The temple and the land it stands on was purchased by a group of Chinese families, who donated it to the National Trust of Queensland.

[1] Atherton Chinatown was one of many small settlements that developed in Australia during the nineteenth century as homes for the Chinese sojourners who arrived in great numbers to work on the goldfields.

Most of these Chinese were males who came from poor areas in south west China and intended to work here until they had gathered enough capital to assure their financial security on their return home.

For mutual support and to maintain contacts with their homeland, they lived and worked together, creating such Chinatowns within European settlements, or on their fringes.

[1] Chinese diggers flocked to north Queensland in the 1870s in large numbers following the discovery of gold on the Palmer River and on the Hodgkinson.

They were regarded with suspicion and hostility by Europeans, who they greatly outnumbered, and were barred from working on newly discovered mineral fields.

Because of this, and as the Palmer River field was faded in importance, most Chinese moved south looking for other means to make a living.

They grew fruit and vegetables to supply nearby towns and pioneered the growing of maize in north Queensland, which became an important commercial crop.

[1] Following the First World War, Chinese leases on agricultural land in the district were revoked in favour of soldier settlers.

During the nineteen twenties, most of the inhabitants of Chinatown and the surrounding farms moved south or to nearby coastal towns.

The complex consists of a temple, hall, kitchen and store constructed of corrugated iron and local timbers in a traditional Chinese form.

[1] The buildings are marked off from the street by an ornamental picket fence and gate which have been reconstructed from photographs and archaeological investigation.

The temple building is fronted by a pagoda consisting of the upper section of the original roof mounted on a new base.

This is a section of raised pagoda roof which is designed to admit light and to allow incense to rise from the large burner below.

It is glazed to keep out rain and is supported on posts which display a deliberate irregularity to symbolize human imperfection.

[1] Paths edged with upturned bottles, an indentation which indicates the position of the pig roasting pit and archaeological remains survive.