John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House recognise the:

(1) strong history of Chinese migration to Australia over the past 200 years;

(2) significant contribution that Chinese-Australians have made over this period to our nation;

(3) vibrant festivities and events hosted by the Bennelong Chinese community and enjoyed by people of many cultures; and

(4) unique opportunity for the local Chinese, Korean and broader communities to come together at the Bennelong Cup Table Tennis Test Match for an international table tennis competition against Australia.

This year marks 40 years since the commencement of diplomatic relations between Australia and China, and 209 years since the first record of Chinese migration to the colonies that became our nation. Both of these events provided important milestones in the development of a strong and dynamic interaction between the two nations and the growth of a vibrant community of Chinese Australians that has contributed to all facets of our nation's advancement.

According to the 2011 census, 16.9 per cent of Bennelong residents list Chinese ancestry; just shy of the 17.3 per cent of people who listed their ancestry as Australian. 12.9 per cent of Bennelong residents were born in China or Hong Kong, and 17.2 per cent speak either Cantonese or Mandarin at home—more than six times the national average that now places Mandarin as the most widely spoken non-English language in Australia.

The Bennelong region has flourished from the diversification of cultures around our local community. This is most evident during cultural festivities such as Lunar New Year. Every January and February is a time of colour, dance and song as local streets and shopping centres become hubs of community and cultural celebration. Like many locals at these events, I have been taught to write my name in traditional Chinese characters, to wish people Kung Hei Fat Choy, and to give and receive traditional lollies with blessings of good luck for the year ahead.

Of course, the history of Chinese migration to Australia is not limited to the past 40 years. Whilst historical debate may never sort out fact from fiction on these issues, Chinese books dating back more than 2,000 years are said to describe Indigenous Australians, the boomerang and the presence of kangaroos in the Imperial Palace in Peking; 15th century Ming dynasty statuettes have been discovered around the Gulf of Carpentaria; and some Aboriginal cave paintings on Flinders Island depict ancient Chinese junk ships.

In more recent times, immigration documents recorded a carpenter named Ahuto travelling from China to Australia in 1803, just fifteen years after the first fleet of English convicts set foot on our soil. More is known of Mak Sai Ying, who arrived in 1818 and 11 years later became the publican at the Lion Inn Hotel in Parramatta—the first of many thousands of Chinese Australians to establish successful enterprises and become leaders of local businesses.

The gold rush of the 1850s saw a large spike in Chinese migration, with many Chinese forcibly repatriated during some of the darker days of this legislature under the strict rules of the Immigration Restriction Act. Throughout this time, Chinese Australians have made a significant contribution to our nation. The White City Tennis Centre, with which I have a long history, was originally a Chinese market garden and another still operates in La Perouse after more than a century.

Much of the attention today focuses on the Chinatown precincts in each of the major cities, offering a snapshot of life an ocean away, and tendering shopping and culinary delights to all Australians in a modern form of cultural engagement. Yet with such strong historical ties, this engagement should not be limited to Peking duck and the Lunar New Year. As we share so many of our day-to-day experiences and celebrate the growth of our multicultural society, it is important that from early in life we are encouraged to befriend and interact with people of all cultures.

President Nixon's use of ping-pong as a non-threatening tool to facilitate diplomacy between the United States and China and enhance cultural ties highlighted the way that sport can be used to great effect. This was something I learned firsthand in my previous career, and in particular on the 5 November 1979, when I participated in the first professional tennis match in China, which received worldwide headlines as another example of improving relations between the Western world and a closed global superpower. I competed against a little known Swedish player by the name of Bjorn Borg and, considering the score line, I was happy to invoke the Chinese slogan: 'Friendship First, Competition Second.' I obviously lost.

We also played an exhibition doubles match alongside China's two leading players in front of some 6,000 people at the Sheng People's Stadium in Canton, and it was telecast to thousands more throughout the region. Prior to the match a Chinese government official told the international media:

Tennis is not that popular in China, but more people are getting interested. I think this match will have a very good influence.

Fast-forward to 2012 and China now boasts a French Open winner, two doubles grand slam tournament winners and an Olympics gold and bronze medal. The Shanghai Masters is now established in China as a major tennis venue, and the China Open goes from strength to strength. This is just an example of the powerful role that sport can play in facilitating interaction and creating the dynamic that breaks down cultural and political barriers and builds bridges between individuals, industries and governments.

