CFP - Rediscovered Past: China in Northern Australia (Cairns, Qld; 16-17 Feb 2008) Deadline: 31 December 2007

Rediscovered Past: China in Northern Australia
The Second “no fuss” Conference
16-17 February, 2008
Organised by Chinese Heritage in Northern Australia Inc. (CHINA Inc) at the Cairns Library, Abbott Street, Cairns

Following the successful Rediscovered Past: China in northern Queensland conference held in Cairns in 2006, the organisers are pleased to announce a second conference, the sequel, to be held in 2008. Again this will be a “no fuss” multidisciplinary event run over two days and will be open to contributions from all fields of Chinese Australian studies – including history, archaeology, heritage management, law, literature, linguistics, art, and library science. The conference will maintain the previous casual, convivial atmosphere that everybody enjoyed, as well as the theme, focussing on Chinese interrelationships with other ethnic groups as well as with other diasporic Chinese, and the diverse nature of Chinese settlement and life. However, as the title indicates, the regional emphasis has been broadened beyond Queensland to include other parts of northern Australia. Chinese have made contact with this region for several centuries, starting with sporadic visits by traders and fishermen and culminating in the large scale immigration of miners, workers and business people during the 19th century. Indeed, there has been a long history of multiculturalism (which includes other peoples from the Asia Pacific region) and this, combined with the vast landscapes, tropical climate, and remote frontier conditions, created in Northern Australia a dynamic social environment that was in many ways unique. It is this special character and social complexity that presenters are particularly encouraged to explore.

>> The full conference announcement can be found HERE (MS-Word doc)
>> Further information will be available soon at the Chinese Heritage in Northern Australia website.