John Alloo's Chinese restaurant main road Ballaarat, 1855, lithograph, State Library Victoria

In contrast to the vitriol directed at ‘Celestials’ in contemporary written sources, Gill's print of John Alloo's Chinese restaurant is a scene of bustling activity and apparent racial harmony. John Alloo came to Australia in 1844, before the 1850s gold rush, and established his restaurant in the early days of the Ballarat township. The sign advertising 'soups always ready' and the depiction of canisters suggest that this was perhaps the earliest Chinese takeaway restaurant in Victoria.