In President Nixon's case, it was only one year after the US table tennis team visited that the President himself travelled to China and met with Mao Zedong: an historic moment in global politics that set the stage for the commencement of diplomatic relations between Australia and China shortly after. It was with this in mind that I developed the Bennelong Schools Table Tennis Program.

Shortly after the last election, as I visited local schools in Bennelong, I noticed a troubling pattern. Very few students from an Asian background were participating in traditional Australian sports. Sporting activity is one of the best things an individual, young or old, can do for physical, mental and social health. Different body shapes and cultural upbringing attract an interest and willingness to participate in different activities. As a result, providing access to a range of activities is essential to facilitate the same bridge-building goals achieved at diplomatic levels. With the generosity of Hyundai Australia, the Bennelong Schools Table Tennis Program is donating table tennis tables to every school in the electorate. The sporting competition is then administered by Table Tennis Australia, who will run coaching clinics and schools competitions. Many tables have already been delivered to schools and a number of students have expressed their excitement about competing against their peers and friends.

Later in the year an interschool competition will serve as opening act for the Bennelong Cup test match, featuring the Chinese women's team and Korean men's team competing against Australia. If the score line from last year's test match against Korea is any guide, the same 'Friendship First, Competition Second' slogan will likely be invoked. In order to celebrate their visit, a feature event will take place in the Great Hall, including students from schools throughout the electorate and the Bennelong Schools Choir.

These programs are important reminders of the way that sport can unite people from a diversity of cultural backgrounds, whether they are the youngest school kids or the most senior diplomats. The bringing together of China and Korea to compete alongside each other can perpetuate another way that these two nations can associate and cooperate through participation in sport.

Earlier today I spoke with the United States consul general in Sydney to discuss the possibility of the US joining next year in a competition where east meets west, where the great powers of this sport can partner with the more recent adopters to have some fun and provide entertainment for Bennelong's multicultural audience. It is often through the more light-hearted events between distant friends that our similarities, instead of our differences, can achieve some much-needed oxygen. The interaction that follows helps to develop components of a shared history which are then built upon through trade and migration, and progressively bridges are built and the building blocks of understanding, loyalty and trust are developed to ensure an enduring relationship.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Berowra for agreeing to second this motion. His active friendship with the Chinese Australian community is well documented and he has been a strong and experienced guide for me as we have attended many community events together. I would also like to recognise my colleagues the members for Ryan, Scullin, Chisholm and Canberra who will also be speaking on this issue. I commend this motion to the House.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion with a great deal of pleasure and I reserve my right to speak and to further congratulate the member for Bennelong on his excellent presentation.

Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bennelong's motion invites the House to recognise the strong history of Chinese migration to Australia over the past 200 years and the significant contribution that Chinese Australians have made over this period to our nation. That is a very easy thing to support because right from the start, when the Chinese first came to make their way economically, to set up businesses, then through the 1840s to the 1890s to labour in farming pursuits, on plantations and in pursuit of gold, and right through to the present day, they have made a great contribution to the way Australia has developed economically and socially and very much identified with the multicultural society that is Australia.

The member for Bennelong's motion goes on to invite us to recognise the vibrant festivities and events hosted by the Bennelong Chinese community and enjoyed by the people of many cultures. I have not had the pleasure of accepting an invitation to those vibrant festivities and events in Bennelong, but I am sure, if those I attend throughout my electorate of Scullin are any guide, that is also a very easy part of the motion to support.

The member for Bennelong indicated that some 16 per cent of the population of his electorate indicate they have Chinese ancestry. In Scullin it is a mere four per cent, or 5,000 people, who recognise their Chinese heritage as being important to their day-to-day lives. I am indebted to two books written by my friend Arthur 'Boon Wah' Yong. One, which he published in 1999, is called Moon Cake and Meat Pies: the history, art and culture of Chinese settlement in the City of Whittlesea. He followed that up with another one, in 2008, called Chinese Settlement in Whittlesea. As he reflected in his first book, Moon Cake and Meat Pies, if we look at those that identify as Chinese they had in fact come from different parts of the world. He listed Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, East Timor, Vietnam, the Peoples Republic of China, and you can add Macau and Taiwan. So you can already see from that the contribution the Chinese have made throughout the globe. Therefore, why shouldn't they have made such a significant impact here in Australia?

