Chinese lepers in Victoria

Chinese Lepers in Victoria  – A case of Charity and Cultural Clashes

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

 

The Mon Sing girls – Lost children

Margaret Mon Sing was committed by the Castlemaine Police Court on the 8^th of September 1871 as a neglected child to the Sandhurst Industrial School located at the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum, Sandhurst. She was to be held for two years until she turned 16 years. She was almost 14 years old but had been found in a Chinese brothel at Campbell’s Creek. Her father, a Chinaman had deserted his wife and their three children some five years earlier. Dinah Sophie Ramsay/Jamieson like lots of abandoned women had to resort to prostitution to survive and to provide for her children. As there were no agreements between the colonies Mon Sing fled over the border to New South Wales so that the court could not pursue him for maintenance. The police knew that he had found work as a cook at Hay but nothing else was known about him.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese herbalist cures child

 

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.

 

After this cure and Loma’s recovery we do not know if the family regularly used the advice of Chinese herbalists or went back to their family doctor. Loma Leo went off to school, lived a normal life, married but had no children. It is not known if the family ever wrote a letter of recommendation for Lam Sum similar to those that regularly appeared with Chinese herbalists’ advertisements in various newspapers. Later in life Loma is known to have gone back to see Alfred Lam Sum to thank him for her recovery and show her appreciation.  

 

 

 

Many thanks to Leonie Cheep who detailed this family history .

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

 

