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Brief Sojourn in Your Native Land highlights the enduring connection between Sydney and South China from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, maintained by thousands of Sydney residents born in the diverse districts of the Pearl River Delta. The work draws on a wide range of Immigration Restriction Act files, along with other sources such as the late 19th-century 'Royal Commission on Alleged Chinese Gambling,' the burial register of the Chinese section of Rookwood Cemetery, and oral histories from descendants of these residents. The narrative reveals the experiences of a generation often referred to as huaqiao, whose ties to their home villages are traced from youth through adulthood and into retirement, passing onto subsequent generations.
Key aspects of this enduring connection include the importance of their districts of origin, restricted marriage choices, evolving conditions in China, the emergence of a new generation, and the impact of the White Australia Policy's 1901 Immigration Restriction Act and its administration. Throughout their lives, the huaqiao were largely driven by a desire to support their families in their home villages, fostering ties between these villages and Sydney that lasted for at least two generations.
About the author
Michael Williams, Adjunct Professor, WSU, is a scholar of Chinese-Australian history and a founding member of the Chinese-Australian Historical Society. He is the author of Returning Home with Glory (HKU Press, 2018); Australia's Dictation Test: The test it was a Crime to Fail (Brill, 2021) and a history of the Robe goldfield walkers entitled: Every requisite for a campaign upon the gold-fields (ChideStudy Press, 2024). His website: Chinese Australian History in 88 Objects was shortlisted for the 2022 Premiers Digital History Prize. Michael is also Project Manager of Scattered Legacy, a national database of items related to Chinese Australian history.
