Collections & Research Collections Recent Donations RECENT DONATIONS 2025 Main Collection Donation List 2025.1: 4 Photographs and 3 different certificates of David Wang Date: 1943 & 1960s Donor: Mark Wang 2025.2: 1 Handmade embroidered Mamianqun Skirt Date: 1930s Donor: Julie Summons 2025.3: 1 Dressing table with "Chinese Labour" stamp Date: 1919 Donor: Peter & Suzanne Hengstberger 2025.4: 54 Hong Kong made textiles Date: 1930s Donor: Lava Gee 2025.5: 27 Chinese bank notes from Republic of China Era Date: 1911 – 1949 Donor: Ben Dooley 2025.6: 3 Studio portraits of Emily Meangkee Date: 1920s-1940s Donor: Suzan Yan 2025.7: 1 Wagner piano, 1 Wertheim organ and 1 pew, all used by the Church of Christ Chinese Mission until 2021. Date: Early 20th century Donor: The Church of Christ Chinese Mission 2025.8: 1 Yellow brocade short jacket (Magua), 1 Red brocade female robe (Changyi) Date: Late 19th – early 20th century Donor: Peter Lawson 2025 Oral History Collection Donation 40 audio cassette tapes and digitised MP3 recordings of oral histories documenting Chinese restaurants in Melbourne. Date: Late 19th century - 1950s Donor: Barbara Nichol Click to see the 2025 Collections Department Supporters List 2024 Main Collection Donation List 2024.1: 1 Print Engraving of Beechworth Carnival: The Procession of Chinese Date: 1874 Donor: Paula Herlihy 2024.2: 11 Etchings: Times Slow passing – The 19th Asylum Diary of Jong Ah Siug Date: 2023 Artist: John Young 楊子榮 Donor: Carrillo Gantner 2024.3: 11 Invitations to Chinese Events and 1 Photo of the Young Chinese League Annual Ball Date: 1957-1961 Donor: Ellen Lew 2024.4: 1 Photograph of the Dragon Procession in Bendigo Date: 1951 Donor: Isaac Douglas Hermann 2024.5: 1 Photo of put-up a China on Verge of War Poster and 1 Blazer of the Young Chinese League Football Team Date: 1950s Donor: Isaac Douglas Hermann 2024.6: 74 Documents in Chinese, 3 Chinese Commemorative Books, 11 English Brochures, and 28 English Documents from Maurice Leong (Leong Kwok Cheng)’s Collections Date: 1930s to 1980s Donor: Anthony Leong 2024.7: 1 Naturalization Parchment, 1 Certificate of Marriage and 1 Family Photo Date: 1885-1907 Donor: Penelope Yan, Sue Yan Middlemiss, Suzan Yan, Brendan Wong, Christian Yan And Jazmin Elisabeth Boyce 2024.8: 1 Embroidered Flowers Jacket and 1 Embroidered Mang Robe Date: 1930s Donor: Helen O'Brien represents the Nicholls family 2024.9: 2 Antique Prints “Sandridge, Victoria” and “A Chinese Garden in Victoria” Date: 1873-1880 Donor: Isaac Douglas Hermann Dressing Table Year: 1919 Maker: Wing Lee Brothers Size: 123cm (W) x 180cm (H) Donor: Peter & Suzanne Hengstberger This hardwood dresser features a three-sided oval glass mirror and metal pendant handles, with a faded triangular stamp on the sideboard of centre drawer. Although the triangular stamp is faint, "G. Wing Lee Bros" and "Lonsdale St" are clearly visible. Wing Lee G. & Bros Cabinet Makers operated from 30 Lonsdale St, Melbourne from 1919 to 1921, as listed in the Sands & McDougal catalogue. A similar dresser in the Bendigo Golden Dragon Museum is stamped "Made using Chinese labour". This piece is mentioned in Peter Charles Gibson's book Made in Chinatown: Chinese Furniture Factories in Australia, 1880-1930. However, the address shown on the stamp was incorrectly restored as 80 Lonsdale St, which is not where the business operated. Wing Lee G. & Bros made European-style furniture for Australian retailers, often using the "Chinese Labour" stamp required by the Factories and Shops Act 1900. This legislation reflected racial and economic protectionism, designed to limit Chinese influence on Australian industry. Wing Lee G. & Bros was highly regarded for its craftsmanship, with intricate joinery and fine carpentry blending European and Chinese styles. The "Chinese Labour" stamp reflected early 20th century racial discrimination and the wider social attitudes of the time. Hand Coloured Engraving Print “Sandridge, Victoria” Year: September 1880 Artist: Nicholas Chevalier (1828-1902) Printer: J. Godfrey, London, Virtue & Co. Limited Donor: Isaac Douglas Hermann This print depicts a Chinese fishing camp in Emerald Hill, near the Sandridge/Port Melbourne Lagoon, with the Sugar Refinery in the background. In the late 1830s, the Sandridge area, known as "The Beach," was the