This is a list of notable Chinese Australians.
Media and the arts
Actors and filmmakers Tony Ayres: showrunner, screenwriter and director; known for The Slap, Netflix's Clickbait, The Home Song Stories and Stateless Natasha Liu Bordizzo: actor, portrayed Snow Vase in Netflix's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny Jason Chan: actor and director, known for portraying the Green Samurai Ranger, in Power Rangers Ninja Storm Courtney Eaton: actor and model, her debut role was in Mad Max: Fury Road Alexander Hodge: actor, best known for portraying Andrew on the HBO series Insecure Guang Li: actor, known for appearing in the 2008 film The Children of Huang Shi, where he played the role of Shi-Kai Renee Lim: actor and media personality, known for her role in Please Like Me Diana Lin: actor, known for her role as Awkwafina's mother in the 2019 comedy-drama film The Farewell Nina Liu: actor, best known for portraying Chloe in the television series The Secret Life of Us Jaymee Ong: actor and model, known for her role in Gen-X Cops Chris Pang: actor, best known for his roles in the films Tomorrow, When the War Began and Crazy Rich Asians Sarah Song: television actor and presenter Shaun Tan: artist, writer and filmmaker, won an Academy Award for The Lost Thing Ling Cooper Tang: actor, known for her role as Dr. Kylie Preece in the hospital drama TV series All Saints Vico Thai: television and film actor, known for his role as Lam Bui on Disney+ series Last Days of the Space Age James Wan: film director, writer, and producer of the Saw film franchise
Television and radio presenters
Lee Lin Chin: news reader, best known for her 30-year career as the anchor for SBS World News and her fashion Elizabeth Chong AM: chef, author and television presenter Anna Choy: actress, television presenter and weather presenter Kylie Kwong: chef, restaurateur and media presenter Benjamin Law: author, screenwriter, and journalist Adam Liaw: winner of MasterChef Australia 2010 and television host Helene Chung Martin: former ABC correspondent and author Cindy Pan: physician and media personality Sam Pang: comedian, radio and television presenter, writer and producer Annette Shun Wah: media presenter Poh Ling Yeow: artist, grand finalist on MasterChef Australia 2009
Music and performing arts
Jimmy Chi: composer, musician and playwright who created the iconic 1990 musical Bran Nue Dae Richard Clapton: singer-songwriter, most famous hit is his 1975 single "Girls on the Avenue", which reached number one on the Australian charts Jeff Fatt AM: musician, best known as 'the purple Wiggle' from the children's group The Wiggles Li Cunxin AO: ballet dancer, author and public speaker Russell Jack AM: founder and director of the Golden Dragon Museum Natalie Ong: singer, season 8 finalist of The X-Factor Australia Li-Wei Qin: cellist, won First Prize at the 2001 International Naumburg Competition in New York Rose Maud Quong: actor, performer and author; had a transnational career spanning Australia, the United States and United Kingdom TwoSet Violin: YouTube violinist duo made up of Brett Yang and Eddy Chen
Comedy Aaron Chen: comedian, television personality, and actor; in 2026 toured the US supporting American comedian Ali Wong Michael Hing: comedian, podcaster, actor, and former presenter on Network Ten's The Project Lizzy Hoo: standup comedian, writer and television personality Lawrence Leung: comedian, writer and director; best known for his TV series Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure Jenny Tian: standup comedian, television personality
Fashion Claudia Chan Shaw: fashion designer and television presenter Lisa Ho: fashion designer, celebrated globally during a special design segment at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony Jenny Kee AO: pioneering Australian fashion designer celebrated for her vibrant "Australiana" knitwear and prints that feature native flora and fauna Bowie Wong: fashion and stage designer Margaret Zhang: filmmaker, writer, model, creative director, and Editor in Chief of Vogue China
Books and writing Queenie Chan: comic artist, co-wrote and illustrated the graphic novel In Odd We Trust Yang Hengjun: political blogger, author of Fatal Weakness series Ouyang Yu: poet, novelist and author of The Eastern Slope Chronicle Alice Pung OAM: bestselling author of the memoirs Unpolished Gem and Her Father's Daughter, editor and lawyer Gabrielle Wang: writer and illustrator for children and young adults Wong Shee Ping (c. 1875–1948): author of The Poison of Polygamy, political activist
Visual arts Shen Jiawei: painter, winner of the 2006 Sir John Sulman Prize Liang Xiao Ping: pioneer calligrapher, artist, poet and scholar Shaun Tan: artist, author and illustrator; known for his graphic novel The Arrival John Zerunge Young AM: artist Bin Xie: painter, finalist for the 2006 Archibald Prize William Yang: social history photographer, playwright, artist, and filmmaker
==Politics==
Cabinet Penny Wong: leader of the Government in the Senate, minister for Foreign Affairs, minister for Finance and Deregulation, minister for Climate Change
Federal Parliament Sam Lim: Federal member for Tangney (Labor, 2022–present) Gladys Liu: Federal member for Chisholm (Liberal, 2019–2022) Sally Sitou: Federal member for Reid (Labor, 2022–present) Tsebin Tchen: Federal senator for Victoria (Liberal, 1999–2005) Dio Wang: Federal senator for Western Australia (Palmer United, 2014–2016)
