Robe Chinese Monument
Chinese Monument
This monument honours the roughly 16,000 Chinese who landed at Robe in 1857 and walked hundreds of kilometres to the Victorian goldfields, and a red Chinese gateway stands on the beach nearby.
In 1855 the Colony of Victoria imposed a poll tax of £10 on each Chinese person arriving by sea. To avoid the tax, many Chinese gold seekers instead landed at Robe in South Australia. In 1857 alone around 16,000 people came ashore here, then walked roughly 400 to 500 kilometres to the goldfields of Ballarat, Bendigo and other Victorian towns, and Robe's population briefly boomed as a result. The monument by the seafront in the town centre records this history. In 2017 a red Chinese-style welcome gate was erected on the beach behind it, marking the spot where the Chinese first came ashore. For Chinese visitors, this is a particularly meaningful stop, and you can learn more from the exhibits at the Customs House maritime museum nearby. Free entry, open at all times.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Robe Customs House Maritime Museum
- Robe Town Beach
- Robe Gaol Ruins
- Victoria Street, Robe
- Cape Dombey Obelisk
- Long Beach
- Little Dip Conservation Park
- Woakwine Cutting