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Post by geoff on Sept 19, 2009 8:40:16 GMT -5
www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOn/html/custom/2234-event-details.asp?EventID=76229City of Sydney Event Memories of Chinatown 13 October 2009 – 14 October 2009 (Doors Open 10:00 AM) MemoriesChinatown_Oct09Memories of Chinatown Travel back through time when various aspects of life in Chinatown are described by speakers who lived in, worked in or were regular visitors to this part of Sydney. Please note that content may differ between the two talks. Supported by the Chinese Heritage Association Australia. English Speakers: Sally Pang - her family and their Chinese restaurant, 1950s - 1970s Allen Yip - growing up in Chinatown, 1940s Bill Ling - on his father who was the first Chinese accountant in Chinatown Daphne Lowe - Chinese organisations including her clan association premises in Dixon Street built in 1917 Chinese Speakers Angeline Oyang OAM - advocating for services to the Chinese community in the 1970s Yick Chong Louie MBE - Chinese grocery shopkeeper in Dixon Street, 1950s - 1970s Arthur Gar-Lock Chang - Community leader since 1930s Tuesday 13 October (English) Wednesday 14 October (Cantonese and Mandarin) 10:30 am - 11:30am Haymarket Library Telephone: 8019 6477 Free event - Bookings essential Venue Haymarket Library 744 George Street Sydney 2000
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Post by chansomvia on Sept 19, 2009 17:47:19 GMT -5
Geoff,
Many thanks for putting this information on the forum, it is good to know that the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia is actively pursuing and letting this generation of the past.
Do they have a magazine? Also could the authors of the forthcoming talk be encouraged to put it on the internet as a lot of interested people may not be able to attend.
I am sure the talk will be of interest to many outside Sydney.
Joe
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Post by chansomvia on Sept 19, 2009 17:50:00 GMT -5
correction from Joe
The sentence should include " letting this generation know the the past
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Post by douglaslam on Sept 20, 2009 1:57:33 GMT -5
Geoff,
Thanks for letting me know of the event. I maybe able to attend both sessions.
Most of the speakers are well known to me. I think I know Sally by her Chinese name only, though she was born in Sydney. Her late mother ran the Hingara Restaurant. She was a very kind, generous and charitable woman. People loved and respected her. Of course, we both know Bill Ling, you in particular. Arthur Cheng and Yick Chong Louie are both octogenarians. Y.C. Louie through his business dealings knew the people in country towns well. He has many stories to tell, and stories of his youth in China, of families left in China while the men folks are overseas. He recalls how some people suffered while others flaunting their wealth. He is a great source of oral history. I also knew Angeline by a different name, then. One notable omission is King Fong.
I think it is an event not to be missed by those who are in Sydney and interested in Chinatown history. Chinatown now is very different; it longer has that connectedness feel to the place.
Will I be seeing you there?
Douglas
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Post by geoff on Sept 20, 2009 9:00:53 GMT -5
Hello Joe,
The Chinese Heritage Association Australia doesn't have a magazine nor copies of talks. I too, would have liked a copy as I've missed out on a number of their interesting Sunday talks. The CHAA is headed by an ex New Zealander. Australia & NZ have similar chinese histories.
Hello Douglas,
As you say "it is an event not to be missed" but unfortunately I can't attend. If I worked in the city, I would attend for a couple of hours but I now work way out of town.
Enjoy the talks.
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Post by helen on Sept 21, 2009 0:45:35 GMT -5
Hi Geoff
I'm sorry to miss out as well. Would love to know it will be videoed like the banana's conference here in Auckland.
Wellington had a documentary made of the businesses in Wellington - men sitting on boxes outside the shop - reminising.
We never saw that in Auckland
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Post by geoff on Sept 21, 2009 6:35:01 GMT -5
Helen,
I don't know what arrangements have been made. Maybe you could ask Daphne via email.
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Post by douglaslam on Oct 14, 2009 0:09:31 GMT -5
Geoff, Sorry mate, I didn't make it to any of the two talks. I called on the library in person to register my interest, thinking I could make the time available. It just didn't work out. I wanted so much to meet Bill Ling again. I am so disappointed. I would like to add a footnote to Arthur Gar Lock Chang, one of the speakers. Arthur is quite often referred to as the longest residing overseas born Chinese in Australia. He is now 88 years old, came out to join his father when he was about 13. That is 75 years ago. I certainly don't know anyone who had stayed longer. He is a fighter, he led the fight against the deportation of Chinese seamen ( mostly Hainanese), at the end of WW ll. The seamen were stranded in Australia due to the Pacific War. I have known him socially for many years. www.google.com.au/search?q=arthur+gar+lock+chang&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rlz=1R1WZPB_en-GB___AU344&client=firefox-a Douglas |
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Post by geoff on Oct 14, 2009 6:15:06 GMT -5
Hello Douglas,
At the last minute I attended the english speakers program on Tuesday. I was half expecting to meet you there yesterday. I asked Bill if he'd seen you there but he said it was over 30 years since you'd last met.
Arthur attended yesterday & invited me to attend the chinese version today. He said they could arrange a translator for me. Unfortunately I had to be at work today.
At the end of the event, I was approached by a gentleman who I thought might have been you. He wanted to meet me as we're related. He revealed that his great grandfather & my father's great grandfather were brothers. We shared stories over yum cha as we ate little but drank many cups of chinese tea. He has since sent me photos going back 3 generations. I'd heard about that branch of the tree & now that we've made contact ,we hope to fill in some of the gaps in each other's family history. I told him that he can find photos & info on his gf & gm & their children at National Archives.
I nearly forgot to tell you that "Uncle Arthur" has known 4 generations of our family & will be 5 gens when I take my children to meet him soon. Arthur kept us entertained with his many stories of chinese in Sydney, on the trip back to Sydney, following Henry's funeral last year.
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Post by douglaslam on Oct 15, 2009 0:21:48 GMT -5
Hi Geoff,
It was a big let down for me, and I missed a chance to press the flesh with you. Bill Ling may have exaggerated a little, but it was certainly a long time ago when we met. I bumped into Margaret his wife a few weeks ago.
It is amazing how you met up with a cousin that you didn't know of. I had a long lunch ( a whole afternoon) with Arthur about a year ago when I introduced an Eurasian lady to him. The person was trying to find the Chinese seamen who were deported from England after WW ll. They left families behind in Liverpool, England.
Arthur is also an honourary citizen of Chungshan. It entitles him to clear custom and immigration as a state guest, an honour conferred to diplomats and Chinese MPs, when entering China. A few years ago he was given an all expense-paid trip to China for the National Day celebrations. He viewed the parade as a VIP guess at Tiananmen Square. A just reward for his tireless work.
Douglas
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Post by geoff on Oct 15, 2009 8:21:43 GMT -5
Douglas,
I knew about that branch of the family living in Sydney. It's just that we haven't had contact with each other for many years. I was planning to meet them once I'd collected sufficient info on our branch to make it worthwhile for a get together. He had the same idea & beat me to the punch. He has already supplied me with a group family photo taken in China circa winter 1938. The Sydney relatives were visiting Canton. Family history research has its highs & lows & at the moment I'm on one of the highs.
We'll meet for yum cha in the city one day.
Geoff
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