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Author: Public Record Office Victoria

Local community groups visited the Ballarat Archives Centre yesterday to take a look at the new PROV Wiki page on Chinese Language Records. The records on the Wiki page highlight the involvement of the Chinese speaking communities in the commercial and civic life of colonial Victoria. Some of the more surprising finds include a list written in Chinese characters found in the Creswick Court, submitted as evidence of a debt owed for groceries, when a Chinese shopkeeper sued a debtor in 1868. A few of our guests at the launch were discussing the potential to recreate a historical Chinese meal out of the ingredients listed – so stay tuned! There are many more Chinese language records to be found in the archives. Finding them will add to our understanding of the lives of Chinese people in Victoria.