Ah Toy's Garden: A Chinese Market-Garden on the Palmer River Goldfield, North Queensland

The Chinese on the Palmer River goldfield of North Queensland from the 1870s onwards were involved in market gardening as well as mining. This paper examines in detail the history and archaeology of one such garden occupied by Chinese from 1883 until 1934. The results of an archaeological survey of the garden area, including habitation sites, graves and an irrigation system, and excavation of the principal Chinese house-site and several rubbish dumps, are analysed in the context of documentary and oral evidence. The exotic nature of plants and artefacts (including many imported bottles) is emphasised along with the evidence for improvisation in this hostile environment. The authors of this paper are Ian Jack of the Department of History, University of Sydney, New South Wales; Kate Holmes of the Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory; and Ruth Kerr of the Queensland State Archives.