In the municipality of Whittlesea, the Chinese date back to the 1850s. In Whittlesea township there are still remnants of market gardens operated by a number of families in the township. The waves of migration that have followed have meant that many people with Chinese ancestry have made their homes in the southern suburbs of the city of Whittlesea. Whether they had come in those early days to provide labour and then went on as they got economic independence to become hawkers and set up shops or whether they have come with great qualifications that have added to academe and to the way in which Australia has developed its many professions and ways of producing things through university and territory education, we recognise and should celebrate through this motion the way in which those people have been accepted.

I was interested in the second book by Arthur, Chinese Settlement in Whittlesea, and to reflect on the circumstances outlined in an article that first appeared in Evelyn Observer on Friday, 21 December 1883. It was a report of actions at the Whittlesea police court earlier that month when certain people had been charged with throwing stones and assaulting Ah Hem and Ah Soung, Chinese market gardeners, from Whittlesea. What really intrigued me was not the crime, but the fact that the two Chinese market gardeners appeared before the court accompanied by Mr James Ah Pow, Chinese interpreter, and the Chinese were sworn in through the 'orthodox fashion by blowing out a lighted lucifer'. When I reflect on the difficulties that have occurred in the acceptance of people from Chinese background later in Australia's history, I find it really something that you can actually celebrate that. In an area that accepted these people because of their hard work, in a court procedure we could also accept something that was traditional to them as people appearing before the court. And, as I have reflected from time to time, I have to express my shame at the way Chinese immigration was prevented by my own political party, but it does show that political parties can learn lessons, can change the way they perceive the value of people that come to Australia, and I think that is important.

The fourth part of the motion invites the House to recognise the unique opportunity for the local Chinese, Korean and broader communities to come together at the Bennelong Cup table tennis test match for an international table tennis competition against Australia. I am happy to support that. I am happy to support that because it represents a continuation of the member for Bennelong's support for table tennis as a relevant recreational and sporting activity for many people in his electorate.

I am also willing to support it because of the reasons the member for Bennelong talked about concerning the strength of ping-pong diplomacy some 40 years ago. I think it is good to remind people of the significance that sport has not only in making sure that young Australians have a direction, that they can see the importance of having disciplines that they can cope with, and that they can interact with people of their own age and with other people, but also to remind people of the power of sport as a geopolitical tool. I think it is a great reminder that we should in a debate like this actually say that there are times when progress is sometimes made in a gentle way by the pursuit of sport, and not necessarily in the way that Nixon was able to use in his diplomatic efforts with the People's Republic of China at the time.

We should really use the depth and breadth of talent that Chinese Australians represent in also including them in forms of diplomacy that will assist where required because they have a different access to a cultural viewpoint that will assist in making sure that we develop in a diplomatic sense into an even more stable world. We should use our neighbours like the People's Republic of China, and perhaps like Vietnam that has a significant Chinese population, to ensure that people understand from different viewpoints the reasons we pursue the democratic institutions we pursue and be able to live in a world full of peace.

In Arthur's book, Chinese Settlement in Whittlesea, he uses a poem that was written by a Chinese immigrant, a person who came to join his daughter in 1998, a very well-qualified person whose wife was a chemical engineer. Both were chemical engineers, highly intelligent with very good qualifications. Since coming to Australia, Jie Ha Wu has used his Chinese culture to open our eyes to calligraphy and to Chinese poems, and on the cover of this book is a poem called Praise of Australiain Chinese calligraphy. In the book the poem is translated and I wish to conclude with this poem. It says:

Flying over the equator and the Pacific Ocean from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere,

The ancient and amazing new continent surrounded by the vast expanse of ocean, the youngest and biggest island country,

Which was founded on democracy and freedom with rich resources and wide territory,

The most and fertile place in the world is Australia.

I think that those sentiments of Chinese Australians are worth following.

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take this opportunity first to congratulate, if I may, the member for Bennelong. This is an outstanding motion. He gave me some credit, and let me just say I do not think that he needs any tuition.

