Route

NightDateRouteDistance
16 MayRobe to Clay Wells & Lake Hawdon Rd20km
27 MayKangaroo Inn Area School30km
38 MayCalectasia Conservation Park30km
49 MayPenola27km
510 MayTooloy Nature Conservation Reserve32km
611 MayCasterton30km
712 MayColeraine31km
813 MayHamilton35km
914 MayDunkeld33km
1015 MayWickliffe34km
1116 MayStreatham35km
1217 MaySkipton24km
1318 MayLinton20km
1419 MaySmythesdale15km
1520 MayBallarat20km
1621 MayBallan35km
1722 MayBacchus Marsh25km
1823 MayHillside30km
1924 MaySunshine West20km
2025 MayParliament of Victoria15km

Summary Talk by Kim Wen

The amazing journey of over 18,600 Chinese who left China, landed at Robe and walked more than 500 kms to the Victorian goldfields between 1857 and 1863.

自1857到1863年間,一共有超過一万八千六百位華裔,離開自己的祖國,千里迢迢來到澳洲,他們從南澳的罗布港登陸,步行超過500公里抵達維多利亞州金礦區。

Anyone who has visited the beautiful town of Robe visits the Chinese monument  and the Robe Museum, that has a number of Chinese artefacts and documents of important interest

来到了美丽的罗布港湾,大家都会参观中国的纪念碑和罗布港博物馆,博物馆有一些当年抵达港口华裔文物和重要的文件,当天我和管内一位年过八旬的看馆志愿者谈到我们重走淘金路活動 ,她非常激动地为我讲诉了她对我们推车历史的浓厚兴趣,以及长达十几年的之久的研究。

For example: at the Museum, there is a original Chinese Wheelbarrow with a wooden wheel as show my 1st slide

例如在这张图中,罗布港的博物馆有一个中国独轮车,这类木制的独轮车是当年华裔徒步行的重要运输工具。老人还耐心地告诉我,有时晚上还可以当床使用。

On the way to Penola from Robe there is a long road will be walking along named “Chinamans Lane” per records dating back to the 1850’s. We even know that the names of vegetable farmers of that land were called Ah Pin, Ah Sin and Ah Tin.

在Penola到罗布港的路上,我们还特意停在Chinamans Lane, 据史料追溯到1850年代, 我们甚至可以查到那地的蔬菜农户的名字叫阿普,阿辛和阿天!

From Robe to Penola we will be travelling along Clay Wells road that is near the site of one of significant wells dug by the Chinese travellers for freshwater, and we will follow a route that brings us into contact with these wells.


从Robe到Penola,我们将沿着Clay Wells路行驶,这条路靠近中国华裔在淘金途中,为喝到淡水,挖掘的重要水井的位置之一,我们将沿着这一条水井的路线走下去。

Along the way we will see the impact of the Chinese on the region

For example Chinese Market Gardens

Along the routes from South Australia to central Victoria gold fields, market garden were established to feed such large numbers of people, Chinese set up many Market Gardens along the routes, in towns including Penola, Casterton, Coleraine, Cavendish, Dunkeld, and finally Ballarat, ,Those market gardens provided not just enough very important green vegetables to Chinese but also provided locals in particular with necessary nutrition for their families.

一路上,我们可以看到中国淘金者对不同地区的影响, 沿着从南澳大利亚到维多利亚中部黄金地段的路线,可以看到很多的蔬菜农场,中国早期的淘金者在淘金路线建立了不少蔬菜农场,养活很多淘金者,沿着,包括Penola,Casterton,Coleraine,Cavendish,Dunkeld和最后Ballarat ,这些花园市场不仅仅为中国人提供了非常重要的绿色蔬菜,而且还帮助当地人家庭饮食增添和提供必要的营养。

Coleraine had a Chinese Grocery Shop selling vegetables growing at local market gardens


Coleraine至今还有一家曾经作为中国杂货店的遗址,当时卖的是种植在本地蔬菜农场自产蔬菜。

HAMILTON

Even in the 1850’s Hamilton was a large thriving town and at first the Chinese used it as a stop-over, but apparently after a short time they actually diverted their route to Cavendish. The reason for this was in part due to a fear of authority because Hamilton had a high police presence but also a fear that they might be charged with misdemeanours then be required to serve time as labourers to repay their court debts and penalties and therefore cause a delay in their arrival at the gold fields.

