Trailblazing exhibition explores the untold story of Aboriginal–Chinese Australia
The National Museum of Australia will host the inaugural showing of a groundbreaking exhibition that explores the history of relations between Aboriginal and Chinese people in Australia and the long-lasting connections between two of the world's most ancient cultures.
Our Story: Aboriginal–Chinese People in Australia brings to life a previously overlooked but important part of Australian history and the experiences of two communities coming together.
The exhibition is the culmination of a three–year research project led by artist and researcher Zhou Xiaoping and features contemporary artworks, personal accounts and oral histories by Aboriginal–Chinese people, alongside historical photographs and archival documents.
It showcases the work of eight contemporary artists of Aboriginal and Chinese descent, who explore what it means to be Australian by reflecting on their ancestral, familial and cultural connections.
National Museum Deputy Director First Nations, Dr Jilda Andrews, said the National Museum was delighted to be the world's first venue for this exhibition.
'This exhibition provides a powerful insight into the complexity of Australian history,' Dr Andrews said.
'Our Story is an important national project that shines a light on a largely unknown and unacknowledged chapter in Australian history for many Aboriginal–Chinese people who can trace their connections back to the gold rushes of the 1850s.
'What better way to do this than with a pioneering presentation of 17 artworks and more than 30 contemporary and archival photographs and documents that explore cultural heritage, identity, self-discovery and the very foundations of our multicultural society.'
In Our Story, Zhou Xiaoping, project leader and exhibition curator, highlights the vital interactions between the living descendants of two ancient cultures. Through interviews with Aboriginal–Chinese Australians that delve into family archives, he looks to the past and the present to explore the significance of the relationships forged between the two cultures.
'Families of mixed Aboriginal and Chinese descent are now widespread across Australia and are coming to recognise their shared heritage and history of marginalisation in the 19th century,' he said.
'Our Story places the history of Aboriginal–Chinese people permanently into the collective consciousness of the Australian public.
'This exhibition provides contemporary views through the works of eight artists, including seven Aboriginal–Chinese artists, and one Chinese–Australian artist. It explores the themes of identity, representation, cultural heritage and discovery.'
The exhibition's Indigenous curatorial advisor and Emeritus Curatorial Fellow (First Nations), National Museum of Australia, Margo Ngawa Neale, said the exhibition was a powerful example of 'truth telling'.
'Our Story is a reclamation story, reclaiming that history by families of mixed descent who until now could never share or celebrate that part of their history. They had enough trouble being Aboriginal, let alone being Chinese Aboriginal. This is a coming out, a celebration,' Ms Neale said.
Multimedia artist Jason Wing has two works in the exhibition, A.B.C. Aboriginal Born Chinese and Serpent People (Boy with Snake Belly). His father is Chinese, and his mother is a Biripi woman from the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales.
'I am very proud and privileged to have both ancient Dragon and Serpent blood. Aboriginal and Chinese cultures are two of the oldest, most adaptive, resilient and powerful cultures in the world,' Mr Wing said.
'Aboriginal–Chinese people are found throughout Australia, yet it is not common knowledge in this country or overseas.
'Our Story redresses this disparity by educating people about the remarkable cross-cultural parallels, families and relationships. It is a great honour to exhibit with significant cross-cultural artists representing and educating people about this cultural alliance historically and today.'
The Our Story: Aboriginal–Chinese People in Australia exhibition, supported by the National Museum of Australia and Museum of Chinese Australian History in Victoria, was developed as part of a larger project which includes a book and an online survey of Aboriginal–Chinese people.
Our Story: Aboriginal–Chinese People in Australia is on show at the National Museum from 10 April 2025 to 27 January 2026. Entry is free.
