- 1977 edition. 116 pages
- Publisher..Alister Taylor
- Softcover. Large. Photos
- Condition Good. Some wear to the spine.
A History of the Chinese Goldminers in New Zealand
Opium & Gold is the story of the Chinese goldminers in New Zealand. Almost a forgotten segment of our past, it tells the story of racism and repression which is highly relevant to contemporary New Zealand.
Peter Butler writes of how the 'almond-eyed ones from The Flowery Land' arrived in New Zealand in search of gold, and of the violence they confronted. Some achieved their goal of gold aplenty and returned to their homeland, while others found the going tough and just managed to eke a living, turning to other pursuits like pakapoo, opium and church.
Opium & Gold is the story of their life in New Zealand, of the influx of the 'yellow horde', of the crisis their arrival created in Parliament and in the outback towns near the golddiggings. In a racy narrative filled with fact, Peter Butler has managed to blend social history, contemporary accounts and photographs in an absorbing book; it is a real and important contribution to the understanding of New Zealand's interesting past
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