The Making of Sydney's Chinatown: Stories of Migration, Community and Identity

Julie Lee

The Making of Sydney's Chinatown

How did Sydney's Chinatown become the vibrant and significant community it is today? This historical and place-based talk explores how Chinatown's evolution has been shaped by political regulation, cultural policy and shifting national attitudes toward the Chinese diaspora.

Drawing on her lived experience growing up in Sydney's Chinatown, as well as her work in heritage, public domain and cultural landscape practice, Julie reflects on how legislation, civic advocacy, multicultural reform and cultural expression have influenced the precinct's identity over time. The talk offers a grounded perspective on Chinatown as a community shaped through history, policy and the everyday negotiation of belonging.

About the speaker
Julie Lee is a landscape architect, urban designer and President of the Chinese Australian Historical Society (CAHS). She is committed to recording and advancing recognition of Chinese contributions to Australia's cultural and civic life. Having grown up in Sydney's Chinatown, Julie brings a lived understanding of its community, identity and history, informing her heritage and cultural landscape work with a grounded, place?based perspective.

Admission is free