Draft Programme

Download the 2022 Conference Programme for details of papers, speakers and program timetable.

Dragon Tails 2022 will be a single stream conference, from Friday, 11th November to Sunday 13 November. There are also special pre-conference tours on Thursday 10th November.

We are pleased to have as our keynote speakers, Helene Chung and a joint presentation by Janis Wilton and Joe Eisenberg.

Helene Chung, the Hobart-born fourth-generation Chinese Australian journalist, will speak on “Two Unique Tasmanian Chinese: My father, Charles: fruit merchant, restaurateur and artist-in-retirement, 1920–2018; My mother, Dorothy: scarlet woman to fervent Catholic, 1925–2020”. Helene will explore the role of the Chungs and the Gin/Henry/Zhens from their 1880s Tasmanian tin-mining origins through their decades of non-communication followed by détente to today when, despite the influx of numerous other Chinese families, the five-generation Chungs and the six-generation Henrys around the world remain the predominant Chinese Tasmanians.

Janis Wilton and Joe Eisenberg will jointly present “Unpicking Golden Threads”, a review of their project from the 1990s-2000s, Golden Threads: The Chinese in regional NSW. This project, initiated by the NSW Ministry for the Arts, documented items in local and regional museums in NSW that connected to the histories of Chinese-Australians and encouraged regional communities to explore and value their Chinese history and heritage and to share that heritage with the wider community. In their presentation, Janis and Joe will unpick and critique the methods and outcomes of Golden Threads through the prism of subsequent projects and research.

Thursday 10 November
Thurs Morning Sessions, 10 November
10am - 12noon
Behind the scenes tour of the Chinese temple & clothing collections at the Queen Victoria Art Gallery, Royal Park.
OR
10am - 12noon
Walking tour of Chinese heritage in Launceston

Thurs Afternoon Sessions, 10 November
1.30pm - 3.30pm
Behind the scenes tour of the Chinese temple & clothing collections at the Queen Victoria Art Gallery, Royal Park (repeat of morning tour)
OR
1.30pm - 3.30pm
Walking tour of Chinese heritage in Launceston (repeat of morning tour)

Friday 11 November
8.30 - 9.00 Registration
9.00 - 9.15 Conference Opening
9.15 - 10.15 Keynote Presentation - Helene Chung
10.15 - 10.45 Morning tea
10.45 - 12.15 Panel 1 - Tasmanian Chinese community history
12.15- 1.15 Lunch
1.15 - 3.00 Panel 2 - Inclusion and achievement
3.00 - 3.30 Afternoon tea
3.30 - 5.00 Panel 3 - Tracing family
5.15 - 6.45 Behind the scenes tour of Chinese collections, Queen Victoria Museum

Saturday 12 November
8.30 - 9.00 Registration
9.00 - 10.00 Keynote Presentation - Janis Wilton & Joe Eisenberg
10.00 - 10.30 ‘The Chinese Temples of New England NW’ website launch
10.30 - 11.00 Morning tea
11.00 - 12.30 Panel 4 - Chinese language sources
12.30 - 1.30 Lunch
1.30 - 3.00 Panel 5 - Constructing history from sources
3.00 - 3.30 Afternoon tea
3.30 - 5.00 Panel 6 - Chinese Communist Party and Chinese Australian history
5.15 - 6.45 Behind the scenes tour of Chinese collections, Queen Victoria Museum
7.00 Conference Dinner: Canton Restaurant

Saturday 23 November
8.30 - 9.00 Registration
9.00 - 10.30 Panel 7 - Representations
10.30 - 11.00 Morning tea
11.00 - 12.30 Panel 8 - Heritage explorations
12.30 - 1.30 Lunch
1.30 - 3.00 Panel 9 - First People’s relations & settlement
3.00 - 3.30 Afternoon tea
3.30 - 5.00 Panel 10 - Fundraising & Merchants
5.00 - 5.30 Concluding Remarks

Monday 14 November
8.00 - 8.30    Registration for bus tour
8.30 - 4.30    Bus tour of Chinese tin mining and community heritage in NE Tasmania