汉密尔顿
HAMILTON汉密尔顿早在1850年代,就已经是一个很大的很繁荣的城市,起初中国淘金者把它当作中转站,但是在很短时间后,他们就把路线转移到卡文迪什镇。其原是因为对当地权威的恐惧,因为汉密尔顿镇有很多警力存在,中国淘金者担心他们可能被控以轻罪,然后被要求以人工服务偿还法院债务和罚款,因此造成延迟到达淘金场。

In the town of Cavendish there is a special Plaque commemorating Chinese early settlers the Hong Sip family who resided there until the 1920’s and ran large market gardens in the Cavendish area. In face a  bridge in the area is called the Hong Sip bridge.

在Cavendish镇大家立了一个特殊的匾,以此来纪念中国早期定居者洪普西家族,洪西普家族几代人,勤勤恳恳地经营着卡文迪什地区最大的蔬菜农场,直到20世纪20年代。老桥的遗址,在该地区称为“洪西普桥”。

The original settlement was known as Linton’s Diggings late 1854 (or just Linton’s) in a hilly area about two kilometres north of the present town.

The Chinese of Linton came with the gold rush. in October 1855 that there were 1000 Chinese at the ‘wire fence’ at Linton’s northern boundary

As early as 1856, Wet Flat, in amongst the gullies where the first gold discoveries were made, was being called Chinaman’s Flat. It appears to have remained an area where Chinese miners concentrated their efforts and established a settlement, and is still called Chinaman Flat on contemporary maps of the district. There was a big Chinese store, run by Sin Kee and Wong Chung’s which also was a gold buying business. A history of Linton quotes James Wong Chung’s granddaughter, Mrs Mabel Young Chung, remembering that, ‘there were great blocks of gold, we played with it. I would run sovereigns between my fingers, but twice in six months he was robbed by bushrangers and went broke’.

On the way to Ballarat we pass through Scarsdale that has a large Chinese Cemetery

在林鼎镇以北约两公里的一个山丘地区,记载了大约在1854年后期,最初的淘金者定居的记录, 被称为“林鼎淘金记录”,(或者仅仅是“林鼎录“) 。林鼎录记载在1855年10月,大约有1000名中国人随着淘金热在林鼎Linton的北边界“铁丝网“出现了!早在1856年,,其中的第一个发现黄金的沟渠湿地,被称为“中国人公寓”。这个地方似乎是当时中国矿工集中精力和建立定居点的地区,很早以前在当地的老地图上就被称为中国人公寓。当地有一个大的中国商店,由Sin Kee和Wong Chung经营的黄金买卖业务。林鼎录记载的历史引用了詹姆斯·黄春的孙女,中国淘金者的后代记忆,我记得“我们小时候,用手指抓着大块黄金玩。但在短短六个月内我们被山贼抢了俩次了,破产了。” 在去巴拉瑞特的路上,我们经过Scarsdale斯卡斯代尔, 也可以看到不少中国人当年遗留下来的公墓。

The re-enactment walk from Robe is important to Chinese Australians and Australian Chinese  because it helps us to understand why we are where we are as a community and country. The Walk will remind us that the indomitable will our ancestors to improve their standard living and help make Australia a better place to live. For the past 160 years this goal has not changed. We recent immigrants still need to work hard and have a strong commitment to contribute our country’s continuing development

重走淘金路对于澳大利亚华裔意义深远,因为它帮助我们了解作为一个社会和一个国家的进步,我们走到哪里了?为什么走到这里?重走淘金提醒了我们,我们的祖先为了改善他们的生活标准,为后代创建一个更美更好的澳大利亚,为我们今天的生活做出了巨大的贡献!在过去160年里,这一个目标一直没有改变。我们新老移民仍然坚守着我们的承诺,努力地工作,为澳大利亚的建设和持续地发展做出我们的贡献!