Lena's photo of the Week - Hong Yet / Li Kim Family Portrait

Hi All!

Donna Gee here.

Welcome to my contribution to this blog which i'm going to call... Lena's Photo of the Week!... This is where i'll share Lena's Photo collection, that i inherited, with you all.

Please comment with any info you have on the photo's posted as i don't really know much about them myself (except for the odd photo with lena's scribbles on the back... which were done when her memory was not the greatest.).

There are lots of great photos for you to enjoy so check back often.

First photo is a Family portrait which seems to have all members in it except for Virginia and William

Hong Yet / Li Kim Family Portrait

From our guess work pictured (left to right) is :
Back row : David, Ernest, Edwina
Front row : Glenda, Lena, Hong Yet (Fred), Li Kim, Doris, Maurice

Gee Hong Yet / Fong Li Kim Ancestor Chart

Following is the Gee Hong Yet / Fong Li Kim Ancestor Chart.



As you can see much more is known on the Fong side of the family then the Gee (or Chee).

Hopefully we can build on what is there!?

Gee Hong Yet (Chee Ah Yet, Fred Gee)

Gee Hong Yet - 22 years of age in 1916

Gee Hong Yet.

Originally named Chee Ah Yet (as on his Birth Certificate) but in Australia goes by the Chinese name of Gee Hong Yet (not sure why this is?). His Western name is Fred Gee. Other variations of his name are Chee Hong Yat & Hung Yet.

He was born in China on the 2 Jan 1894 and Died on 8 Oct 1975 in Darwin (?).

Family Details:

He had 3 wives.

The first wife was Fong Li Kim (Gee Yet).

They had 9 children.

1. William GEE. Born 1913.

2. Lena GEE. Born 25 May 1915. She died on 04 Jul 1996.

3. Ernest GEE. Born 1922. He died on 13 Dec 1961.

4. David GEE. Born 1925.

5. Doris Gee. Born 23 Sep 1928.

6. Maurice Gee. Born 1936

7. Edwina GEE (Winky).Born in ?

8. Glenda GEE. Born in ?

9. Virginia Gee. Born in ?

The second wife came from China (and may have ran away). [1]

The 3rd came from China but left he went blind. [2]

About:

Pop was a insulin dependent 'diabetic' and turned blind later in life. Pop also had bad execema. I remember him walking with a dark coloured cane. He was a man of few words and lived at Gee's Food Center. [1]

[1] Davids Recollections, [2] May/Sean's Recollections

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The following is gathered from:
Certificate of Exemption from Dictation Test - Gee Hong Yet (#1592195)

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=1592195&I=1&SE=1

Character reference states: Birth certificate in name Ah Yet, Born 2/1/1894. Gee Hong Yet states he returned from China in 1911 under the name of Chee Ah Yet : this name appears on the passenger list of the 'Changsha" 9/3/1911

Applied to travel to China for 36 months on the 18 Dec 1916.

Aged 22 at time of departure. Birthplace Boonleera NT (or is it Roombera?)

Scar at base of each thumb, scar on each cheek near ear, scar back of head.

Departed 24/2/1916 to China, Returned 4 March 1918

Lived in Australia: Boonleera 2 years, Darwin 10.5 years, Wynhdam 0.5 years
Was absent from Australia: once 1901-1911 (10 years)

Occupation at time was Tailor. Previously 'Waiter Boy'.

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Other forms on NAA site on Gee Hong Yet (sadly not available on-line)
Determination of Darwin Town Area Lease 883 - Northern Territory [17 pages]
(Location: Canberra, Date Range:1956-1957, #3439999)

Application for freehold
(Location: Canberra, Date Range:1931-1933, #1824534)

and the most intriguing document....

Possible Avenue for Smuggling Between Darwin and Wyndham - Store of Gee Hong Yet [Customs]
(Location: Perth, Date Range:1953-1956, #1533688 )

Hehe... was pops dodgy?

Gee Sik Tung (Ernest?)

Gee Sik Tung - 7 years of age in 1928
Introducing Gee Sik Tung... who from his birth date i assume is Ernest Gee? (birth date listed as 1 Apr 1921, though i have Ernest as being born 1921?!?).

Gee Sik Tung, son of Gee Hong Yet (Fred) and Fong Li Kim (Gee Yet). Also known as Gee Sick Tung.