primary arrival point for ships coming to Melbourne. Emerald Hill, south of the Yarra River, grew into a small settlement by the 1840s. The construction of a bridge across the Yarra in 1850 spurred further growth, particularly in South Melbourne (formerly Emerald Hill) and Port Melbourne (formerly Sandridge). The gold rush of the 1850s increased demand for fish, as Chinese miners on the goldfields favoured dried fish. By 1855, Chinese fishermen began working along the Victorian coastline, often in teams of 10-12 from the same family. They used seine nets, a method that captured a variety of fish, including juveniles and rare species, which had ecological impacts. Some of the catch was sun-dried, salted, or pickled. Chinese fishermen sold dried fish on the goldfields and exported it to China. Their fishing camps, like the one in Sandridge, were vital to the local economy, providing food for both miners and the broader population. This depiction reflects the cultural diversity of early Victoria and the significant contributions of the Chinese community to the region's economic and cultural development. Nicholas Chevalier (1828–1902) was a Russian-born artist who gained recognition in Australia and New Zealand. After moving to London in 1851 to specialize in lithography and watercolours, he arrived in Melbourne in 1854. By 1855, he worked as a cartoonist for Melbourne Punch and contributed to the Illustrated Australian News. His romantic and picturesque style artworks are held in major institutions such as the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, offering valuable insights into colonial Australia before its urban development. 139-Year-Old Naturalization Certificate Date: 1885 Naturalized Person: Chin Ah Yin Donor: Isaac Douglas Hermann This naturalization certificate, issued under the Victorian Act No. 256 on October 26, 1885, was granted to Chin Ah Yin and includes his black-and-white photograph. Born in Canton in 1866, Chin Ah Yin arrived in Australia from Hong Kong in 1880, though his ship’s name is unknown. Listed as a hawker, he later worked as a laundryman at 203 Spring Street, Melbourne, where he married Emily Helena Mangkee in 1907. Post-marriage, the family name evolved from Chin to Ah Yan, Ah Yang, and finally Yan, reflecting their integration into the migrant community. The National Archives of Australia holds naturalization records for the Colony of Victoria for the period from 1848 to 1903. This naturalization is a rare example of an original colonial naturalisation certificate in private hands, with its annotations and photograph holding significant historical value. Chin Ah Yin and Emily had four sons and one daughter. Their only grandchildren—Penelope Yan, Sue Yan Middlemiss, Susan Yan, and the late Jocelyn Yan—donated this important document to the Chinese Museum. Early Operations of the Church of Christ Chinese Mission Church of Christ Chinese Mission Minute Book Date: 1924-1955 50th Anniversary Pamphlet of Church of Christ Chinese Mission Date:1955 Donor: Dr. Wesley Jame Church of Christ Chinese Mission Minute Book 50th Anniversary Pamphlet of Church of Christ Chinese Mission - 1955 Founded in 1905 by the Church of Christ of Victoria Department, the Church of Christ Chinese Mission on Queensberry Street, Carlton, has been a cornerstone of the Chinese Australian community. The handwritten and typewritten documents from this period offer a vivid portrayal of the church’s daily activities and operations during the early to mid-20th century. These records provide invaluable insights into the church’s mission and its role within the community, as well as reflecting the vibrant community spirit of Chinese Australians from the late 1800s through the 1950s. The Church of Christ Chinese Mission is deeply connected with numerous Chinese Australian families and influential individuals. Many of these people played active roles in the church’s social and religious activities or were involved in its management and operations. The items in question were inherited by the donor from his father, whose paternal grandfather, William Jame, was the church's first Minister. We are deeply thankful to all who support us. If you would like to contribute or learn more about how your donation can make a difference, please visit here Manage Cookie Preferences