An exhibition celebrating the remarkable 195-year contribution of Chinese Western Australians to the heritage of the State from 1830 will be on display at The University of Western Australia from tomorrow.

The Making Home Under Southern Skies: Two Centuries of Chinese Heritage in Western Australia exhibition will be held in The Circle, Ground Floor of the UWA Reid Library from 12 November to 14 December.

Bringing together family histories, community stories and historical research, the exhibition showcases more than 3,500 records from the UWA digital archive of known Chinese migrants to WA.

Curated by researchers from UWA’s School of Social Sciences, the exhibition explores the rich and dynamic heritage of Chinese Australians and their enduring influence on WA’s cultural and social landscape.

Project co-lead Associate Professor Yu Tao said Chinese Western Australian history was Western Australian history.

“These stories are not side notes, not footnotes, not add-ons — they are part of the main story,” Associate Professor Tao said.

The project is supported by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations and administered by the UWA’s School of Social Sciences, in collaboration with valued partners and community organisations across WA.

Project co-lead Professor Benjamin Smith said the exhibition would not have been possible without the foundational work of Dr Anne Atkinson in the 1980s as well as invaluable contributions and support of the partners, community organisations and families who generously shared their stories.

The exhibition, which was officially launched at WA Museum Boola Bardip in late October, will tour Perth, Albany, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Broome throughout 2026.

For more details on the exhibition click here. To explore the digital archive at UWA Collected click here or contribute your story and learn more about the research project here.