gardens with the Sydney Harbour backdrop.
The origins of ‘Chinaman’ for naming landmarks
Sophie Loy-Wilson, senior lecturer in historical past on the College of Sydney, has a special principle as to how Chinamans Seashore acquired its title.
She stated from the Eighties, the world was often known as Rosherville Seashore to advertise native land gross sales, till it was formally named Chinamans Seashore in 1977.
She stated the seashore was named after the Chinese language anglers who favoured close by fishing spots.
“Earlier than the appearance of refrigeration, Chinese language fishermen had been essential in Australia as a result of they understood learn how to treatment, smoke and protect fish,” Loy-Wilson instructed SBS Chinese language.
“They had been in a position to purchase fish from Indigenous fishermen, for instance, protect it and promote it to Europeans. In addition they fished themselves.
“So, down the shoreline of Australia, together with in Manly, you’ve gotten ‘Chinamans’ seashores (which refer to those Chinese language fishermen).”
College of Sydney senior lecturer in historical past, Sophie Loy-Wilson, says ‘Chinaman’ place names replicate the historical past of anti-Chinese language racism in Australia. Credit score: Sophie Loy-Wilson
The Composite Gazetteer of Australia, a authorities database of place names, exhibits that there are a complete of 253 place names throughout Australia that embody the phrases ‘Chinaman’ or ‘Chinamen’.
New South Wales accounts for essentially the most, with 83 areas, adopted by Victoria with 58.
These embody waterways, landforms, islands, and different landmarks, although it doesn’t account for roads, railways, or unofficial names, due to this fact the precise listing may very well be longer.
Chiu, a researcher on the assume tank Per Capita, stated the time period ‘Chinaman’ had traditionally been utilized in a destructive context in Australia.
“In the event you go and have a look at previous newspapers or anti-Chinese language posters, they usually used the phrase ‘Chinaman’ fairly prominently to whip up concern and to kind of spotlight that folks of Chinese language heritage had been fully completely different and they need to be excluded from our society,” he stated.
Chinese language market gardens in Windsor, 2 July 1938 Credit score: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Loy-Wilson stated the time period dated again to the British colonial interval when European settlers believed in a hierarchical system.
“They believed that the race you inherited out of your mother and father put you on a hierarchy of superiority, with Europeans on the prime and different races (at) the underside,” she stated.
“For instance, in the course of the Gold Rush period (1850-1900), Europeans, as a substitute of studying Chinese language names and Cantonese phrases, would invent these sorts of capsule phrases to explain Chinese language folks. It is a means of type of taking away the individuality of Chinese language folks.”
On 1 June 1889, the Western Mail revealed the story of a Chinese language immigrant named Ah Sue, who took his personal life in jail after 4 Chinese language labourers had been executed.
Within the associated stories, together with within the Western Australia Police Gazette, these 5 Chinese language people had been repeatedly known as ‘Chinaman’.
In 1888, Punch journal revealed a discriminatory cartoon in opposition to Chinese language immigrants, with a caption stating: “‘Outdoors, Sir! Outdoors!’ Mrs. Australia (to John Chinaman), ‘I’ve had fairly sufficient of you! No admittance – not even on enterprise!'”
In 1888, Punch journal revealed a discriminatory cartoon in opposition to Chinese language immigrants. Credit score: Linley Sambourne / Nationwide Library of Australia
Loy-Wilson stated place names containing ‘Chinaman’ mirrored “the historical past of anti-Chinese language racism” in Australia.
“We had fairly vital migration of Chinese language indentured labourers to Australia instantly after European invasion to work as shepherds, for instance, to work as farmers on Australia’s large pastoral runs,” she stated.
“With the gold rushes, because it’s extra extensively recognized, very giant numbers of Chinese language migrants got here to attempt their luck in new gold (fields).”
After the 1850s, the Chinese language migrant inhabitants grew to be the second largest in Australia, after Europeans.
