恭喜發財
“Kung hei fat choi”
Feb 17 – 3 Mar 2026
Happy Lunar New Year
CAHS wishes you good fortune in the Year of the Horse
Welcome to the
Chinese Australian Historical Society inc.
The Chinese Australian Historical Society (CAHS) aims to promote the study of Chinese history in Australia. It organises seminars, workshops, and conferences on topics such as Chinese family histories, early migrant villages in Guangdong, clan organisations in Sydney, and the history of the Chinese Women’s Association of Australia. These activities enhance public understanding of the contributions of Chinese Australians.
Discover more
Family History
Researching your Chinese Australian heritage begins similarly to any family history research, with guidance from groups like the Society of Australian Genealogists, state, and local libraries. Local family history societies can also provide valuable resources.
Heritage
Significant heritage items related to Chinese Australian history. CAHS recent efforts to preserve Sydney’s Chinese Australian heritage.
Resources
Find useful information to help guide you on your family history trail, from online databases, oral history, museums, community organisations, research links, historical newspapers, links outside Australia
News & Events
Stay up to date with the latest news, events and stories.
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Scattered legacy
Read more: Scattered legacyScattered Legacy is a Chinese Australian Historical Society initiative funded by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. The project, through the creation of a national, digital archive, connects thousands of scattered, local, and personal artefacts to tell the story of Chinese Australian history. It connects items from local museums and private collections to thematic essays…
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Discovery through context – Jenny Wright
Read more: Discovery through context – Jenny WrightJenny Wright Unwrapping the layers of my great-great grandparents’ story has taken 14 years of extensive research (so far). As readers of this newsletter would know, the story can be wellburied when an ancestor is Chinese. The knowledge I gained from researching public records and newspaper reports, visiting theplaces they lived, and learning from local…
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Researching family history – Irene Poon
Read more: Researching family history – Irene PoonWedding outfit of Go Shee Poon, Irene Poon’s paternal grandmother.Source: Leigh McKinnon, Golden Dragon Museum, Bendigo, 1998. Have you ever wondered about the lives of your ancestors and the environment in which they lived? In 2014, I caught the bug to research my family history. I charted the usual family tree of my family, starting…
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Writing a biography of Mavis Gock Yen (1916-2008)
Read more: Writing a biography of Mavis Gock Yen (1916-2008)Siaoman Yen & Richard Horsburgh Image: Mavis, aged 18, on a boat to Tientsin, and in Beijing, early 1950s.Source: Siaoman Yen & Richard Horsburgh My wife, Siaoman Yen, and I have embarked on a project to write a biography of Siaoman’s mother, Mavis Yen. Some CAHS members will already be familiar with Mavis as the…