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Chinese Pioneers of LintonPrint Page Print this page

Chinese Pioneers : 25-September-2011
Chinese Pioneers : 25-September-2011

Photographs supplied by Kent Watson

A board in the cemetery was placed by the Linton Historical Society in remembrance of the Chinese settlers who came to Linton in 1856 to work on the goldfields, and the many who stayed in the Linton area after the gold mining ended.

Location

Address:Kelly Road, Linton Cemetery, Linton, 3360
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -37.669631
Long: 143.569986
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Landscape
Sub-Theme:Settlement

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 4th November, 2007
Front Inscription

[ List of Graves, year of death and name of person ]

Chinese ...
In 1856 up to 2000 Chinese made their way to the newly discovered gold fields in the Linton area, the largest group of miners settling at Wet (or Chinaman`s) Flat behind the present cemetery.  Chinese shops and businesses to serve the miners were opened along the Geelong Road.  When the alluvial gold petered out many left Linton travelling to new gold strikes.   A number stayed on, taking work in deep lead mines for wages, fossicking on old diggings, or market gardening.

The majority of these men lived lonely lives : few marrried, sending most of the money they earned back to family in China, not even leaving sufficient funds to bury themselves.  Causes of death varied, with mining accidents most common in the early years, and later records telling of disease, malnutrition and suicide.  The last Chinese person to be buried in Linton was Wot Tin in 1921.

Linton Cemetery Trust records show 75 Chinese burials in this section.  Included in this number are three infants and one woman,  Some graves are named and numbered while others are merely marked with a stone.

The Linton and District Historical Society Inc, has placed this board in remembrance of all the early Chinese Pioneers.

November 4th 2007

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au