This episode features A/Prof Yu Tao in conversation with Lucy Hair and Prof Benjamin Smith, delving into the rich and often overlooked history of Chinese market gardens in Western Australia. Together, they reflect on the limited occupational opportunities for Chinese migrants in the early twentieth century, and how market gardening became both a livelihood and a lasting cultural contribution. The discussion also highlights the enduring legacy of these gardens, their role in shaping WA’s food culture, and the significance of recording these stories through digital storytelling and community engagement. 

In this episode, A/Prof Yu Tao revisits Liang Qichao’s little-known 1900 visit to Western Australia—a brief yet revealing moment in the history of the local Chinese community on the eve of Federation. Drawing on Two Centuries of Chinese Heritage in Western Australia (www.ChineseWA.net), this episode explores how Chinese migrants navigated both Australia’s nationhood and China’s reform movement. 

This episode features A/Prof Yu Tao in conversation with Prof Benjamin Smith, exploring the digital portal Two Centuries of Chinese Heritage in Western Australia (www.ChineseWA.net), hosted on UWA Collected. Together, they discuss the portal’s rich features, the evolving contributions of the Chinese community, and the vital role of digital archives in preserving and sharing these stories. 

This episode features Dr Anne Atkinson, a pioneering researcher in Chinese heritage in Western Australia. Since the 1970s, Anne has amassed nearly 10,000 pages of archival material, documenting the lives of 3,000 early Chinese migrants to the state. In late 2024, project officer Lucy Hair interviewed Anne and now shares key moments from their conversation with A/Prof Yu Tao, reflecting on Anne’s remarkable contributions and enduring legacy.

This episode features the legacy of the man named Moon Chow, the first documented Chinese Western Australian. A/Prof Yu Tao and Prof Benjamin Smith discuss Moon Chow's early arrival to the newly established Swan River Colony in 1830 and more about his life, his marriage, and his tragic yet impactful death.