Opening in Chinese New Year 2026
The Museum of Chinese in Australia is dedicated to sharing and preserving the rich history, traditions, and culture of Chinese Australians. By exploring and explaining stories about the community, we want to foster a deeper understanding of its contribution to the Australian way of life.
Xin Nian Kuai Le
新年快乐
Happy Year of the Horse
The staff and directors at MOCA wish everyone a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year in this, the Year of the Fire Horse. In Chinese astrology, the Horse's natural element is fire. Because 2026 is also a "fire year", this creates a so-called "double fire" resulting in an exceptionally high-energy, transformative, and sometimes volatile environment. The idiom "success is achieved when the horse arrives" (Ma Dao Cheng Gong 马到成功) is a central theme, suggesting that bold actions can lead to swift achievements. The Year of the Fire Horse is traditionally linked to significant breakthroughs and drastic change. However, it can also be a year of "chaos that leads to progress", requiring individuals to stay grounded.
The Merchants of Haymarket: Putting Sydney's Chinatown On The Map
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Our inaugural exhibition opens on February 17, 2026. Chinatowns around the world have long held a fascination as enclaves of intrigue, of exotic food and culture and a vibrant commercial spirit. The same holds true for Sydney's Haymarket Chinatown, which relocated from the first Chinese settlement in The Rocks at the beginning of the 20th century. The "Merchants of Haymarket: The Making of Sydney's Chinatown" exhibition honours the Chinese merchant families who built their businesses and homes in Australia by leveraging entrepreneurial skills, family clan networks, and transnational connections. They not only adapted and survived; many thrived, creating one of the most exceptional Chinatowns in Australia.
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Our Donors and Partners
The Museum of Chinese in Australia expresses its profound gratitude to all who have supported us and helped to realise our vision. We acknowledge the City of Sydney for providing the magnificent heritage building that is now our home. We also thank the Australian and NSW governments for funding our capital works and exhibition programs. MOCA also recognises the significant contributions made by the Chinese Australian community, whose resilience, enterprise, and long history of civic engagement has been the source of our inspiration. We further acknowledge the support and generosity of the wider Australian public in helping us reach our goals. We thank the following individuals for their generous contributions to help us further our mission:
If you would like to make a donation to the museum, please follow this secure link to our donations page. MOCA is a registered charity, and all donations are tax deductible. MOCA gratefully acknowledges the investment of our funders and supporters.
Government Partners
Super Partners
Technology Partners
About Us
The idea to establish the Museum of Chinese in Australia was conceived in 2019 as a way of creating a centre for the discovery, preservation and promotion of the story of the Chinese in Australia. The founding directors – including the eminent Australians John Yu AC and Dr Stephen FitzGerald AO – envisioned a dedicated museum space in the Haymarket district of Sydney, the city's oldest surviving and largest Chinatown, that would complement and cooperate with history and community museums in other locations both in Sydney and around the country.
MOCA acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Museum is built.
关于我们
Our Board
Daphne Lowe Kelley (Chair); Marcus Lim (Deputy Chair and Chair Audit and Risk Committee); Cathy Guo (Treasurer); Ann Toy (Chair Exhibitions, Collections and Program Committee); Joanna Capon AM; Yin Cao; Stephen Hutcheon; Kwan Leung.
Volunteers Needed
Expression of Interest
We would like to hear from anyone who has an interest in volunteering to work at the museum, even if it's only for a couple of hours a week. If you think you would like to assist, please email us at [email protected] with a short introduction and your contact details.
