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Post by helen on Nov 29, 2008 2:52:19 GMT -5
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Post by douglaslam on Nov 29, 2008 6:35:15 GMT -5
I think all contributors to this thread are right on the money in regard to the poltics and in- fighting amongst various societies. Some people joined for ulterior motives such as the old imperial honours, or to further their own personal political leaning. Thank heavens for this Forum which affords us unfettered expreesions on a variety of subjects which we may have an opinion, or pitch in to help.
Douglas
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Post by geoff on Nov 29, 2008 18:42:35 GMT -5
Between recalling stories for this thread, I been taxing the memory for names of my primary school classmates, 4 to 5 decades ago. This project started about a year before our school's Centenary, when they were seeking pics, memorbilia etc for display on Centenary Day. I searched my own collection of photos but couldn't find one! I could racall them being taken each year so why couldn't I find any.
I searched high & low, gave up, & then received a reply on "Schoolfriends" online. The day before Centenary Day, he emailed me 3 pics. I found myself in only 1 of those pics, class 3B 1960. Why wasn't I in all 3 pics? It was a small school, with 2 classes per year & I must have been in the other class for those years. Found another 2 pics at the school & 1 from another mate since. So thanks to my classmates I have a complete set.
Finding the pics was the relatively easy part. Now the task of identifying the faces. Starting with 2 of us, we now have the assistance of another 4 mates. All communication has been by email, with 1 living in USA while the rest live in various place in Aust. We've had a few slight disagreements over kids & teacher names but that was expected & we've have always come to a consensus. A very enjoyable experience incl catching up with the intervening 4.5 decades.
Just received a 1957 Kindy photo. I think I'll leave that up to the other 5 as I didn't attend the school then.
Has anyone else undertaken a similar task?
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Post by Ah Gin on Nov 29, 2008 23:24:57 GMT -5
Geoff,
Good that you have access to your class photos. Should get that displayed at the local Chinese Heritage museum or similar. It's after all a record of a passing phase in the development of Australia -- not many Chinese kids in schools full of Anglo and perhaps a few New Australians. In the Chinese Museum in Melbourne, they actually have a collection of Chinese Debutante Ball photos (think it was between the 1950s and mid 1960s).
Myself, I am a JBC -- Jungle Born Chinese -- a term foundly to mean a Chinese born in the jungle of the then Malaya. In contrast, in my Primary One (Grade 1?) class, we had one lonely Mat Salleh kid (Ang Mor). He was the son of a Rubber Plantation Manager. So far as I can remember, he was accepted as another kid -- sure, he was part of the British Colonial scene. There was no reverse "Ching chong etc." taunting. But he was referred to as the "Ang Mor Kia". Our Class of 64 has a Message Board, and my class mates back in the Jungle seem to have Reunions after reunions. Good on them. And yes, we have class photos well preserved. But no, I can't remember most of the names.
Even in those days, in a small town where I grew up, my father was involved in the work of the local Cantonese, Say yup and Toishan Associations (for that we had to get to KL, the capital of Malaya). It's an interesting thing to see: in the small town we had Cantonese Association, Hokkian Association, Hainan Association, Hakka Association and so on. But I can't ever remembering a unified Chinese Association with full focus on "Things Chinese" -- and that's in a country relatively full of Chinese people (compared to Australia anyway). Sure, there are political parties, but that is a boring subject, not suitable for grown up like us.
Regards, Ah Gin
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Post by geoff on Nov 30, 2008 0:26:38 GMT -5
Ah Gin, Thanks for reminding me of the Chinese Dragon Balls in Sydney. My aunties made their debut at this annual event. A couple of years ago, there was a temporary exhibition of Dragon Ball pics at the Powerhouse Museum. I missed the exhibition. Douglas, do you remember this event or did you arrive later?
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Post by douglaslam on Nov 30, 2008 6:23:46 GMT -5
Geoff and Ah Gin, I, too, was the only Chinese kid in my year right through high school. How different things are now. The Dragon Ball was held at the Trocadero, it was quite a society event considering the small number of Chinese then.That's all I know. Of course, the Troc. is no more. The only class photo I had was a colour one, which cost 15 shillings, and I made 1 pound or 20 shillings ($2)washing dishes at night. I also made 15 shillings on Sunday mornings working at a (Total) service station. It was a group photo of those who took part in a production of G. & S. H.M.S. Pinafore. I sang in the chorus.
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Post by Henry on Dec 9, 2008 7:35:55 GMT -5
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Post by geoff on Dec 9, 2008 14:55:28 GMT -5
Hello Douglas,
Was that the Total service station on the corner of Missenden & Parramatta Roads Camperdown? If it was, then I passed it twice a day for 6 years on my way to work at the nearby cotton mill. The cotton mill relocated its spinning operations to the country & the office into the CBD of Sydney in late 1970's/early 1980s. No more catching the 438 or 440 bus along Parramatta Rd. That was the era when the city fruit & veg markets moved to Homebush & the redevelopment of Dixon St (Sydney's Chinatown).
I was also in the choir at high school but we didn't put on a big show like G. & S. H.M.S. Pinafore. I wish I had a pic of our choir. You show treasure that group photo as it brings back fond memories.
Geoff
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Post by douglaslam on Dec 9, 2008 17:54:13 GMT -5
Geoff, It was the Total service station at Cremorne. The Bradford Mill you are referring, is now converted to a block of flats. I passed the place with the misus on a bus last Sunday, on our way to Leicchardt for a free showing of a French film I've Loved You For So Long.
Douglas
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Post by chansomvia on Dec 10, 2008 3:48:39 GMT -5
Welcome back Henry. www.youtubecom/watch?v=hIHTrmz4hTIJust a correction to Henry's posting, the URL should be The stop (.) was missing between youtube and com. It is an interesting clip of 1938 Hong Kong. Joe
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Post by douglaslam on Dec 10, 2008 6:15:40 GMT -5
Henry, Thank you for the pressie that you brought back from abroad. Thanks to Joe also for unwrapping it.
There is a soft spot in my heart for HK. I lived there from 1956 to 1961. It was very different to what it is now. I always stopover in HK, on my way to China except for my last trip to Beijing. I was married in HK, and my wife is a native of Hoiping. Chungshan and Hoiping, two of the powerhouses of overseas Chinese.
I think I was meant to use HK as a springboard for Canada or Cuba. Somehow, I found myself Downunder. Such is fate! I wish I had a crystal ball to see what life might have been for me in Canada, Cuba, HK, or China.
Douglas
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Post by geoff on Dec 10, 2008 7:39:29 GMT -5
Douglas,
Did you know that during World War 2, munitions were made & assembled in that building? The floors of the building are very strong & suitable for heavy machinery.
So you like zee French films. Can you speak french or were there sub titles?
Did you try the Italian cuisine at Leichhardt?
Was that Total service station near Big Bear shopping centre at Cremorne?
We seem to be straying into other communities in Sydney. At least it just shows how multicultural we are in Sydney. At least we're still on the subject of memories.
Geoff
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Post by douglaslam on Dec 10, 2008 19:29:17 GMT -5
Geoff. I had no idea of the building's history. Zee film was in French with sub titles. I did learn a little French in high school. I was a little surprised that I could pick up a phrase here and there. French can't be as hard as Chinese. We didn't stop for a meal, instead we headed for our local RSL(Returned Services League, to our non- Aussie friends) club, but the bistro was about to close. So, it was back home and ate our breadstick from a local Vietnamese (Chinese) baker. How multi-cultural is that! The one near Big Bear was an ESSO (put a tiger in your tank) servo. An addition to my last post. I also lived in HK between 1973 and 1975. I always love the place.
Douglas
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Post by geoff on Dec 11, 2008 2:22:35 GMT -5
Douglas,
When it was decided to move from Camperdown, the mill went to the country & the office & showrooms moved to the city to occupy 6 top floors of a new building opposite QVB. We had an excellent view towards the Darling harbour rail yards, pity the Darling Harbour site hadn't been redeveloped yet.
Esso service station, that's right. Do you remember when there were 4 petrol stations, one on each corner, at some major intersections? Back then there were fewer cars on the roads & petrol attendant service. "Fill it up" was the call from the driver to the "pump jockey". So u were one of those jockeys? And they also cleaned your front windscreen without asking. All part of the service.
Have you noticed the number of clubs that are catered by chinese serving Aussie & chinese food?
Ah Gin & Henry, Are there clubs in Vic & USA with chinese menus? Other asian cuisine are also popular in Sydney.
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Post by Henry on Dec 11, 2008 2:49:42 GMT -5
Hi Geoff,
I know that there were Chinese restaurants in Canada that served menus with both Chinese and Western dishes - as my first cousins ran such a restaurant.
In Chinatown, New York City when I was a teenager - most Chinese restaurants opened until 1 AM and a few stayed open all night - especially, the noodle restaurants. Some of the restaurants had the menus in English, but, most Americans were quite familiar with Chinese dishes and ordered in English - no problem. The location of Chinatown at the Manhatten side of the Brooklyn & Manhatten bridges and the Holland tunnel made it a great place to have a meal that was quite good and very reasonably priced. A dollar would get you a glass of water and tea, small bowl of Chinese soup and a steaming hot dish of meat & vegetables over rice.
Henry
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