Property guide Robert Klaric stated that many Chinese language consumers had been attracted by the title ‘Chinamans Seashore’. Credit score: SBS Chinese language
Loy-Wilson stated on the time, not all people celebrated the historical past of Chinese language contribution to Australian society.
“(The time period ‘Chinaman’) was utilized by British authorities and British migrants to explain Chinese language folks at a time when British folks thought they had been superior,” she stated.
“The phrase comes from a time when that concept was widespread.”
Then again, in Mosman, one of many suburbs with the best common property costs in Australia, Chinamans Seashore has grow to be a drawcard for rich Chinese language immigrants trying to spend money on property, in response to Robert Klaric, a Sydney property guide and long-time resident of the world.
Removed from being off-putting, Chinese language consumers had been drawn to the world due to the title, he defined.
“Quite a lot of rich Chinese language folks from mainland China love the truth that the seashore is known as Chinamans Seashore,” Klaric stated.
“They at all times ask why (it is named that), and I clarify to them that it was due to the market gardens for the Chinese language. That they had a gorgeous backdrop to have the ability to do their work.”
Klaric stated Chinese language consumers discovered this connection interesting.
“They love the truth that it’s in a 2088 postcode, 88 is a really fortunate quantity. They love the truth that they will purchase status actual property and have the seashore referred to as Chinamans Seashore.”
‘Far behind the broader dialogue’
Chiu stated different nations with the same historical past of gold rush migration and anti-Chinese language discrimination, together with the US, Canada, and New Zealand, additionally extensively used the time period ‘Chinaman’ in place names.
Nevertheless, he stated Australia was “to this point behind the broader dialogue”.
“Canada offers an excellent precedent. There’s a place within the Rocky Mountains referred to as Ha Ling Peak, which was beforehand referred to as ‘Chinaman’s Peak’. They re-named it after a Chinese language particular person who truly climbed the height,” Chiu stated.
Official geographical directories present that New Zealand has 13 areas with the time period ‘Chinaman’ or ‘Chinamen’, the US has 21, whereas Canada has just one.
In June 2023, Western Australia Labor MP Pierre Yang referred to as for a debate on using the “derogatory and contemptuous” time period.
There are 26 place names in Western Australia containing ‘Chinaman’.
In , Yang stated the time period was “used to denigrate folks of Chinese language cultural heritage”.
The phrase was racist 200 years in the past; it’s nonetheless racist in the present day.
Pierre Yang, Western Australian MP
“We do have ‘Englishman’, we do have ‘Frenchman’ within the English language, however we do not need ‘Englandman’ or ‘Franceman’, however now we have the phrase ‘Chinaman’,” Yang stated.
There was no effort to rename locations in Western Australia that include ‘Chinaman’, in response to Yang and Chiu.
Chinamans Seashore is situated in Mosman within the costly northern suburbs of Sydney. Credit score: SBS Chinese language
In contrast, Chiu stated Australia had a report of fixing place names thought of offensive to First Nations communities.
In January 2023, a creek in Queensland initially named ‘Black Gin Creek’ was modified to ‘Watyakan Creek’.
The brand new title means ‘lady’s creek’ within the Iningai language and is seen as a tribute to those that traditionally camped close to it, Chiu stated.
“We all know the title of the Chinese language one that leased the market backyard – Cho Hello Tick, so it might be way more respectful to truly title (Chinamans Seashore) after that individual,” Chiu stated.
Loy-Wilson stated that to handle these place names correctly, there needs to be collaborations with Chinese language Australian historic societies, native historic societies, and native Chinese language Australian migrant teams and organisations.
“We have to be taught from Indigenous historical past and Indigenous politicians. All the time the way in which ahead with these questions of racism and its legacies is session,” she stated.
What must occur with these place names isn’t a rejection or a forgetting of the Chinese language previous.
Sophie Loy-Wilson, College of Sydney
She stated the expertise of renaming Sydney streets might function a precedent.
“The Metropolis of Sydney Council did analysis into Alexandria, Zetland and Botany, and determined to rename among the streets after Chinese language market gardeners, so there’s a road referred to as ‘Sam Sing Road’.
