Hou Wang Miau

On the outskirts of Atherton, at a site previously known as Cedar Town, is the 1903 Hou Wang Mai, the second oldest Chinese Temple in Queensland. The Chinese came to the North Queensland gold fields in the early 1870s. After the alluvial gold declined, some Chinese camped on Piebald Creek, timber-getting and clearing land which they leased for cultivation. They lived in Cedar Town, also known as Chinatown. By the 1890s, funds were raised to build a temple and furnishings ordered from China. The temple, the only one in Australia dedicated to the god Hou Wang, was built from local cedar and black bean timber. It includes a feasting hall, kitchen, store and caretaker accommodation. While many Chinese farming leases were revoked in favour of returned soldiers after WWI, Chinatown and the temple were purchased by local maize farmer, Hong Kong-born Mow Jue Sue. Employment prospects for Chinese were poor and many left the district. The temple slowly fell into disrepair. The National Trust initiated a research project here in 1975. Owner John Fong On transferred the property to the Trust which coordinates ongoing research and restoration with the assistance of a dedicated group of local volunteers.