This book was originally planned as a short story about Bendigo’s special leper, Ah Woo, who in 1900’s lived near the White Hills Cemetery at the Ironbark Chinese Camp. We thought he was our last leper but there was so much more to this Victorian story that it was not complete without research on all the lepers in other Victorian communities and the different levels of authorities that controlled their environment. Ah Woo was responsible amongst many other duties of assisting with all the Chinese funerals and burials in the district during his seven years of residence. He would have visited our cemetery on many, many occasions. He probably hoped to be buried near the prominent brick funeral tower and under the beautiful weeping branches of the evergreen peppercorn trees which were then only 20 years old. Much has changed since his time and we must try and preserve the past. We owe it to all the pioneers buried in this beautiful peaceful rural cemetery.

White Hills cemetery is not just a burial ground with a bit of natural bush. It is a repository for a great deal of our history, both known and some yet to be discovered. Many people struggled to assist our thousands of paupers whose stories have not yet been written or celebrated.  We wish to record the trials and tribulations endured by lepers in Victoria, their unrecorded burials, and their unmarked graves. Certainly none have a tombstone but in the White Hills cemetery and the Old Ballarat cemetery over 50 years ago their spirits together with all the other Chinese were remembered with a common memorial stone.

This book has been produced with a grant of $650 from the Victorian Community Foundation – Holsworth Local Heritage Trust. This has enabled us to donate a book to every Historical Society and Library in towns or cities where we have been able to prove that a Victorian leper lived or died. We have only produced 100 copies as we hope that other researchers will stumble over more information on Chinese lepers presently unknown to us in Victoria.  With this assistance we shall then be able to update and present more details in the future.

Copies can be purchased  at $25 plus $2.50 postage  from Helen Bruinier, President, Friends of the Bendigo Cemeteries Inc. 1A Plante Crt, Bendigo, Victoria 3550

Chinese lepers in Victoria -  94 A4 pages    CONTENTS

Introduction                                                                                               

Government Regulation for the Chinese on the Goldfields 1856               

Lepers in Ararat, Beechworth, Mount Alexander and Sandhurst goldfields  1857 – 1869     

Winds of Change in Ballarat Districts 1857 – 1869      

 Map of Ballarat East 1861 & View of Golden Point Chinese camp 1865

Melbourne’s  solutions  to Community pressure  1860 – 1870     

What  happened outside Ballarat between 1870  – 1884  

  1881 Health Notice sent to Bendigo City Council 

Charity and Cultural Clashes  in  Ballarat 1870 – 1884  

 Jayne’s Alternative Medicine Advertisement 

 Hoyle’s Pacific Vegetable Wonder Advertisement 

  Ballarat Leper Group Photograph 1876           

PT NEPEAN QUARANTINE Station 

THE FINAL SOLUTION 1885 – 1900      

 Letters from Sergeant Fahey to Bendigo Council  Jan/Feb 1889 

DESTINY and DEATH – CHINA or CREMATION  1890 – 1899

 Photograph of Leper Cremation 

THE LAST VICTORIAN LEPERS 1900 – 1930  

Photographs of old Ironbark Camp  

Conclusion       

INDICES: 

  Victorian towns with lepers 

     Lepers sent to Point Nepean 

     Leper Deaths  at Pt Nepean from Death registers 

     Victorian Doctors attending lepers  1855 – 1905    

      Chinese interpreters & missionaries assisting lepers   

Sources   page 94

By 1871 the police said that Dinah Sophie Mon Sing now resided at Queenscliffe having left Margaret behind on the goldfields but no record about the mother being a prostitute was made on Margaret’s documentation. But the police had access to the records of a younger neglected sister, Rachael Mon Sing/Sing which showed that in 1866 their mother Dinah was a prostitute at Castlemaine. Possibly the weekend ferry trips that brought hordes of men from Melbourne out for a good time in Queenscliffe provided Mrs Mon Sing with more regular clients and a better income than was possible on the goldfields.

