New Stories Bold Legends

New stories, Bold Legends: Stories from Sydney Lunar Festival  is a podcast series hosted by Valerie Khoo, Curator of the City of Sydney’s Sydney Lunar Festival. Valerie is also an   visual artist , writer and CEO of the   Australian Writers’ Centre . Valerie says: “As Curator of the Sydney Lunar Festival, one of my personal passions is to tell the stories of Australians who celebrate Lunar New Year – and to represent a diverse range of voices on how they combine their love for this country with their personal cultural traditions. “I hope you enjoy getting an insight into the challenges and opportunities these people have gone through. And I hope you find them as inspiring and interesting as I did!” You can listen to the podcast via this website. It’s also available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Radio or your favourite podcast app. Connect with Valerie Khoo: ValerieKhoo.com Instagram:  www.instagram.com/valeriekhoo/

  Listen via the player above, via Apple Podcasts  or your favourite podcast app. This series, we’ve been looking at some prominent Chinese personalities from Sydney’s history. As we’ve learned, there has been a small but strong Chinese presence in Australia right from the start of colonisation. But what about other Asian communities? Walk down any main street in Sydney and you’ll find restaurants serving Thai food, Malaysian dishes and Vietnamese delicacies. Census data shows that about 16% of Australia’s population has Asian heritage. Asian-Australains are an essential part of Sydney’s multicultural make-up. In the Chinese zodiac, 2020 is the Year of the Rat. The Rat is actually the first sign of the lunar zodiac and heralds the start of the 12-year lunar calendar cycle. So I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to explore 12 other Asian communities which make Sydney special.

   Listen via the player above, via Apple Podcasts  or your favourite podcast app. Debutantes at the Dragon Ball, 1945 Image: National Library of Australia In the stories of Chinese and Asian people in Australian history, there’s one group that’s noticeably missing: women! There were many notable Chinese men in Sydney’s early days and in the 20th century. If you’ve been listening to this podcast series, you’ve discovered some of them. But where are the ladies?

  Listen via the player above, via Apple Podcasts  or your favourite podcast app. Sun Johnson and the front page of the Chinese Australian Herald Images: State Library of NSW Sun Johnson was the editor of Australia’s first national Chinese newspaper, which started publication in 1894. He was born in Hong Kong and educated in London, before moving to Australia as a young man. Sun used his linguistic skills to create a Chinese-Australian dictionary, aimed primarily at helping Chinese people deal with Australian merchants.

  Listen via the player above, via Apple Podcasts  or your favourite podcast app. William Liu as a young man in 1920 and receiving his OBE in 1983 Images: State Library of NSW William Liu was a tireless campaigner for the rights of other Chinese Australians to live and settle peacefully in this country. Earlier in his life, he had been instrumental in exporting Australia’s department store model to China and Hong Kong. William fervently believed that economic ties between the two countries was the key to a strong relationship. William Liu is in the centre row at right. Image: City of Sydney Archives

  Listen via the player below, via   Apple Podcasts  or your favourite podcast app. Mei Quong Tart Image: State Library of NSW Mei Quong Tart was one of the most recognised figures in Sydney during the late 1800s. He was an entrepreneur and philanthropist - and most importantly, he opened Sydney’s very first cafes. Yes, we owe our fantastic cafe culture to a Chinese immigrant who spoke with a Scottish accent.

  Listen via the player above, via Apple Podcasts  or your favourite podcast app. John Shying's name on the Welcome Wall at the Australian National Maritime Museum Image: ANMM John Shying is the first known Chinese person to arrive in Australia and make a life Down Under. He emigrated to the colony at Sydney as a young man in 1818, just 30 years after the First Fleet. He was a skilled tradesman and earned his keep as a carpenter before moving out west and becoming a publican.