Chinese Merchants in Nineteenth Century Melbourne

Immigration Museum, Chinese community in Melbourne, 1899.

Birrarung/Yarra River has long been a place of trade, migration and social activism. The Chinese mercantile community of the nineteenth were representative of these three elements uniting.

This story explores the emergence of merchants from China in the city and one of the leaders of this group, Lowe Meng Kong. Meng Kong’s story represents a man who was both a talented businessman and a leading member of his community.