New Zealand's Chinese musical history is an important cultural contribution in the making of the nation. Historical migration was especially prevalent from the mid 1860s as a result of an invitation to Chinese gold miners to prospect in New Zealand, and significant migration emerged again from the 1990s due to a relaxing of the immigration laws.

In the colonial setting, Chinese miners usually formed their own settlements beside other miners, and even formed distinct groups with their own shared linguistic and cultural heritage. This study will provide a critical reading of sources with the aim of discovering how and why social action and confluence between communities were key aspects of musicking in colonial Aotearoa New Zealand.