Year of the Rooster – Time to revamp Dickson Chinatown

Chris Mordd Richards said :

JC said :

Organic is the best way to describe Woolley Street in Dickson. It evolved into a kind of China town but only by virtue of the number of Chinese restaurants that called the street home. As things change it is becoming less and less Chinese and more and more mixed Asian. If I am not mistaken Chinese restaurants are now in the minority rather than majority!

It was China town about 5-10 years ago. So really the notion of it being a China town is misguided.

Call it Asia Town instead now then? South East Asia Town more appropriate though? 😛

No then you get into the whole debate as to whether india is included as part of asia.

JC said :

Organic is the best way to describe Woolley Street in Dickson. It evolved into a kind of China town but only by virtue of the number of Chinese restaurants that called the street home. As things change it is becoming less and less Chinese and more and more mixed Asian. If I am not mistaken Chinese restaurants are now in the minority rather than majority!

It was China town about 5-10 years ago. So really the notion of it being a China town is misguided.

Call it Asia Town instead now then? South East Asia Town more appropriate though? 😛

JC said :

chewy14 said :

dungfungus said :

Great article Paul, as usual.

I agree, this precinct is looking a bit tacky. Somehow, it is starting to look just like the rest of “new” Canberra and not easily identifiable as a standard “Chinatown”.

You mention “ties with Singapore” could be celebrated there – maybe, but I don’t think the Chinese operating businesses there would be keen on that.

Street stalls, markets and gardens would be good. Permanent Chinese lanterns across the street perhaps?

And what about some colourful rickshaws? (I am being serious otherwise I would have said solar powered/wind assisted rickshaws).

The cuisine could do with some improvement too.

In a modern and multicultural society such as Australia, why should we be defining areas as a type of ethnic “ghetto”?

If it occurs organically that there’s a larger percentage of these stores/restaurants etc in an area, then all well and good but government shouldn’t be involved in prescribing these types of racially aligned areas or fitting them out to function as such.

Organic is the best way to describe Woolley Street in Dickson. It evolved into a kind of China town but only by virtue of the number of Chinese restaurants that called the street home. As things change it is becoming less and less Chinese and more and more mixed Asian. If I am not mistaken Chinese restaurants are now in the minority rather than majority!

It was China town about 5-10 years ago. So really the notion of it being a China town is misguided.

As to any upgrades there, not really sure what else it needs from government. Footpaths are ok, roads are ok, parking can be difficult at times, but only because everyone wants to park at the door and not park in the carparks where they may need to walk for 2 minutes. Could do with some new buildings, but that is not a government responsibility anyway.

Agree totally.

chewy14 said :

dungfungus said :

Great article Paul, as usual.

I agree, this precinct is looking a bit tacky. Somehow, it is starting to look just like the rest of “new” Canberra and not easily identifiable as a standard “Chinatown”.

You mention “ties with Singapore” could be celebrated there – maybe, but I don’t think the Chinese operating businesses there would be keen on that.

Street stalls, markets and gardens would be good. Permanent Chinese lanterns across the street perhaps?

And what about some colourful rickshaws? (I am being serious otherwise I would have said solar powered/wind assisted rickshaws).

The cuisine could do with some improvement too.

In a modern and multicultural society such as Australia, why should we be defining areas as a type of ethnic “ghetto”?

If it occurs organically that there’s a larger percentage of these stores/restaurants etc in an area, then all well and good but government shouldn’t be involved in prescribing these types of racially aligned areas or fitting them out to function as such.

Organic is the best way to describe Woolley Street in Dickson. It evolved into a kind of China town but only by virtue of the number of Chinese restaurants that called the street home. As things change it is becoming less and less Chinese and more and more mixed Asian. If I am not mistaken Chinese restaurants are now in the minority rather than majority!

It was China town about 5-10 years ago. So really the notion of it being a China town is misguided.

As to any upgrades there, not really sure what else it needs from government. Footpaths are ok, roads are ok, parking can be difficult at times, but only because everyone wants to park at the door and not park in the carparks where they may need to walk for 2 minutes. Could do with some new buildings, but that is not a government responsibility anyway.

chewy14 said :

dungfungus said :

Great article Paul, as usual.

I agree, this precinct is looking a bit tacky. Somehow, it is starting to look just like the rest of “new” Canberra and not easily identifiable as a standard “Chinatown”.

