ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the Chinese were important to the clearance and settlement of the Queensland rainforests. The largest non-European group across this period were the Chinese. However, as settlement in the rainforests of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania took off from the 1870s onwards, the Chinese were almost completely absent. Certainly, policy-makers saw little place for the Chinese on the expanding agricultural frontiers of these colonies and as Australia approached Federation, a range of regulations were crafted to restrict Chinese immigration and economic activity. The Chinese were also beginning to become active in market gardening. Initially, Chinese miners grew vegetables for their own use, but over time, they started selling to neighbouring European miners. In contrast to the southern colonies, the Chinese were heavily involved in the clearance and farming of rainforests in Queensland. While the main non-European groups were the Chinese and Pacific Islanders in Queensland, there were other instances recorded in the Wet Frontier.