The Legislative Act of 1864 for Neglected and Criminal Children would control Margaret’s life and her destiny for almost ten years. She was sent to the closest Children’s home which was located at the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum which since the early 1860’s had been helping destitute women and young children. Her record sheet number 5586 shows that she was born in Ballarat in October 1857. Her state of health when admitted was described as ‘Clean in prison clothes’ but she could not read or write.  

 In 1868 the Government had approved the establishment of an Industrial school in one wing of the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum which the Board sought as a means of improving their general source of revenue. The Board’s successful application argued that local children in need should be looked after locally thus gaining 8 shillings and 6 pence for child maintenance per week without having to take on many extra staff or a Superintendent.

When Margaret arrived in Sandhurst there were 136 neglected children under care with 105 being Protestants and the remainder Catholic of which Margaret was one. Three teachers were employed, the head being a Protestant and the two assistant teachers were Catholics. This mixture of denominations caused many complaints from the Catholic bishop and Catholic Board members but wether Margaret herself felt that she missed out on a total  supervision by Catholic staff, teachers and clergy is unknown. At that time she was not the only half-caste child but Elizabeth Ah Poo was ten years younger so they probably did not even know each other.

 The Benevolent Asylum records show that she absconded on the 17^th of September after only enduring her new accommodation for 8 days. The Sandhurst Industrial School was one of the best of its kind in Victoria as it was located in a new, airy building, well lit and even possessing a play area but Margaret was obviously not impressed. Now the day she nicked off was a Sunday and she had quickly realised that on Sunday things were a lot slacker with little supervision. The Head teacher’s stated rules were -

‘The mistress of the Industrial School shall take charge of the children from the Matron at 9a.m., properly dressed and cleaned, for school and other duties, and be responsible to the Superintendent and Matron for their general supervision to 7.30p.m. Saturdays and Sundays excepted which shall be 12a.m.,’

The Bendigo Advertiser reported no mention of her misadventure so we are not sure how far she got or where she had tried to go but presumably to her friends in Castlemaine some 35 miles away. Margaret presumably spent a night or two in the police lock-up before being brought before the police court and then sent back to the Bendigo Industrial School on the 25^th.   Within a week she was moved out to what was referred to as ‘boarding out’ which she also did not like so she absconded again during the following year. Her strong character and determination caused her to be moved then to Melbourne and finally on the 17^th of July she was licensed out to Mr. Patrick Coyne a farmer at Campbellfield (a farm well north of Melbourne) for the unexpired portion of her term of commitment.

During this period Victoria was experiencing a great shortage of labourers and servants and many girls and boys were not given their freedom when they turned 16 years. Margaret possibly was a handful and the department might have been glad to see the last of her as there is no further information on her register sheet. 

 Margaret’s younger sister Rachael Mon Sing had an earlier, longer and different experience with the Department in charge of neglected children. Rachel was born in Castlemaine in 1859 and her full name was Rachael Sophia Monzing with her father called John Samuel and mother Dinah Sophie Jamieson. I have no knowledge of where the Jamieson name came from.

Rachael was committed by the Ballarat Court on the 21^st of July 1866 when just 7 years old for 7 years. She was reported to be in good health and had already been vaccinated against Smallpox. Rachel, neglected child #1860 was  boarded out quickly 4 days later with hopefully a Roman Catholic family where she stayed a year. She was then moved on to another family where she had three children to look after but was allowed sometime to go to school. A year later she was sent back to P. Bridgeport who had had another baby and needed someone to help with the children. Somewhere in this period she was ‘adopted’ by Hugh Ah Coon/Koon the Government Chinese interpreter in Ballarat who had a Caucasian wife and some young children. They would have also have seen her as a useful child servant to help care for their younger children. Unfortunately when the Ah Coon family returned to China in early 1880′s they handed Rachel back to the Department!  So by 1872 she was back being boarded out with another group of strangers. Rachael did receive some more schooling but on the 25^th of February 1873 she was sent to an institution in Melbourne. Her conduct was at all times recorded as good while nothing on Margaret’s records show any schooling, and certainly no report on her conduct.

