Remnant of Chinatown

Atherton used to have a thriving Chinatown which existed before Atherton itself. Sadly only the Hou Wang Temple has been saved. It is a mix of outback and traditional chinese architecture and one of a kind. The external walls are largely corrugated iron and the internal spaces are lined with cedar. Both Barbara and I really enjoyed the visit to the temple and reading about the history of Atherton Chinatown.

The lady at the entrance was extremely helpful. I did not have my National Trust membership card with me, so while we were in the temple she called National Trust offices in Brisbane who confirmed my membership and who also volunteered to email Cooktown so I could visit the James Cook museum for nothing!

The history of Chinese in Atherton is quite sad - the leasehold farmers were told to leave after WW1 as the land they farmed was to be allocated to returning servicemen. The museum has many stories about just how hard working the Atherton Chinese were.