Chinese Herbalists in Victoria 1850’s – 1930’s

NAME	HOME	DATE	VISITING LOCATIONS
Ack Hing	Bendigo	1912 – 1939	Castlemaine, Echuca, Mildure, Maryborough
Ack Hing	Maryborough	-1912	Castlemaine, Donald, Echuca, Dunolly
Ack Loong	Echuca	1903 – 1905	known also as Ah Loong
Ah Foon	Warrnambool	1896
Ah Hoong Andrew	Bendigo	1870’s -1915
Ah Hung	Campbell’s Creek	1870’s	Loddon district
Ah Lim	Nhill	1913
Ah Lum James	Stawell	1903 – 1929	related to C.Lum
Ah Ming	Corowa	1911
Ah Poon James	unknown	1890’s	Warrnambool
Ah Sue	Ararat	1875
Ah Wah	Ararat	1880’s
Ah Yow J	Bendigo	1928 –
Bew Geo H.	Warrambool	1937	formerly at Barham, Hamilton, Casterton, Portland
Cheong Kee Chun Dr	Ballarat	1870’s
Cheong Thomas	Bairnsdale	1919 – 1940’s
Chew G.	Hamilton	1919 – 1920
Chew J.	Nhill	1919 – 1920
Chew Len Dr	Echuca	1903 – 1910
Chin Chee	Inglewood	1880’s
Chin Choon Kong	unknown	unknown
Chin Quong	Bendigo	1899
Chin Quong	Bendigo	1899
Chin Wah Moon	Melbourne
Chin Yeuckleung	Ballarat	1911 – 1920
Ching Chin	Campbell’s Creek	1865
Chinn T.C.	Melbourne	1920’s –	Hamilton, Coleraine, Warrnambool
Chock Son	Ballarat	1911 – 1920	Melbourne 1930’s
Chong Thomas	Bairnsdale	1919 – 1940
Chong Thomas	Fitzroy	1913 –
Choon Wah Hong	Melbourne
Choong Choon	Melbourne	1912
Chung Leong J.	Ballarat	1913 – 1920
Chung Pong	Creswick	1870’s – 1884
Cock Ping Dr	Castlemaine	1860’s
Den George	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920
Dytles C.	Bendigo	1909
Enpo Hong	Castlemaine	1866
Fee Mun	Ararat	1875
Fok War Hong	Melbourne	1913 –
Fong Choon Louis	Echuca	1905 – 1911
Fong Woon	Maryborough	1911
Fook Hew	Bendigo	1920
Fook Hew	Bendigo	1910’s	business as J.L. You
Fook Ning Hong	Melbourne	1913 –
Foon William	Bendigo	1920’s?	business as J.L. You
Foong Jin	Bendigo	1919
Foung Peter	Ballarat East	1913
Gee War Hung Dr	Castlemaine	1870’s
Ghum Lip/Lin	Melbourne	1950’s
Gin William	Melbourne	1880’s
Gipp Charles	Ballarat	1915 – 1930’s	bought Chockson’s Ballarat Practice
Goe Tong Geo	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920
Goon F.S.	Ballarat East	1911	Hamilton
Goon F.S.	Melbourne	1909	visits Koroit
Goon L.	Castlemaine	1930’s – 1950
Goon L.H.	unknown	1943	visits Echuca
Goon S.T.	Ballarat	unknown	Loong visits Echuca 1922 instead of S.T.G.
Goon Yet (Yee) C.	Warrnambool	1923
Goon Yet C.	Melbourne	1910’s – 1923
Gum Belinda	Kyneton	1911
Gum Kee	Ararat	1911
Hay James H.	unknown	1918	Shepparton
Hein Young Dr	Castlemaine	1870’s –	visits Vaughan
Hi Lee	Warrnambool	1922	successor to Lim Gee
Hien Young	Castlemaine	1870’s –
Ho	Melbourne	1930’s	Suey Gee Chong shop
Hock Nin	Bendigo	1910
Hock Nin	Bendigo	1910’s – 1930’s
Honga	Geelong	1851
Hu Hing Dr	Castlemaine	1870’s
Jack H.L	Melbourne	1920’s?
Jack H.L Dr	Bendigo	1928
Kay Sing	Melbourne	1930′ – 1960’s
Kett Hang	Fryerstown	1890’s
Kett Hang	Campbell’s Creek	1897	visits Fryerstown
King  C.	Melbourne	1930’s	Shepparton
King C.	Ballarat	1920’s?	Warrnambool,Terang and Port Fairy in late 20’s
Koon Tep Wah	Bendigo	1919 – 1920
Kuw Suey	Castlemaine	1870’s
Kwong Fee Yin	Bendigo	prior to 1944
Kwong Sue Duc	Melbourne
Lam Sun Alfred	Bendigo	1920 – 1930’s	Rochester, Echuca, Castlemaine 1910’s & 20’s
Lam Sun Alfred	Castlemaine	1916 – 1920	visits Echuca, Birchip, Kerang
Lam Teung		1910’s –	visits Seymour, Inglewood
Lam Teung Jas	Bendigo	1918 – 1920
Lamsey James	Mia Mia	-1879	visits Heathcote
Lamsey James	Ballarat	1851	Geelong 1853/4, Melbourne 1850’s, Beechworth, Heathcote
Lamsey James Dr	Bendigo	1880 – 1912	Melbourne, Ballarat 1890’s, Heathcote 1890’s, Castlemaine
Lee Foot	Bendigo	1880 – 1912
Lee Gee Kwong	Warrnambool	1880’s
Lee Gee Kwong	Ballarat	1870’s	visits Warrnambool, Koroit
Lee Gim	Warrnambool	1919 – 1920’s
Lee Hoy Hen	St Arnaud	unknown
Lee P.V.	Melbourne	1930’s	Mrs Mic Kee’s son and business partner
Lee P.Y.	Melbourne	1913 –
Lee Peter L.	Melbourne	1913 –
Lee Shue	Ballarat	1903
Lee T.D.	Stawell	1919 – 1920
Lem D.	Ballarat East	1911
Leong Chung	Ballarat East	1911
Leong Lee	Melbourne	1913 –
Lew Ke Chun	Ballarat East	1901 – 1905
Lim Sun	Melbourne	1910’s – 1930’s	Bendigo 1913 –
Lo Kwoi Sang Dr	Ballarat	1870’s –