 Rachel’s court terms should have ended on the 26^th of July 1873 which would have expired on the 26^th of July 1873, but she was licensed out to someone in Fitzroy until 25^th of February 1874 when she would have been almost 16 years old. She was immediately recommitted the following day for another two more years. She must have thought she was never going to be free.

You are visiting Chinese Rural Victoria blog. All Contents by Carol Holsworth Jan 2009.

Whether the two sisters ever meet during their committal period, or if they knew where the other was later in life is not known. There is no evidence that their mother tried to communicate with them once they were taken away from her. How she prevented Margaret being taken from her in 1866 when Rachel was committed is also unknown. Maybe Margaret wasn’t living at home as she was 9 years old. Whether the girls ever met up with their father is also unknown.

It is unlikely that the girls were involved in any Chinese cultural activities, watched a Chinese procession or were ever supported by any Chinese charitable society, but they probably saw Chinese hawkers along the streets. Their father might have paid some attention to his children if they had been sons. They were shunned as half-castes by both racial groups and probably tried to pass themselves off as of Mediterranean descent. As they were illegitimate there was the option of the court calling them Margaret Ramsay and Rachel Ramsay or even Jamieson as occurred with some other illegitimate children of mixed parentage but neither seem to have changed their obvious Chinese surname.

There is a partial happy ending to this family story. Margaret Monsing married William Stollory in Ballarat in 1877 and probably hoped her children would inherited few of her Chinese features. Rachael did not get married, forgot or destroyed her middle name Sophie from her mother and took up a new middle name ‘Lavinia’. As a single mother she gave birth to a son Matthew Boie Brown Monsing at Richmond, near Melbourne in 1885.

I am hopeful that some one will be able to add further to this sad story which was far too common in 19^th century Australia particularly on the goldfields.

Loma Leo was the daughter of May and Kevin Leo, the niece of Molly and William Allan Cheep of Echuca. She was born before the first World War in Axedale, near Bendigo where her parents were long term residents as Kevin worked on the Victorian railways.

Loma was an only child and suffered from an illness that caused her whole body to be extremely bloated. Her mother used to take her around in the largest child pusher she could buy but Loma was so blotted that her hips were bruised each time she was squashed into the pusher designed for a child of normal weight. Local Bendigo doctors had been unable to medically help the young child so she was sent to specialists in Melbourne.

With severe kidney problems she spent weeks in a Melbourne Hospital until she was finally discharged as uncurable. Her parents were told to take her home to die as the Hospital could do nothing more to help the child. It is understandable that parents under these circumstances would try every possible remedy recommended by relatives and interfering do-gooders. So as a last source of help, the family took their daughter Loma, to a Chinese herbalist in Bendigo. Lam Sun’s herbalist shop was on the fringe of Bendigo’s so-called Chinatown on Bridge Street as many Caucasians would not go near the Chinese shops which they said were smelly and full of vice and opium. Alfred Lam Sum’s advertisements in the Bendigo, Echuca and Castlemaine newspapers stated that he would even attend to written requests and post out herbal remedies. He had inherited an excellent reputation from his uncle James Lamsey who had been practicing in Victoria since the 1850′s.

The family story handed down through the Cheep family was that Lam Sum took one look at the child and asked her to show him her hands. He held the little girl’s hands and thought deeply. In the telling of the story, the family always thrust out their two hands with the palms facing upwards. The Chinese herbalist suggested that he probably could cure the child with a herbal potion which would have to be given to Loma for 6 weeks. After that she would either be cured or he also could do nothing more for the child.

