kˈaɪ wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn bɹˈuːm, wˈɛstɚn ɔːstɹˈeɪliə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt tʊ ɐ fˈɑːðɚɹ ʌv tʃaɪnˈiːz ænd dʒˌæpənˈiːz dᵻsˈɛnt ænd ɐ mˈʌðɚɹ ʌv skˈɑːɾɪʃ, bˈɑːɹdi ænd njˈuːlnɪˌʌl dᵻsˈɛnt.
Chi was born in Broome, Western Australia in 1948 to a father of Chinese and Japanese descent and a mother of Scottish, Bardi and Nyulnyul descent.