If you're someone like me
who hasn't been living in Australia for too long,
have you ever experienced
the sudden craving for steamed dumplings
that remind you of home
but you couldn't find the proper steamers?
Or if you happen to be a soup enthusiast,
you struggled to find the right clay pot
you've used back home.
Luckily for us today,
Australia is populated with Chinese groceries
where you could get almost everything you need.
I've just decided to throw a Hot pot party tonight
and here's what I've got.
The special chopsticks, the pot, all sorts of soup base,
bean curd, beef rolls, fish tofu
and of course, coriander.
But you're probably not aware that
Chinese stores existed in Melbourne
back in the gold rush period
and that these stores had a multi-functional purpose
in front of us
this building at Melbourne's Chinatown
is known as a regular gift shop,
but you probably don't know about its glorious past.
Back in the Gold Rush period,
people would buy well priced goods
imported from overseas like China and Europe.
Lots of Chinese migrants from that period were illiterate.
Therefore, staffers in the Chinese stores
offered the service of letter drafting,
banking and translation
Later on, they even prepared and submitted
migration documents for those in need.
And if you wanted to travel,
you could also get shipping tickets from here.
These multifunctional Chinese stores
were a very important part of the lives
of early Chinese migrants.
In a sense,
these Chinese stores became a community space,
meeting places where people hang out,
drink tea or even gamble.
A one stop shop, quite literally.
Apart from the Chinese stores
and other community activity
that helped Chinese Australians bond over the years
is Aussie Rules Football,
which is a truly iconic Australian sport.
But did you know
that the earliest record of Chinese Australians
playing in charity football matches
can be traced back over 150 years
In 1890, a local paper in Ballarat
reported a football match
between the Chinese miners and the Chinese market gardeners.
The interest in the two teams and the game
attracted a huge crowd.
more than 5,000 spectators
and even raised £100 for charity.
The follow up coverage of such sporting events
also indicated that
some local teams even learned Chinese phrases
so they can play football with the Chinese footballers.
Fast forward to the 1930s,
the Young Chinese League or YCL
was founded in Melbourne
with the aim of promoting
a better understanding of Chinese Australians
in a broader Australian community.
Football matches were one of the common ways
for them to achieve that.
You could join the YCL
as long as one parent was of Chinese heritage.
This silver plated trophy
was awarded to the best YCL player in 1955.
In which year did you join the YCL football club?
I joined in 1964.
I played for 22 years.
I started playing on the wing.
Later on, I played in the centre, which I loved.
Towards the end they put me in the back line
because I got a bit slow.
What was the most memorable moment
back in the football time?
I think the times we shared against different teams
and the socialising we did.
We used to invite a team back straight after the game
for a barbecue with us
to the South Melbourne Joss house.
maybe two or three times a year
and for $2 you could get chops, sausages and a salad
and for $1 a large bottle of beer.
So there were great times.
What's in this folder?
I’ve been collecting over the years
the football fixtures,
Which show the teams we’ve played,
the venues, the dates and the scores.
And you can see from these fixtures
that there are lots of different teams over the years.
In 1941, we played against a team from the bookmakers.
The bookmakers.
And another team we played with.
The Past and Present Boxers Association.
That's so many memories.
And also brought along some other things to show you.
Yes.
- Wow! - this original jumper.
- That's the original YCL jumper? - Yes
It's 55 years old
and there's a lucky number on the back.
Football was terrific pastime in that era
because there were no personal computers,
no video games for kids to play,
no mobile phones.
And for a long time
there was no colour television even.
As a migrant, joining a group of like-minded friends
where you feel a sense of belonging
could be a rewarding experience.
What about you?
Which communities make you feel at home in Australia?