Chinese herbalists could not charge patients for their advise, appointments or visits as they were not registered by the Medical fraternity as doctors but they did recovered their fee by a suitable charge for the herbs they provided. Mrs Leo had to chop up the herbs Lam Sun’s assistant gave her and then boil them every night on her old wood stove and made sure that little Loma drank the concoction every night before she went to bed. Before the six weeks were up the family could see their child improving. Her kidney’s started to function, her bloated features slowly started to disappear and by the time the six weeks were up the family excitedly claimed a miracle cure.

Many thanks to Leonie Cheep who detailed this family history .

You are visiting Chinese Rural Victoria blog. All Contents by Carol Holsworth Jan 2009.

You are visiting Chinese Rural Victoria blog. All Contents by Carol Holsworth Jan 2009.

The Bendigo Advertiser on the 14^th of September 1860 published the following article:-

THE CHINESE CONSTABULARY – We understand that Senior Constable Webb, who has had for a very long time the charge of the Chinese constabulary on this goldfield, will be removed to Dunolly by promotion and that it is the intention of the Government to discontinue the services of Chinese constables with the exception of one, who will occasionally receive assistance from the general police force. For his long services in the district, Senior Constable Webb has not only gained the esteem of his superiors, but from his impartial discharge of his duties amongst the Chinese, a large number of the principal men amongst them have requested Mr Superintendent M’Culloch to be allowed to present Webb with a testimonial.

Many articles in early newspapers from around central Victoria show policemen being entitled to a share of seizures from illegal grog shops, a share of fines from persons detected without miners licenses as well as awards for capture of wanted criminals.

In Harris and Presland’s book ‘Cops and Robbers’ reference is given to the Manual of Police Regulations that states that all members of the force were restricted in their personal affairs. Permission to even get married was required and policemen were not allowed to vote till 1888, but nothing is mentioned about public testimonials, let alone undercover gifts. Mark Finnane’s book ‘Policing in Australia – Historical Perspectives’ gives no information on the official policy concerning police receiving testimonials or gifts.

Was it customary for policemen to be given testimonials on the occasion of their transfers? The presentation of Testimonials and gifts was a common practice on the goldfields to departing or retiring, respected community men by their fellow workers, their brotherhood and the public. Many of these testimonial dinners or announcement for subscriptions were advertised in the local newspapers.

Was this the first time that the Chinese had wanted to give a testimonial to a policeman? Chinese in Victoria had presented testimonials and public gifts to a lawyer, Chinese Protector, Camp Commandant, Warden, Gold receiver, wife of respected man, and even a Clerk of Courts. This is the earliest public presentation that I have found being made to a policeman who was being removed from the district. I presume that recognition on a policeman’s retirement by the Chinese might have been more acceptable to the government. What would the attitude have been of the serving policemen and officers in Victoria to one of their own being publicly honoured by the Chinese? How was Constable Webb later received in Dunolly? Would the public have thought he was soft on the Chinese? Did the Chinese hope that he might turn a blind eye to their future activities in Dunolly and could he be bought off on later occasions?

In fact his impartiality to the Chinese appears to have continued. During a rowdy council election at Bet Bet in 1863 a Chinese contingent wishing to vote was locked out. Sergeant Webb intervened and pointed out that the Chinese had every right to cast their vote.

It was not uncommon for the Bendigo Advertiser to reprint articles from many different Victorian newspapers about all sorts of local items of possible interest. Although the Bendigo Advertiser had few Chinese readers or advertisers it seemed to relish printing articles about Chinese. If they did not have a local article about Bendigo Chinese for that day’s paper or at the very least that week’s paper they happily copied something about Chinese from another paper. Looking back it seems as if they wanted to keep the pot boiling. The Bendigo Advertiser on the 15^th of July 1863 reprinted the following article from the Maryborough Advertiser. Possibly they thought that the Bendigo public would be interested in hearing the latest news of their old mate Webb or maybe they needed to be reminded about how respectful the Bendigo Chinese had once been of law and order.

