The
Chung Gon family, so well known in Launceston, have descendants in New
South Wales and Western Australia as well as Tasmania, and until the
1980's, they had not intermarried with Europeans, James Chung Gon came
from Guangzhou to Sydney in 1868 when he was sixteen years old.
He did not like the atmosphere in Sydney so he moved to Melbourne, which
he did not find any better.
A few months
later he crossed the strait to Launceston and took up an early claim
when tin was discovered. A European, Frank Walker,
member of a well known Tasmanian family, befriended him and suggested a
good place to mine, the very place that James had pegged.
He
made money quickly and then went home for a wife who came back with him,
a girl with true goldern lillies 7.5 centimetres long (she had to make
her own shoes in Australia) and a slave girl, Rose, whom they treated as
an adopted daughter in Tasmania.
(Shoes made by Mary Chung-Gon)
They bought a farm at
Turner's Marsh, thirty kilometres north of Launceston, established a
vegetable garden and planted apples, the first in the area.
James carted his produce to Launceston by horse and cart.
They had twelve children.
When the youngest was old enough, James decided to take them all back to
China to be educated. He sold his farm, and then went to
the storekeeper in Launceston with whom he had been carefully banking all
his spare money.
He thought he had plenty to support them in
China "but for your money" said the store-keeper ( one hopes it was not Ah
Catt), "you have spent it all!"
With
the proceeds of his farm James began another market
garden, carting his produce to the hospital, to
hotels and private houses.
He made money
again and later visited China many times. He
lived to the age of ninety -nine.