Description
This gripping narrative of the Chinese diaspora in Bendigo, Australia, is told through the eyes of an extraordinary community builder, Russell Goldfield Jack. Growing up under the shadow of the White Australia Policy, in a conservative, homogeneous city, Russell Jack negotiated a foothold for his people using dragons as his trojan horses. By building the internationally renowned Golden Dragon Museum, he replaced fear with knowledge and ignorance with beauty. Dianne Dempsey’s story, told with verve, compassion and illuminating vignettes, offers a unique slice of Australia’s social history.
Specifications:
Publisher: Australian Scholarly Publishing
Year: 2025
Format: Paperback
Pages: 216pp
ISBN: 9781923267251
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Brian Rhule –
Based on direct interviews with Russell Jack and other members of the Bendigo community, Dempsey sets her innovative approach to biography in the broader context of the continuing contribution of Chinese families since the 1850s gold rush era to the social culture of Bendigo. The story of the Easter Dragons provides a further thread binding the underlying narratives. The involvement of the Chinese community in the Easter Fair and its association with the Benevolent Asylum reminds us that although the Chinese frequently became the targets of racial intolerance, they were also greatly respected by many people outside of their own culture. The story of Russell Jack brings these themes together in a study that, while not ignoring racist attitudes on the Australian goldfields, reminds us that the modern contribution of the Jack family and the establishment of the Chinese Dragon Museum shows another side to the traditional historical theme of Chinese oppression. As such, Dempsey’s biography contributes to a better understanding of the role of Chinese immigration in the nineteenth century, the significance of dragons in Australian-Chinese culture, and the contribution that the Dragon Museum continues to make in Australian society today.