“CELESTIAL” Compliments.- We were shown a short time since a rather unusual thing, viz, a Chinese testimonial and present to an European, made about three years ago. The present consists of a handsome English gold lever hunting watch, and Chinese chain of curious manufacture. The latter is of solid gold, and the bar can be bent perfectly double and straightened out again without the slightest injury. Inside the watch is engraved:- “Presented to Senior Constable Webb, by the Chinese residents of Bendigo.” The whole is valued at between £40 and £50. The testimonial, a voluminous affair on red paper, was translated to us by Ah Wing, the well-known Celestial gardener at Dunolly, and the following is the substance of what he informed us it contained:- “Mr Webb welly good man. Him all same to China men, all same to Europeans. Chinamen at Bendigo very much like him.” Mr Webb is now sergeant in charge of the police station at Dunolly.-

So Superintendent M’Culloch did approve of one of his policemen receiving gifts from the community even though it was that irritating Chinese community. So maybe a precedent had already occured somewhere else in Victoria. Senior Constable Richard John Webb was stationed at Dunolly and lived in the police residence. He was transferred to Eaglehawk about 1873.  He died in East Melbourne in 1906 aged 74. I doubt that his tombstone records that Chinamen acknowledged him as being a very honourable man. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he left a will recording who was to inherit his valuable watch and solid gold chain?

 I suppose the hunting watch was lost years and years ago. The engraved words seen each time the watch was opened up, might have been an embarrassment later to his descendants as the racial hatred against the Chinese heated up. Most likely the red paper testimonial was devoured by silver fish or thrown out by descendants as being too voluminous and worthless. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if the unique chain wasn’t later sold for its appropriate solid gold value.

You are visiting Chinese Rural Victoria blog. All Contents by Carol Holsworth Jan 2009.

Bendigo Chinese celebrated New Year with much partying and fireworks but usually little was written up in the newspaper as the Chinese released little information. I thought you might be interested to read what the Bendigo Advertiser reported about the celebrations in Bendigo over a hundred years ago on February 8^th, 1902.

‘ THE CHINESE NEW YEAR.- The Chinese new year commenced at midnight yesterday. The Celestial festivities were ushered in by a liberal display of fireworks. Following a usual custom, Mr. and Mrs. Kim Cook, of Bridge-street, entertained a large number of friends. The festivities will be continued for several days.’

 Mrs Kim Cook was a Caucasian woman of good education who was known for her letters to the newspaper and use of her lawyer. Her husband was not a prominent man nor a wealthy man. They lived outside the Chinese community not in the Ironbark camp or Chinatown. It was easier for the journalist to get comments from  mixed marriage families than from the Chinese families or societies

Bendigo has become well known for its Easter festivals and grand processions. The Chinese did not always participate but as the fair was a major charity fund raiser it was important for good community relations that they did, as the number of Chinese receiving charity support in the hospital and asylum was growing each year. Here is another article detailing the pressures that the Chinese community were under on February 17^th, 1902.

‘BENDIGO EASTER FAIR – The Chinese procession.

The usual annual interview between the representatives of the Easter Fair committee and the Chinese residents was fixed for yesterday, but owing to the Chinese having just concluded their New year celebrations, they did not attend the conference in anything like the numbers that usually assist in the deliberations. Those present on behalf of the Easter Fair committee were Messrs. H.M. Marks, E.W.Kirby, G.G.P.Claridge, A.H.Daymond, C.Morgan, W.Trevena, Armstrong and Tuckwold. The Chinese representatives were Dr.Lamsey and Messrs. Gee Goon, Oh Hoy, and Sun Ack Goon.

Mr. Marks apologised for the absence of the mayor, and made a formal request that the Chinese should again take part in the procession. He referred to the loss which the committee had sustained by the recent fire at the Show Grounds, and trusted that the Chinese, who had rendered such valuable aid in the past, would once more show their sympathy with the local charitable institutions by giving their services.

