It was said as a
youth, James Chung Gon born
23.7.1855, with his elder
brother and father, arrived in Canton from the province of Sun Hui with
the intention of eventually heading for the American gold fields in
California. After some time the elder brother left China (
the two lads pooled their financial resourses) to travel to America with
the intention of sending back money to James to enable him to follow his
brother to California. This never happened.
James by this time heard about the Australian gold rush, borrowed some
money and took a boat to Melbourne.
On arrival in Melbourne in 1873
aged 18 years (clad in chinese costume and hair in pigtail) he
was stoned in the streets and feeling most unwelcomed, returned
to the boat and continued to Georgetown (situated at the mouth
of the Tamar River, 55 km north of Launceston).
To earn money, James chopped wood on Sundays, his only day off, he walked the long distance to Launceston in order to mix with the chinese community already established because of the discovery of tin on the slopes of Mt, Bischoff in 1871 and at Mt Helens in 1874.
James moved to Launceston and
leased the backyard of Mr Frank Walker the florist.
He grew vegetables which he sold from a cart about the streets
of Launceston. Mr Walker had great influence on
James, encouraged him to become a Christian, (the Methodist
bible study group young ladies taught English to the Chinese on
Sundays), and after some time they both headed to the north east
of Tasmania to make their fortune in tin mining.
They found tin in a creek at South Mt Cameron - James had to
walk 122km to Launceston to register the claim while Mr Walker
stayed on site.
They worked the tin mine
but had to pay 50% of the profits to the farmer who
owned the land. In order to make more money
and to retain all profits, they went further up stream,
found another workable site and pegged their claim.
The story is that a large company purchased their claim
and both James and Mr Walker received 1,000 pounds each.
All this happened prior to 1885.
Again under the influence of Mr
Walker, James became a British subject in 1883 (Federation wasn't
for another 18 years ie not Australian). This later
enabled James to travel freely in and out of Australia and also
permitted him to bring his wife to Australia.
Although Australia
received many thousands of Chinese immigrants, Chinese
labour was preferred by the Europeans on the alluvial
diggings as they had a better knowledge of the work and
showed much more co-operation and persistent regularity.
Mine managers endeavoured to obtain Chinese labour
although attemps to engage them at cheaper rates
often failed.
The
white settlers became very bitter because this cheap labour
competed against them and riots occurred on the gold fields of
NSW and Victoria.
This
resulted in laws passed in the eighties restricting Chinese
immigration. James
Chung-Gon was not effected by these as he had had the foresight
to become a British subject.
James,
by now a wealthy man, purchased a farm at Turners Marsh,
a holding of some 200 acres. Turners Marsh
is today, a sleepy rural area 22km north of Launceston.
A tree stands today in the yard of the local Church.
James returned to China and
married Mary Ying Lee in 1885. James was aged 30 and
Mary was 19. Mary was the daughter of a wealthy silk worm
farmer and as such, had bound feet, a sign of wealth and noble
birth. It is said that Mary's father had three
daughters and on his wife's death, married a widow with one son.
This son inherited his step-father's fortune.
On
Mary and James' marriage, they were given as a gift, a little
girl called Rose, (her duties being to assist Mary and act as a
companion).
James and Mary treated the child as their
own. Their first natural child, Violet, was
conceived and James returned to Australia. It wasn't
until 1892 (7 years after the marriage) that Mary, Rose and
Violet arrived in Australia and lived in the house at Turners
Marsh. Eight more children were born to James and Mary
while they were at Turners Marsh.
Early in their marriage life, James
had promised Mary that one day they would return to China.
Approximately 1903 James sold the farm at Turners Marsh, and as was the
custom amongst the Chinese at the time, deposited the proceeds with a
Launceston Chinese Grocer. This grocer acted as a
banker for the Chinese community and would also organise the transfer of
money from Australia to China.
When the time drew near
for departure to China and payment of fares, James found he was again
unfinancial due to misappropriation of his money from the sale of the
farm. It is said that the Chinese
Grocer, prior to his death, admitted to James his
wrong-doings.
In order to keep
his family, James leased a shop with accommodation for the family, in
Elisabeth Street Launceston and also leased land which is now Charles St.,
sports ground.
In
time James was able to purchase this
land but it was reclaimed
by the local council for a recreation area.
James
then purchased an area of land on the opposite side of the road
(about 6 acres) which has since been made into a housing estate
with street names such as Chung-Gon Crescent and Garden Grove.
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