Abstract
ABSTRACT The fortuitus access to long lost manifests of the Cooktown to Laura railway provides a unique insight into the operations of Chinese merchants serving Far North Queensland gold field communities during the colonial era which hitherto have received scant attention. Whilst the existence of Chinese merchants throughout Far North Queensland during colonial times, commencing with the Palmer River goldrush of 1873 has been documented, very little has been known about the specific details of their operations. The details of the manifests, complimented with other archival records, provide a unique picture of a sophisticated supply network drawing from local, intercolonial and overseas sources. It also highlights the dual flow of goods and services that sustained the operations of these frontier merchants. The paper will case study a pioneers Chinese Merchant of this era who had business interests in Cooktown, Laura and Maytown.
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