Gold Mountain Wives
金山婆
Source: The Chinese Dragon Procession, by G.H. Myers, Melbourne, Victoria, 1901)
Ham Hop, a Chinese woman who lived in Geelong from 1910-1913.
In 1903, the Chinese community presented a Chinese Dragon Procession to help raise money for the Unemployed Relief Fund
“...the magnificent display made by the Chinese, which, for spectacular effect, has never been exceeded in Geelong.”
Gold Mountain Wives is a new Australian musical reimagining the lives of three Chinese women living in 1900s Victoria, each inspired by real historical figures. These three women form friendships and support networks as they navigate a new culture, gendered expectations, and everyday racism, all intensified against the backdrop of the 1890s economic depression.
Driven by a desire to help their community, they embark on a road trip to Melbourne to borrow a ceremonial dragon for a local fundraising carnival. Blending contemporary pop with traditional Chinese instrumentation and featuring multimedia design that highlights archival materials, this original musical is a call for empathy, inclusion, and social cohesion, values urgently needed then and now.
At its core, it is a human story about three migrant women adapting, debating, and disagreeing on how best to co-exist in a new land they call home. Beyond that, it is also a call not to forget the lives of these women, the Chinese philanthropy through the form of dragon parades across Victoria, and the historical lessons we must learn in order to build a diverse and inclusive society.
Her-story
Inspired by real historical events, places, and people, Gold Mountain Wives was shaped by fragments of history, including archival images, that guided our storytelling through music.
Our Story
Gold Mountain Wives has undergone four rounds of major creative development, supported by Platform Arts, the City of Greater Geelong, and the Geelong Arts Centre.
During these developments, we have run public memory workshops, presented performance-lectures, collaborated with actors and musicians, and received feedback from community members and industry professionals. In April 2026, the creative team went on a field trip to Bendigo Easter Festival to experience the dragon parade first-hand.
Gold Mountain Wives is premiering in March 2027. Stay tuned for more information!
To keep up with the next steps of this production, follow us on social media. If you'd like to support us, you can donate to the "Gold Mountain Wives" project here:
