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Post by helen on Apr 24, 2008 4:28:06 GMT -5
New Zealand and Australia mourns the passing of a great Historian.
CHAN Henry Douglas Min-Hsi. On April 11, 2008 peacefully at home in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Loved husband of Mary, loving father of Sebastian and fatherinlaw of Kerrii. Proud Ye Ye of Grace and Rupert. Funeral will be on Friday 18 April, 11 am at the Leura Memorial Gardens Crematorium, New South Wales.
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Post by helen on Apr 24, 2008 4:32:33 GMT -5
A Tribute from New Zealand's representative, Gordon Wu.
Henry was born in Guangzhou of Jungsen origin, and arrived in NZ as a war refugee with his mother to join his father in Auckland in May 1940. He was educated at Remuera District School, Auckland Grammar School and graduated at the University of Canterbury. He taught history at Colenso High School in Napier and at Massey University before undertaking post graduate studies in Chinese history at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
He also taught Chinese history in the Department of Chinese Studies at the University of Sydney, settled there and was appointed an Honorary Associate of the Department of Chinese and South East Asian Studies School of Language and Cultures and the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry when he retired.
Through his interest in Asian studies, and particularly in the backgrounds of Zengcheng New Zealanders, in 2004 he was granted a National Library Research Fellowship at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington.
It was at this time, about 2003, that the NZ Prime Minister apologised to the descendants of the Poll Tax payers for the wrongs that the past NZ Labour Governments had done to the NZ Chinese and in announcing that a trust would be set up to manage the funds made available by Government for projects to benefit the Chinese community.
As the Research Fellow, Henry came to New Zealand to begin the project recording the history of Zengcheng New Zealanders, enlisting the help of the Tung Jung Association. This was my first contact with him. His drive and attitude was so infectious that he soon had the whole Tung Jung Association committee together with many members working with him on his project.
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Post by helen on Apr 24, 2008 4:33:44 GMT -5
Before his project on the Zengcheng NZers history, there were very few recorded family histories about the Chinese in NZ. When word got around about Henry¡¯s project, suddenly everyone wanted to be part of it. He was the catalyst to get the NZ Chinese community into action and encouraged many Chinese families to research and record their own family histories
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Post by geoff on Apr 25, 2008 6:31:58 GMT -5
In Sydney, I have attend a number of Henry's talks over the past 4 years. He was able to organise experts in their particular field of study, to enlighten us on Chinese in Australian history. He encouraged the preservation & promotion of Chinese Australian history & for us to write our family history.
Henry edited the book called "Zengcheng New Zealanders", stories of New Zealanders who originated from a number of villages in Zengcheng county China. I have read info on our villages in Zengcheng county as well as making contact with clan living in NZ, all thanks to Henry Chan.
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Post by helen on Jul 19, 2008 3:38:45 GMT -5
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Post by helen on Aug 7, 2008 4:10:29 GMT -5
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