I see in this resolution the acknowledgement of the strong history of Chinese immigration to Australia over the past 200 years. I relate to that. I was formerly the member for Parramatta and when I saw that Mr Mak Sai Ying came in 1818 and settled in Parramatta, it was significant. He spoke about the significant contribution Chinese Australians have made to this nation over a period of time and I must say that I see that every day through the friends I have, through people I know in commerce, and from the contribution that people make. It is very difficult to single people out, but I look at somebody like Benjamin Chow, whom I know particularly well, who headed up the Council for a Multicultural Australia when I was minister for a time. He has been an example of those Chinese Australians who have made a very significant contribution to this nation.

I know the festivities of the Bennelong Chinese community. I have enjoyed them over many years when they were part of the electorate of Dundas and I look forward to the opportunity of witnessing the Bennelong table tennis match.

I do not know where my family are going to stand in relation to this. I have a daughter who learnt Mandarin at Bei Da, Peking University. She is not the one who has presented the Ruddock family tree with Chinese genes. We also have the Chinese Women's Association, who are currently organising 25 years of service to the Chinese community and the wider community in my electorate—a big dinner is being held this year. There is the Chinese Social Services community organisation which provides aged care services to my community, and there is also the Friendship Association Chinese Table Tennis Club in downtown Box Hill, which also brings together many people through that great sport.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the member for Bennelong's motion and I thank him for introducing this motion to reflect the significant importance of Chinese migration to the history and story of Australia.

The electorate of Ryan and the city of Brisbane, much like the electorate of Bennelong and the community in Sydney, has benefited greatly from Chinese migration to Australia. Brisbane's Chinese-Australian story began 164 years ago in October 1848, when the first Chinese migrants arrived in Brisbane as indentured labourers from Amoy aboard the sailing ship, the Nimrod. At that time, British settlement in the colony was expanding and the pastoralists were in need of cheap labour, as transportation of convicts had ceased. Between 1848 and 1853 about 1,000 Chinese labourers arrived in what is now Queensland and signed a five-year employment contract. They were employed as shepherds, labourers and servants and later as shearers.

The first group of 62 Chinese arrived in Moreton Bay a few weeks before the first load of free immigrants arrived from England on the Artemisia. The later discovery of gold was responsible for large numbers of Chinese coming to Queensland. The numbers were not great until gold was discovered on the Palmer River, inland from Cooktown in North Queensland. More than 18,000 Chinese migrated between 1875 and 1877 and, after the gold diminished, many moved to other areas of the colony, including Brisbane. They found work in many ways as merchants, land clearers, herbalists, cooks, furniture makers, hawkers, farmers and market gardeners.

In the electorate of Ryan, the Chinese established many market gardens along the creeks and watercourses and operated these during the latter part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. They were the main providers of fresh fruit and vegetables to the expanding population. Similar activities occurred in nearly every settlement area in the colony. This was the beginning of a significant, productive economic contribution to Queensland and Australia, one that continues today.

In the electorate of Ryan, historical societies have been researching and documenting the history of the Chinese. The Chinese-Australian Historical Association is based in Ryan, established after the completion of the Chinese Club of Queensland's headquarters in Auchenflower in 1957. Like the rest of Brisbane, they suffered heavily during the 1974 floods, and the club did a lot of good work to support the wider Brisbane community at the time. They have recently erected a heritage sign in the original Chinatown of Brisbane in Albert Street. They take their story throughout the community with their travelling exhibition called 'Sojourners and Settlers—the Chinese in Queensland', which has toured the state.

There are many people in Ryan who have worked hard to document the history of Chinese migration to Brisbane. Desley Drevins from the Ashgrove Historical Society has documented the Chinese market gardens on Enoggera and Ithaca Creeks. Jeff Hilder from The Gap Pioneer & History Group has recently researched the story of the Chan brothers, who operated two market gardens at The Gap, and the Friends of Toowong Cemetery have translated and documented the information on the grave markers in the Chinese section of Toowong Cemetery.