Mr. Kirby, on behalf of the Benevolent Asylum, pointed out that in the institution there were no less than 47 Chinese, while food was given to a great many in addition. The hospital had succored the sick Chinese in the most generous manner. This year the Easter Fair would be visited by the new Victorian Governor, and it was desired that he should not miss the magnificent display of the Chinese.

Dr. Lamsey, in reply, said that the Chinese fully appreciated the kindly treated received by them at both the Benevolent Asylum and the Hospital. There was no reason why the Chinese should not again take part in the procession, but as there was a very limited attendance that day, steps would be taken to hold a conference, and the decision would be conveyed to the Easter fair committee meeting on Friday evening next.’

Out of frustration one day at not being able to find a Chinese surname in every possible source using every conceivable spelling variation, I searched the National Archive of Australia database in a different manner. Under ‘name’ I did not enter a name but I entered ‘Chinese Nathalia’ being the town where the ancestor lived and out popped this wonderful list of Chinese who had first registered at Nathalia. All Aliens across Victoria were required by the Government in 1916 to be registered. The Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence under The War Precautions (Alien registration) Regulations 1916 enforced these new registration requirements of residents who were not naturalized or were born in Australia of non-naturalized parents. The National Archives of Australia web site is great for searching for Dutch, German, Italian or any nationality associated with any Australian town

In 1916 similar alien groups of Chinese were residents in many Victorian country towns, but there might also have been naturalized Chinese shopkeepers, hawkers, herbalists or market gardeners, their wives and children who would not have been listed.

Little is known about these scattered aliens in these rural towns now and there is much to be done to rediscover this lost history

You are visiting Chinese Rural Victoria blog. All Contents by Carol Holsworth Jan 2009.

  My research has shown that herbalists were the most successful Chinese immigrants in Victoria. They had very successful businesses that brought them into contact with many Caucasians and they often married Caucasian women. Chinese herbalists advertised in the local newspapers purely to attract Caucasian clients. They spoke reasonable English, did business with the local shopkeepers, were involved in local charity work and knew and understood the local social conditions.

 Stawell like most Victorian towns  appears to have had a continuous Chinese herbalist presence since the gold rush period and up until at least the 1940’s. Research shows that most Chinese herbalists also had a regular weekly or monthly circuit visiting their Caucasian customers in the surrounding countryside. They would advertise in the rural newspapers that they would be in rooms at a certain Hotel giving their forthcoming dates and hours for seeing patients. Their advertisements specified that they were ‘Chinese’ herbalists and listed their numerous testimonials from local well-satisfied Caucasian patients. These testimonials were certified by J.P’s. Even though a town had their own resident Chinese herbalist this did not stop other herbalists paying visits. Just like doctors, each attracted their own patients because of their specialties and reputations. Most Chinese herbalists would also fulfill written requests for medication and also posted back repeat remedies. It is also possible that these herbalists contacted Chinese on their circuits and because of their good English and Caucasian contacts helped arrange leases for stores, houses and land suitable for gardens.  Some collected rents, carried letters and supplied contract labourers similar to services offered by some Chinese storekeepers.

 Charles Lum arrived in Victoria in 1874 at the age of 19. Documentary evidence of where he was in Victoria until he was first registered in 1916 as a Chinese resident in Stawell is not known. It is likely that as old newspapers across the Western District are indexed we will find further advertisements for his Herbalist business.  It is also possible that he was initially apprenticed to a general storekeeper to learn the English language and local social skills before he moved into his specialised herbalist trade. His second marriage was to Martha Elizabeth Burrows in Stawell in December 1916 by License. The marriage conducted by the Congregational minister took place at Lum’s residence on Napier Street. Mrs Burrows, the bride’s mother was present at her daughter’s marriage as well as at the births of her two grandsons, so she must have approved of her daughter’s marriage to a ‘Chinaman’.

