Melbourne 's Chinatown has a long and illustrious history . It was established during the Victorian gold rush in 1851 when Chinese prospectors came to Australia for the gold rush in search of gold . In late 1854 , the first Chinese lodging houses were created in Little Bourke Street and Celestial Avenue ( off Little Bourke Street ) . This particular location was considered convenient for the immigrants , as it was a staging post for new Chinese immigrants as well as supplies en route to the goldfields . It is notable for being the oldest Chinatown in Australia , the oldest continuous Chinese settlement in Australia , and the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the western world , only because San Francisco 's Chinatown was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake . The gold rush eventually waned , causing a shift from rural living and an influx of people migrating into metropolitan Melbourne , particularly Little Bourke Street , which already had a predominantly Chinese population
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Chinatown, Melbourne