Book to spotlight Chinese footy history

THE Chinese-Australian relationship with Aussie rules football and Ballarat’s place in its history is set to be celebrated with a book launch next week.

On Friday 1 December, author Patrick Skene will be in town to talk about his new book Celestial Footy: The Story of Chinese Heritage Aussie Rules.

The 24-chapter book details the more-than-140-year history of Chinese-Australian involvement in the sport.

Skene said Ballarat has a rich history of Chinese-Australian Aussie rules participation.

“If you go back to Ballarat in the 1890s, for example, it was terribly stricken by depression. The town had to invent events to fundraise for the local Benevolent Asylum,” he said.

“The police had the idea of a Chinese footy game between the miners and market gardeners, and 5000 people came out to it.

“It was a huge procession of fireworks and a Chinese orchestra in front of the Red Lion Hotel for the game at the Eastern Oval to raise huge money for local widows and these serious causes at the time.

“Another big one is the Golden Point Rice Eaters, the only club in Australia to have Chinese branding all through the White Australia policy.”

Released in June, the book was previously launched in New South Wales and will be toured in town as part of a Victorian showcase.

Written in partnership with the AFL, and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, Skene said a key aim behind the book is to return a sense of belonging to the country’s Chinese communities.

“This came about following an article I wrote in The Guardian in 2015 on the Miners and Market Gardeners game,” he said. “That went really well and a lot of people contacted me about it.

“Then the Chinese-Australians had taken a terrible beating over COVID with reported instances of racism up by a multiple of five. They were getting blamed for it.

“A report from The Lowy Institute said their sense of belonging had been eroded. I wanted to write a book that reminds them how Australian they really are, and to tell that story through footy.”

Special guests will include Golden Point Rice Eaters members Bill Moy and Steven Tung.

The free book launch event will take place at the Victoria Bowling Club in Ballarat East from 6pm and to RSVP visit bit.ly/47oNLn4.