  Mr C.Lum’s  advertised in the Stawell newspaper as a Chinese Herbalist in February 1919. It is interesting that these advertisements state that his Consultation Fee was one shilling to be donated into the Hospital Box. Legally Chinese Herbalists were not allowed to charge for Consultations as they were not registered Doctors but could collect fees for the herbal remedies they supplied. Lum’s marriage certificate states that his father was also medical man from whom he probably learnt his trade. Lum saw patients at his home at ‘Eyre Court’ Scallan Street, Stawell. By July and August 1922 he identifies himself as Dr C.Lum  ‘Late Doctor in Chinese Army’ although he still could not be registered in Victoria as a medical doctor. How or when he served in the Chinese army is not known as he arrived at the age of nineteen. The fact that the local doctors and the hospital tolerated this use of this professional term means that he was well respected in the community just like James Lamsey, herbalist in Bendigo later referred to himself  illegally as Dr. James Lamsey. The Ararat Advertiser of August 8, 1922 carried his advertisement announcing that he could be contacted at the Turf  Hotel, Ararat from 9 to 6pm on the 24th and 25^th of August, so Ararat was on Charles Lum’s herbalist circuit.

The National Archives of Australia has documents relating to some correspondence Charles Lum had with the Collector of Customs relating to immigration restrictions in the period 1903 – 1924. Our Charles Lum might be the Charles Lum Sing who was issued with an Alien registration certificate #4779 on 3^rd June 1919 at Thursday Island on his trip to China. Thursday Island was either the first or last port of call for Australian Immigration and Customs officials to board all ships entering or departing the East Coast of Australia, as all ships had to pick up a local pilot there to travel through the Barrier Reef. There is no evidence of Mrs Lum or either of their children going to China or applying for a CDET (Exemption from Dictation Test on re- entry into Australia). It would have been very unwise for Martha Lum to have visited China with her children as the clan or family elders could have claimed the children as Chinese citizens and refused to allow them to return to Australia.

 The obituary for Mr C. Lum of June 1923 reads: ‘A great amount of regret was expressed at the passing of Mr C. Lum, the well known Chinese Herbalist, of “Eyrecourt”, Scallan street, Stawell, the sad event occurring on Thursday morning. Deceased had worked up a big business throughout the Wimmera district, and was much liked by clients generally. He had not enjoyed good health for some time, and serious complications arose some three weeks ago. He was a public spirited man, and always displayed a readiness to assist any worthy object when the opportunity arose. He was always ready to assist the Stawell Hospital, and made large contributions annually to its fund and same generous spirit was manifested in regard to other institutions. Born at Canton, China, he came to Australia some 49 years ago, and did a great amount of travelling about before he eventually settled in Stawell. He was 66 years of age at the time of his demise. On many occasions he gave exhibitions of legerdermain at public gatherings, and greatly interested audiences with his cleverness. His genial manner and public spiritedness earned for him great popularity, and sympathy is felt for the widow and two young children in their bereavement. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon, and was largely attended.’

His remains were encased in a polished oak casket with silver mountings. Rev G. S. Lloyd read the burial service. The coffin bearers were Messrs H. Pickering, J. Anyon, R. Peacock, W. Clarke, R. Bushick and F. Kingston. Mr F. Crouch carried out the mortuary arrangements.

This is a wonderful obituary that any medical man’s family would have been grateful to receive. The most astounding part is the lack of any Chinese as pallbearers. Were the coffin bearers all friends of his wife’s family? Could they be local business-men, Councillors, or members of the Stawell Hospital Board? Now I am not sure if most of you know the meaning of ‘legerdermain’. The Macquarie Dictionary’s definition is: sleight of hand; trickery, deception; any artful trick. Reports in the local newspapers often give engaging reports of charity concerts with detailed reviews. There might be some charming hidden details of Charles the magician, or Charles the entertainer.

