Aspects of Chinese-Australian Heritage: Landscape Traces

The Chinese have long known Australia. As ‘sojourners’, fleetingly chasing sandalwood, trepang, gold, and ‘stayers’. They marked landscapes of transit, harvest, making, growing, and trade.

This included harvesting food and timber, ringbarking, mining, water use, and gardening. At first vegetables; later, much more. China has long had sophisticated horticulture and a rich flora. We owe it much – many garden plants are Chinese and got here early. Find out more!

About the speaker:

Stuart Read is a landscape architect, horticulturist and historian, with ongoing curiosity on cultural introductions, influences, and patterns of blending. His first NSW State Heritage Register Listing seen through to fruition was the Chinese Garden of Friendship at Darling Harbour. He is the Sydney Branch Chair and past national Australian Garden History Society Co-Chair and works by day for Heritage NSW.

Share a glass of wine in our Reception Rooms before the lecture.