Loie Pow Thomas	Ararat	1910’s – 1930’s	Avoca, visits Castlemaine, Bendigo 1920’s
Long Minnie                           Ballarat see Yee Lee	Ballarat	1910’s	see Yee Lee, also Mrs Mic-Kee
Long Peter	Ballarat	1910’s	see Yee Lee
Look You James	Bendigo	1920’s?	see J.L. You
Loong C. W.	Fitzroy	1920’s?	Castlemaine, Echuca 1920’s
Louey C.	unknown	1930’s	Shepparton, Numurkah
Louey On	Bendigo	1929
Louey Shoo	Melbourne	1928	invalided to Bendigo
Louey Wee Yen	Bendigo		see also Wee Yen
Louie Dr	Bendigo	1890
Louie L.H.	Warrnambool	1920’s?
Louie L.H.	Warrnambool	1928 – 1930’s
Louie Pow	Ararat	1928
Luiwan William	Maryborough	1935 – ?
Lum C.	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920	Stawell
Lum C.	Stawell	1900’s – 1923	Ararat, maybe known also as Lum Sing
Lup Mun Mrs	Melbourne	1930 –	son Ho Yik Pang
Mee Lee	Melbourne	1913 –
Mee Lee	Bendigo	1912 – 1951
Mic Kee Mrs	Melbourne	1930’s	barnstormed rural Victoria, Echuca, Bendigo 1938
Ming J.	Melbourne	1913 –
Moon C.D.	unknown	1930’s	Shepparton
Mun Fee	Ararat	1868
Nip Coon	Ballarat	1880’s
Nip Coon Dr	Castlemaine	1890’s
O’Hoy Jan	Bendigo	1920’s	with A. Lam Sun
On Lee	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920
On Lee G.	Sydney	1887 – 1900’s	Melbourne, Ballarat 189, 1893,  Echuca 1890’s
Pang H.H.	Benalla	1933	business at Euroa too
Pang H.L. (Ho Yik)	Melbourne	1933 –
Pang Harry	Ballarat East	1919	Moved to Warracknabeal 1930’s,  Nhill
Pang James	Bendigo	1923 – 1944	as Yin Kee
Pon Gin	Maryborough	1860’s
Poon Youie Peter	Melbourne	1900 –
Pow Louie	Ararat	1920’s?
Quock Ping	Ballarat	1875	Avoca
Quon Wah/Who	Echuca	1912
Quon Wah/Who	Bendigo	-1911
Quong S.	Melbourne	1930’s	Avoca in 1934 successor to C.King
Quong Tung	Echuca	1928 – 1929
Sam War	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920
Sang Jos. E.	Ballarat East	1903 – 1920	Melbourne and Hamilton
Shan Chas G.	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920
Shang Caleb James	Hamilton	c1920’s
Shee Shok	Campbell’s Creek	1865
Shule Sang	Bendigo	1919 – 1920
Sik Kee Geo	Warrnambool	1919 – 1920
Sik Kee Geo	Warrnambool	1920’s?
Sik Kie	Ballarat East	1910’s	Warrnambool 1919
Sing Lee	Hamilton	1911
Sing Song	Hepburn	1860 –	Maryborough, Daylesford
Sue Kee	Melbourne and NZ	-1895
Sue Kee	Bendigo	1890’s
Sue Kee Dr	Bendigo	1894 – 1895
Sue Kee J.F.	East Melbourne	1905 – 1913 –
Suey Gee Chong	Melbourne
Tack Sin	Ballarat	1870’s
Tack Sin	Warrnambool	1877 –	Koroit
Teck Shin	Melbourne	1913 –
Ten Doo Lee	Stawell	1910’s – 1930’s
Tong John	Ballarat East	1913
Tor Lee	Fitzroy	1905
Toy Willie	Echuca	1920 – 30’s	Bendigo
Tye Kee D.G.	Melbourne	1905
Tye Kee G.	Melbourne	1913 – 1920’s
Tyshing Frank	Castlemaine	1918	partnership with Lam Sun ended
unknown	Nhill	1903
Wah Kee	Melbourne	1913 –
Wee Poy	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920
Wee Yen L	Bendigo	1880’s – 1913	Castlemaine 1912 –
Wing Kee	Ballarat East	1901 – 1911	Bendigo 1912 –
Wing Kee	Castlemaine	1890’s
Wong Chew, Phillip	Ararat	1914
Wong Ming Kam Dr	Maryborough	1870’s-1890’s
Wong Mon	unknown	1919
Woon L.K.	Mildura	1919 – 1920
Yee Foon William	Bendigo	1920’s?	business J.L. You
Yee Lee	Ballarat East	1905 – 1910	Warrnambool
Yee Lee G.	Ballarat	1913
Yee Quock Ping Dr	Ballarat	1870’s –
Yet War Ling	Melbourne	1913 –
Yin Kee	Bendigo	1901 – 1990’s	Castlemaine 1907, Echuca 1910’s one owner dies 1915
Yin Moon	Melbourne	1913 –
Ying James	Bendigo	1930’s
Yip T.C.	Gippsland	unknown
You J.L.	Bendigo	1912 – 1930’s	William Yee Foon in 1930’s
You Kee	Ballarat East	1913
Young Charles	Mildura	1919 – 1920
Young Charles	Echuca	1913
Young Chung C.	Bendigo	1919 – 1932	Melbourne 1920’s, Echuca 1915 – 1920’s
Young George L.	Ballarat East	1919 – 1920
Yow Kee	Maryborough	?  – 1907	Swan Hill
Yow Kee	Bendigo	1908 – ?

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

Senior Constable Webb’s gold watch

By Carol Holsworth

 

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.

Chinese Celebrations in Bendigo, Australia

by Carol Holsworth

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.’

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