State and territory parliaments Helen Sham-Ho OAM: Liberal member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales (State Parliament) 1988–2003 Peter Wong AM: member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales (State Parliament), 1999–2007; founder, Unity Party (Australia), 1998 Michael Choi: Labor member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly (State Parliament), 2001–2012 Jing Lee MLC: Liberal member of the Legislative Council of South Australia since 2010 (State Parliament) Ernest Wong, Labor MLC: member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales 2013–2019 (State Parliament) Hong Lim MP: Labor member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria 1996–2018 Bernice Pfitzner MLC: Liberal member of the Legislative Council of South Australia, 1990–1997 Pierre Yang: Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council: Labor member for Electoral region of South Metropolitan since 2017 Jack Ah Kit: Labor member for Arnhem in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly 1995–2005 Harriet Shing: member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing the Eastern Victoria Region for the Labor Party since 2014 Jenny Leong: member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Newtown for the Greens since 2015 Ngaree Ah Kit: Labor member for Karama in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016 Geoff Lee: member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Parramatta for the Liberal Party 2011–2023 Jason Yat-Sen Li: member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Strathfield for the Labor Party since 2022
Mayors Harry Chan: first Chinese mayor of Darwin, Australia Wellington Lee AM OBE: deputy lord mayor of Melbourne, 1999–2000 Alec Fong Lim AM: lord mayor of Darwin, 1984–1990 Katrina Fong Lim: lord mayor of Darwin, 2012-2017 John So AO: lord mayor of Melbourne, 2001–2008 Henry Tsang OAM: parliamentary secretary to the premier; deputy lord mayor, Sydney, 1991–1999
Other politics William Ah Ket: barrister and early 20th-century campaigner for Chinese rights Charles Que Fong Lee: diplomat
Culinary Elizabeth Chong AM: celebrity chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, media and TV host Kylie Kwong: chef, author, television presenter and restaurateur Hetty Lui McKinnon: award-winning plant-based cookbook author William Chen Wing Young: established Wing Lee, a restaurant and food manufacturing business in Melbourne; inventor of dim sim
Academia Chin Liew Ten (C. L. Ten): FAHA FASSA, emeritus professor of Philosophy and former head, Philosophy Department, National University of Singapore Mabel Lee: literary scholar and translator Terence Tao: math genius winner of Fields Medal Wang Gungwu: AO CBE, historian, vice-chancellor of Hong Kong University (1988–1995), president of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (1980–1983) Xiaokai Yang: economist Yen Ching-hwang: historian Jenny Zhang: chemist, BBSRC David Phillips Fellow at the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge Liangchi Zhang: professor of engineering, University of New South Wales
Military William Edward Sing, DCM: served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, best known as a sniper during the Gallipoli Campaign Jack Wong Sue OAM: World War II special forces soldier, Borneo campaign, post-war businessman, and author
Business Ah Hong: Chinese market gardener in Alice Springs Louis Ah Mouy: businessman Wong Ah Sat: gold digger, farmer, and merchant Charlie Houng On Yee: tailor, gardener and businessman from Darwin. Myrtle Houng On Yee; businesswoman from Darwin Xu Rongmao: billionaire, AFR rich lister, chairman and founder, Hong Kong-based Shimao Property David Teoh: billionaire, AFR rich lister, former chairman and founder, TPG (ISP) Chau Chak Wing: billionaire, AFR rich lister, Guangzhou-based property developer Marita Cheng: founder of Robogals and 2012 Young Australian of the Year Kwong Sue Duk: pioneer herbalist and merchant Chin Kaw: Tasmanian herbalist, merchant, and mining entrepreneur Neale Fong: doctor and sports administrator Selina Hassan: businesswoman in Darwin Stern Hu: businessman Bing Lee: businessman who started up the Bing Lee franchises Gloria Ouida Lee: who was also Western Arrernte, miner in Central Australia Andrew Leon: businessman in Cairns, Queensland Lum Loy: businesswoman in Darwin Yew-Kwang Ng: economist at Monash University Trevor O'Hoy: former CEO of Foster's Group Tom See Poy: department store owner in Innisfail, Queensland Ping Que: merchant and miner Mei Quong Tart: 19th-century businessman and public figurehead David Wang: businessman Yet Soo War Way Lee: merchant Way Key: merchant
Sport Richard Chee Quee: cricketer William Cheung: kung fu practitioner Jian Fang Lay: table tennis player Les Fong: Australian rules footballer Kevin Gordon: rugby league footballer Priscilla Hon: tennis player Lin Jong: Australian rules footballer Cheltzie Lee: figure skater Anthony Liu: figure skater Miao Miao: table tennis player Jack O'Chin: rugby league player Anne Pang: kung fu practitioner Barry Pang: kung fu practitioner and horse racing, first Chinese Australian to own a winner of the Melbourne Cup Hunter Poon: first player of Chinese descent to appear in Australian first-class cricket Esther Qin: diver Amy Sayer: association footballer Dannie Seow: Australian rules footballer Kenneth To: swimmer Brian To’o: rugby league footballer Li Tu: tennis player Tina Wang: figure skater Jin Woodman (born 2009): wheelchair tennis player Jack Wunhym: Australian rules footballer William Yang: swimmer
Medicine Victor Chang AC: heart surgeon Cindy Pan: celebrity doctor and sexual/women's health expert Charles Teo AM: neurosurgeon Jane Elizabeth Tye: midwife in Darwin John Yu AC: paediatrician and 1996 Australian of the Year
Religion Greg Homeming: Catholic bishop Ivan Lee: Anglican bishop Shui Kwong Lo: Methodist minister
Other James Chung Gon: community leader, merchant, and philanthropist in Tasmania Russell Jack AM: founder and director of the Golden Dragon Museum
References