I thank and pay tribute to Mr Ray Poon, who has worked tirelessly over the years to document the experience of Chinese immigrants to Queensland. Thanks also to the National Archives in Brisbane, whose many historical records have been preserved; to date they have digitised more than 15,000 records. I also acknowledge the hard work over many decades of the Chinese Club of Queensland, the current president, Mr Michael Chan, and Brisbane's living treasure Mr Eddie Liu, who has been deservedly recognised with the Order of the British Empire and the Order of Australia. The Liu family has been involved in the local community and Eddie is known as the 'father of Chinatown'.

I commend the member for Bennelong for drawing the attention of members to today's motion. The member for Bennelong is a strong community campaigner for his electorate and has developed a table tennis program to help students engage in sport and enjoyable exercise. I wish all the students who participate in the Bennelong Cup table tennis competition later this year the best of luck.

Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too would like to lend my support to the member for Bennelong's private members' motion and recognise the strong and significant history of Chinese migration to Australia over the past 150 years. During this time Chinese-Australians all over the country have made a significant contribution to our nation. They are the masters of vibrant, loud and colourful festivities, and not just in Bennelong. During Canberra's National Multicultural Festival in February 2012 our Chinese community celebrated Chinese New Year—the Year of the Dragon. They came together for an extravaganza of dance, singing and performances. It was colourful, lots of fun and a wonderful reminder of the joy our Chinese community brings to Canberra.

I have my own connections to the Chinese-Australian community. My father's mother's family came out from China to Australia during the 1850s as part of the gold rush in Ballarat. Members of my family on my father's father's side also came from Germany in the 1850s, when there was a huge influx of Germans making the voyage to Australia's shores. My mother's family came out from Ireland and Scotland in the late 1800s. Despite all that, Chinese cuisine loomed large in my childhood, particularly in the sixties. Most Saturdays my father would tuck into a plate of congee, and would sit there with his red hair, blue eyes and very pale skin. My mother had mastered the art from my father's mother, and my poor old mum used to go into Chinatown every now and then to pick up fresh ginger—in the sixties it was a bit of a challenge to get that in Melbourne, so she would always go there to get her Asian foodstuff. So despite the fact that there was German, Irish and Scottish influence, the cuisine at home was very much influenced by China.

Australians, particularly working-class Australians, are a mix of every nationality. Australia is a diverse community, a multicultural community and, for the most part, an accepting community. We should be proud that so many people from all over the world view Australia as a wonderful place to live, to raise a family and to contribute to society. More and more people are willing to come to our country, adopt our values, call themselves Australian and become productive members of our society. In fact, the census data released last week shows that Canberra is becoming more culturally diverse than ever before. Between 2006 and 2011, the percentage of people in the ACT who said they had an Australian background dropped from 30.7 per cent to 26.6 per cent. And the third most reported country of birth, after Australia and England, was China, with 1.8 per cent of people living in the ACT born in China, compared to 1.1 per cent in 2006. Mandarin remained the second most popular language spoken at home, following English, increasing from 1.1 per cent to 1.9 per cent between 2006 and 2011. The number of people living in the ACT who were born overseas is also on the rise—a trend I am sure is evident in many other parts of Australia. The local Chinese community here in Canberra play a significant role in welcoming new migrants and supporting Chinese students who choose to study at our universities. They are led by Sam Wong, who this year was nominated a People of Australia Ambassador for his contribution to the community.

We are also fortunate to have many schools committed to teaching languages, including Mandarin, and encouraging young Chinese students in our community to retain their native language. For example, there is the Chinese Australian Early Childhood Centre in Mawson, which was refurbished last year, providing long day care with a focus on bilingual education in English and Mandarin. The centre is helping young children develop a proficiency in and appreciation for the Chinese language and culture from an early age, which is wonderful to see. Many of the staff at the centre are native Mandarin speakers and have been teaching at the school for over a decade. The centre itself has been running for more than 25 years, thanks to the fine work of the Association for Learning Mandarin in Australia.

As you can see, Chinese-Australians are continuing to contribute to our local communities in many different ways. Whether they emigrated here in the gold rush or are visiting now as international students keen to work here when they finish their degree, Chinese-Australians have played a key role in Australia's history and have enriched our cultural diversity and our nation immensely. I wish the member for Bennelong well at the Bennelong Cup table tennis match. I am sure it will be another great example of sport bringing different cultures together.

Debate adjourned.