You mention “ties with Singapore” could be celebrated there – maybe, but I don’t think the Chinese operating businesses there would be keen on that.

Street stalls, markets and gardens would be good. Permanent Chinese lanterns across the street perhaps?

And what about some colourful rickshaws? (I am being serious otherwise I would have said solar powered/wind assisted rickshaws).

The cuisine could do with some improvement too.

In a modern and multicultural society such as Australia, why should we be defining areas as a type of ethnic “ghetto”?

If it occurs organically that there’s a larger percentage of these stores/restaurants etc in an area, then all well and good but government shouldn’t be involved in prescribing these types of racially aligned areas or fitting them out to function as such.

That’s a bit harsh chewy14, especially as “good government” has for many years allowed the aboriginal tent embassy and their transient devotees to occupy the lawns opposite old Parliament House.

I don’t recall anyone from the Chinese community complaining that the area in Dickson referred to as Chinatown creates racial stereotypes.

If you are going to subscribe to that then I guess we should describe the Westside Pop Up Village as Canberra’s grungy hipster ghetto.

Then again, perhaps you are right so lets knock it all down and build apartments there.

dungfungus said :

Great article Paul, as usual.

I agree, this precinct is looking a bit tacky. Somehow, it is starting to look just like the rest of “new” Canberra and not easily identifiable as a standard “Chinatown”.

You mention “ties with Singapore” could be celebrated there – maybe, but I don’t think the Chinese operating businesses there would be keen on that.

Street stalls, markets and gardens would be good. Permanent Chinese lanterns across the street perhaps?

And what about some colourful rickshaws? (I am being serious otherwise I would have said solar powered/wind assisted rickshaws).

The cuisine could do with some improvement too.

In a modern and multicultural society such as Australia, why should we be defining areas as a type of ethnic “ghetto”?

If it occurs organically that there’s a larger percentage of these stores/restaurants etc in an area, then all well and good but government shouldn’t be involved in prescribing these types of racially aligned areas or fitting them out to function as such.

Heavs said :

I can understand that older cities such as Melbourne and Sydney have a Chinatown – they grew out of the diaspora that came across in the 1800’s and settled/lived/worked in that area. There is a historical basis for them being there.

I can’t understand why Canberra has one apart from a bit of me-tooism. I’m sure someone could pull out demographics but I would have thought we had at least a high % of resident’s with Vietnamese or Korean backgrounds. Not scientific, but if you could say Woolley St is the Chinatown district then you have 80% of the restaurants along there not being Chinese.

Saying that – a beautification of Woolley St isn’t a bad idea – I just think it could capture more of the actual flavour of the different people that live in the city.

This is a timely link to a report on the history of the Chinese community in Canberra and district: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-27/chinese-history-in-canberra-region-lunar-new-year/8217844
It’s a shame that we will never see a fair-dinkum lion dancing event in Canberra. That’s because one of our previous governments banned the use of fireworks.

I can understand that older cities such as Melbourne and Sydney have a Chinatown – they grew out of the diaspora that came across in the 1800’s and settled/lived/worked in that area. There is a historical basis for them being there.

I can’t understand why Canberra has one apart from a bit of me-tooism. I’m sure someone could pull out demographics but I would have thought we had at least a high % of resident’s with Vietnamese or Korean backgrounds. Not scientific, but if you could say Woolley St is the Chinatown district then you have 80% of the restaurants along there not being Chinese.

Saying that – a beautification of Woolley St isn’t a bad idea – I just think it could capture more of the actual flavour of the different people that live in the city.

Great article Paul, as usual.

I agree, this precinct is looking a bit tacky. Somehow, it is starting to look just like the rest of “new” Canberra and not easily identifiable as a standard “Chinatown”.

You mention “ties with Singapore” could be celebrated there – maybe, but I don’t think the Chinese operating businesses there would be keen on that.

Street stalls, markets and gardens would be good. Permanent Chinese lanterns across the street perhaps?

And what about some colourful rickshaws? (I am being serious otherwise I would have said solar powered/wind assisted rickshaws).

The cuisine could do with some improvement too.

There is a limited supply of 90 degree nose-to-kerb parking, which means vehicles constantly sitting in the street with their blinkers on waiting for someone to leave. The street is just wide enough to get around them.
Oh, wait, I forgot – car drivers are now considered to be criminals in this town. Never mind.