A rich history
Chinese market gardeners shaped Camden’s agricultural and economic landscape from 1899 until 1993.
George Lee started the first intensive horticulture plot on the Nepean River floodplain at Elderslie in 1899. These gardeners used labour-intensive methods, cooperative partnerships, and mechanical flood mitigation to produce high vegetable yields on small plots. Despite facing the White Australia Policy, discrimination, and local marginalization, they integrated into the community while sustaining a vital fresh-food supply. The era concluded in 1993 when Biu Wong closed the final garden business, preserving a resilient legacy documented in local history.
Blog posts
Book Review https://works.hcommons.org/records/ftyt7-bz529
Market Garden Rent Book (Artefact) https://chinozhistory.org/index.php/32-market-garden-rent-book/
