Latest News:
Chinese Heritage in Northern Australia Inc (CHINA Inc)
Tenth ‘no fuss’ biennial conference, Cairns, 24 to 25 October 2026
Theme: Commemorations
‘Cairns No. 1 Joss House’, James Cossar Smith Photographs
Fryer Library, University of Queensland
Commemorations of Chinese Australian History in Northern Australia in 2026:
2026 is a significant year in the history of Chinese Australians, particularly in Cairns. The year commemorates the sesquicentenary of the first Chinese arrivals in Trinity Bay and Cairns; almost 50 years since the Cairns & District Chinese Association (CADCAI) began its cultural activities, and 40 years since its incorporation in 1986; over 40 years since historian Cathie May published Topsawyers: the Chinese in Cairns 1870 to 1920; and 20 years since CHINA Inc held its inaugural ‘Rediscovered Past’ conference. 2026 also commemorates the Lunar Year of the Fire Horse, symbolising courage, action, and survival.
Conference Venue: Cairns Sheridan Hotel, 295 Sheridan Street, Cairns.
Contact: To join the 2026 CHINA Inc Conference mailing list, please email conference.chinainc@gmail.com
2026 CHINA Inc Conference Registration Form
resources/2026%20CHINA%20Inc%20Conference%20Registration%20Form.pdf
About CHINA IncChinese Heritage in Northern Australia (CHINA Inc) is a not-for-profit association committed to promoting research and study into the Chinese Australian experience in northern Australia. It encourages the proper recording of Chinese Australian history and heritage.
The Chinese have made contact with northern Australia for several centuries, starting with sporadic visits by traders and fishermen and culminating in the large scale immigration of workers, miners, agriculturalists and business people during the 19th century. Indeed, there has been a long history of cultural diversity (which includes other peoples from the Asia Pacific region) and this, combined with the vast landscapes, tropical climate, and remote frontier conditions, created in northern Australia a dynamic social environment that was in many ways unique.
One of the key activities of CHINA Inc is the hosting of a biennial Northern Links Conference, far north Queensland. This ‘no fuss’ event brings together people from many disciplines – including history, archaeology, heritage management, law, literature, linguistics, art, and library science. Another activity is publishing a collection of selected articles based on papers presented at the CHINA Inc conference. CHINA Inc also provides a link to people undertaking genealogical research on Chinese Australian families.
Enquiries can be emailed to: china_nth@yahoo.com.au