 By February 1924, Mrs Lum is reported in the local newspaper as having disposed of her property which presumably means ‘Eyre Court’ and she was leaving Stawell, probably for Geelong or Melbourne. In 1924 Mrs M.E. Lum applied for naturalisation. Many would comment that Martha Lem nee Burrows had been born in Stawell of British parents and surely she was British. On marrying, Martha like all women of that period, became part of the goods and chattels of her husband who was Chinese as he had not obtained naturalisation. So the law recognised Martha Lum as taking her husband’s Chinese nationality. She would not have been informed in writing that she lost her British citizenship but she would not have been able to vote and her name does not appear on the Electoral rolls between 1916 and 1924.

After her husband’s death in 1924 she applied for Naturalisation. The National Archives of Australia have her application, letters of support, Memorialisation, Swearing of the Oath of Allegiance, in all, over eight pages of government formalities to recover her nationality. Many widows, registered as aliens, did not bother about changing their nationality until the start of WWII when they found that they could be put in concentration camps or would not automatically obtain a ration card. Mrs Lum was obviously very aware that to protect her two young boys from possible claim by her husband’s clan or from being abducted and smuggled out of Australia she had to reclaim her British citizenship so that the Government could legally protect her family’s interests. Cases of children of mixed marriages being held in China or smuggled out of Australia had created quite an interest after being reported in the Argus, Age and the Sydney Morning Herald during this period.

 Little research in the past has been done on Chinese residents of Stawell as Ararat has been seen as the main Chinese center. According to the compulsory registration of all aliens in 1916 there were known to be 21 Chinese in Stawell including Charles Lum. His relative James Ah Lum is not listed as he may not have been living in Stawell at that time but most importantly in 1903 he had obtained his naturalisation. James Ah Lum appears to take over Charles’ herbalist business and died in Stawell in 1929.

 The only male witness to Charles Lum’s marriage was a Din Hee ( Din Kee) who has turned out to be a very important person.  Ten Doo Lee was also a herbalist in Stawell who in 1916 married Lydia Mary Clark who had been born at Campbell’s Bridge, Callawadda. Their son was born in Stawell in late 1916. How long Lee had been a resident of Stawell is unknown and more research is required to follow this family. In 1913 the ‘Chinese Times’ newspaper published in Melbourne, produced a calendar for their readers which was distributed as part of their December edition. It was a full two page spread and around the border were names of various Chinese shopkeepers and businesses organised by country or state from around the Pacific rim including Vancouver, San Francisco, Chile, New Zealand and the Eastern Australian states. It is fascinating that the only Chinese person listed from Stawell is Din Kee of Napier St.

 Also in Stawell was the Ly Cum (Li Cum) family who were Drapers on Dawson Street. Ly Cum was a wealthy Chinese who was naturalised in 1885. He owned enough property or investments that he was eligible to be listed on the Victorian Federation Referendum Roll of 1899, with a select group of Caucasians from Stawell.  His wife Lydia was on the Electoral Roll of Stawell in 1903 and 1908. Another interesting Chinese family was Mee Young Lowe and his wife Mary, who are both buried in the Stawell cemetery with their adult sons William and Samuel. James Mee Young was born in 1864 and arrived in Victoria in 1870 as a 6 year old but no further information is presently available. I know little about this family except that both Mary and James were first registered as Chinese at Stawell East in 1916.

 So besides the market gardeners who would have employed many single Chinese labourers over this 50 year period there were some well to do mixed-marriage families who were permanent residents of Stawell. They were involved in the community and contributed in many ways to the later strength of this rural town. Some of these families still have descendants in the Western District and their sons fought for the British Empire in the Second World War. Their surnames have not distinguished them as being Chinese and so later historians have overlooked them. You can understand the difficulty researchers have with names like Lee, Lum, Young, Lowe, Kee and Cum. Were they English or Welsh surely not Chinese?

You are visiting Chinese Rural Victoria blog. All Contents by Carol Holsworth Jan 2009.