The Chinese Museum or Museum of Chinese Australian History[1] is an Australian history museum located in Melbourne’s Chinatown, which is dedicated to documenting, preserving and displaying the history, heritage and culture of Australia’s Chinese community. The museum was established in 1985 with a charter to present the history of Australians of Chinese ancestry. An extensive refurbishment funded by the Victorian Government was completed in 2010. Since then, the museum has also acted as a Chinatown Visitor Centre.[2]

The building that currently houses the museum was built by the Cohen Bros in 1890 and used as a warehouse for the manufacture of furniture. It was later sold to Her Majesty’s Theatre and used as a storage space for their extensive collection of costumes. In 1984 the Victorian Government, with support from the Victorian Tourism Commission, the Chinese Community and the Melbourne City Council the building was purchased from Her Majesty’s Theatre and the museum formally established. There is temporary exhibition space in which local and international artists can present work that engages with the Chinese culture.