The following is gathered from: [Certificate of Exemption from Dictation Test - Gee Sick Tung] [son of Gee Hong Yet and Gee Yet formerly Li Kim (#1595849) http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=1595849&I=1&SE=1

Gee Sik Tung - Born in Darwin 1 Apr 1921. 7 years of age at time of travel. His first overseas trip travelling to China for education. Had a Scar on left temple.

Application to visit Hong Kong, China for 60 months. Made 21 Aug 1928 (book447/9)

Departed 24 Aug 1928. Returned 3 Feb 1930

Gee Hong Yet, father, listed as Storekeeper.

Declaration made by a Felix Spain. of Darwin, Hairdresser. Declaration states "That i am in the habit of seeing the said Gee Sick Tung every day playing about the streets with other children" and "That the parents of Gee Sick Tung reside opposite my place of business in Cavanagh Street, Darwin".

GEE Hong Yet (Fred) & FONG Li Kim (Yet Gee)

Gee Hong Yet (Fred) is the son of Chee Poon. He was born 1895. He died on 08 Oct 1975. He was also known as Ah Yet Chee, Fred, Chee Hong Yat, Hung Yet.

Fong Li Kim (Yet Gee), his first wife, is the daughter of Fong How (Fong Sui Wing) and Fong Young Shee (?). She was born 1899 in Darwin. She died on 03 Mar 1961 in Perth. She was also known as Yet Gee, Lai Kim, Oi Jan.

They had 9 children.
1. William GEE. Born 1913.
2. Lena Maureen GEE. (Choy Fung Gee) Born Darwin 25 June 1915. She died on 04 Jul 1996.
3. Ernest GEE. Born 1922. He died on 13 Dec 1961.
4. David Robert GEE. Born 1925.
5. Doris Gee. Born 23 Sep 1928.
6. Maurice Frederick Gee. Born 1936
7. Edwina GEE (Winky).
8. Glenda GEE.
9. Virginia Gee

Related Links.
From the NAA website:

Certificate of Exemption from Dictation Test - Gee Yet (#1592942)
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=1592942&I=1&SE=1

Certificate of Exemption from Dictation Test - Gee Yet (#1592191)
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=1592191&I=1&SE=1

Certificate of Exemption from Dictation Test - Gee Yet] [ nee Li Kim or Lee Kim or Fong Lai Kim (1595924)
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=1595924&I=1&SE=1

Fong side of the family

Hi All,

It's Jason Gee here... My mother (Cecilia) was recently visiting in Darwin and made some contact with the Fong side of the family. A subsequent email followed which I have posted below.

I think this project needs to cover the matriarchal side of our family as well?


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From: barbara.fong@
To: ccha3534@
Subject: hullo Cecelia
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:44:27 +1000


Tim has sent me your email message to find all about Gee Hong Yet aka Chee Hong Yat

His father was Chee Poon according to history from Rev Lo Shui Kwong who was Chinese minister in Darwin after the war 1946 and died in Darwin

Rev Lo had written records of Darwin families history in an autobiography left with DArwin's State Archives and Aust archives in Darwin so you can read all about it in his biography history.He did write about Gee Hong Yet and his other son Gee Kwong Yet and Chee Poon comes from Taishan where most of the early Chinese migrants come from but I have no idea where about the village is but I believe the family home in Taishan is all locked up since the parents passed away many many years ago and the 2 sons Hung Yet and Kwong Yet were living in Darwin-I wonder if they were born in Taishan or in Broome where their father 1st migrated to.

I have visit Taishan in 2000 and find it a big country where many Chinese lived early 1880's so the family homes are now ghost homes -all locked up never to see family return to visit but someday some of the Gee's may want to tour Taishan one day-one needs to have a Chinese interpreter living here in Aust and that would be Chin Kwong who is now in charge of the Glebe Joss house and he takes people on tour to China but he had already been this year with my sister Lyn Fong and a group of Fong's in May this yr.

Regards Barb- I have email Karen Seibert and she will be able to help with all family problems with Robbie Lowe's help.

I think I found Gong Sim's grandson ? This is their address I believe just off Parap road

http://www.whitepages.com.au/wp/resSearch.do

Gee A E

0409 266 330

22 Drysdale St
Parap NT 0820