Our roots is alot to do with our spoken tongue (language) I grew up like most Gee's displaced from chinese language in Darwin where speaking and learning aboriginal swear words were more likely.
However I was proud of the words I did know:
Jo Sun - Good Morning
Joi Gin - Goodbye
Yat, Yee, San - 1,2,3 etc
Cha Sui Bao - and many other food words
Pong, Che - all words from Mah Jong and learning by watching mum and others play for hours at at time.
Saying 'Ngoh m sik gong' 'sik tang' - I can't speak but can understand seemed to make the aunties and older folk who spoke no english happy.
My limited chinese language skills was never a problem until I went to school in Sydney when I encountered ' racism' and being called a 'chink' for the first time. Even at University I sat at the back of the class with my other aussie friends, lebs, greeks etc and remarked on how the chinese were always in the front of the class.
I read with interest the article from Barbara Fong about our roots from China that the Gee Clan came from Taishan. Then I was instantly curious how does the fact that the Gee's spoke a 'bastardised' version of Sze Yap Dialect correlate with Taishan.
As I can speak really bad cantonese myself but learnt Hong Kong Cantonese after I got married then lived in Shanghai and HK so learnt Mandarin later in life I had real trouble understanding David Gee Senior when he broke into his 'Darwin Sze Yap'.
There is a small article below on where the Sze Yap people come from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sze_Yap
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Lena's Photo of the Week...
"This is a snap of Ernest, David & Maurice, taken on 30/8/1936.
Maurice was 6 months old then. Love Lena" (as written on back of photo)
Lena's Photo of the Week
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Fong How (Fong Sui Wing) - CEDT(1919/50)
On the NAA website there is a record on Fong How (ie. Fong Sui Wing as he was known in Australia... on official papers anyway it seems). The following is the key information i've gathered from it (If you find any other interesting fact i've missed then please let me know).
The most interesting thing i find is that he actually died in China about 3x months after leaving Australia.
Certificate of Exemption from Dictation Test - Fong How [#1919/50]
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=1592980&I=1&SE=1
Applied to visit China for 36 months on the 29 Sep 1919 [CEDT #252/03]
Aged 59 at the time of departure. Birthplace Canton 1860
Scar near mouth on right side & scare below left ear.
Departed 15/11/1919 on the Ship SS Victoria. Died in China on about the 12 Feb 1920.
His Thumbprint was described as being from 'well known Chinese Merchant'.
Came to Australia in 1882. Lived in Darwin for 26 years.
Was absent from Australia 7 times in that period.
1885 - 1893 (7 years)
Nov 1904 - May 1905 (.5 year)
Aug 1910 - Oct 1911 (1 year)
Sep 1907 - Jun 1908 (1 year)
Aug 1917 - Aug 1919 (2 years)
Occupation at was Merchant.
The most interesting thing i find is that he actually died in China about 3x months after leaving Australia.
Certificate of Exemption from Dictation Test - Fong How [#1919/50]
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=1592980&I=1&SE=1
Applied to visit China for 36 months on the 29 Sep 1919 [CEDT #252/03]
Aged 59 at the time of departure. Birthplace Canton 1860
Scar near mouth on right side & scare below left ear.
Departed 15/11/1919 on the Ship SS Victoria. Died in China on about the 12 Feb 1920.
His Thumbprint was described as being from 'well known Chinese Merchant'.
Came to Australia in 1882. Lived in Darwin for 26 years.
Was absent from Australia 7 times in that period.
1885 - 1893 (7 years)
Nov 1904 - May 1905 (.5 year)
Aug 1910 - Oct 1911 (1 year)
Sep 1907 - Jun 1908 (1 year)
Aug 1917 - Aug 1919 (2 years)
Occupation at was Merchant.
Fong Sui Wing (& Family) - On CHIA website
Fong How and his family members are mentioned on the Chinese-Australian Historical Images in Australia (CHIA) Website. http://www.chia.chinesemuseum.com.au/biogs/CH00950b.htm
It's more from Rev Shui Kwong Lo's unpublished manuscript 'From my Darwin notebook' that Jason posted about previously (from information from Barbara Fong).
Photo of Vice regal visit to the Northern Territory about 1905 Gathering at Residence of Chinese merchants. The importance of Chinese businessmen and merchants was illustrated when the town's notables met visiting dignitaries. This was the case in 1905 when South Australia's governor, Sir George Le Hunte, visited Palmerston.
Back row L-R: Lloyd Herbert, Mrs Herbert, Sir George Le Hunt, Aide de Camp, Lady Le Hunt, Mr Justice Herbert.
Middle row L-R: CHIN MEE LEUNG of Wing Cheong Sing, CHIN PAT MOW of Yam Yan, ? (obscured), FING HOW of Wing Wah Loong.
Front row L-R: CHIN KIM KEE of Chin Leong Hen, CHARLIE YEE of Kwong Lee Cheong, BANG BEN of Cheong Woo, YUEN YET HING of Yet Loong, CHIN TOY of Fang Cheong Loong. Location: Esplanade Palmerston Port Darwin - Year 1905'
------------------------------------------------------- According to Rev Shui Kwong Lo's unpublished manuscript 'From my Darwin notebook' written 1941-1989 Fong Sew Hau (also called Fong Sui Wing and Fong How) arrived in Palmerston in 1885 from Bamboo Gully, Ling-Boi, Toi-shan [Taishan] district in Kwang Tung [Guangdong] province.
Soon after arriving he established a business in Darwin called Wing Wah Loong that operated till at least until c1910. According to Stone and Steele he also established three other businesses - Wing Chong Loong in Pine Creek, Win Chong Kee in Katherine and a business in Mataranka.
He had twelve children. Rev Lo lists the names of five sons and two daughters.
Sons (eldest to youngest): Fong-Kang-Tong, Albert Fong-Kang-Yuen [also called Albert Fong], Charlie Fong-Kang-Man [also called Fong Gang Ming, Charles Gang Ming Fong or Charlie Fong], Eddy Fong-Kang-Hung [also called Eddy Fong] and Fong-Kang-Sam).
Daughters: Fong-Chui-Kam (also called Fong Choi-Kam who became Mrs Chee-Hung-Yat) and Fong-Chee-Seen (who became Mrs Lee Forday). In 1892 he adopted two girls from Toishan and brought them out to Australia. One of these girls was Mrs Lum Loy, also known as Granny Lum Loy, Nu Moo or Lu Moo.
It's more from Rev Shui Kwong Lo's unpublished manuscript 'From my Darwin notebook' that Jason posted about previously (from information from Barbara Fong).
Photo of Vice regal visit to the Northern Territory about 1905 Gathering at Residence of Chinese merchants. The importance of Chinese businessmen and merchants was illustrated when the town's notables met visiting dignitaries. This was the case in 1905 when South Australia's governor, Sir George Le Hunte, visited Palmerston.Back row L-R: Lloyd Herbert, Mrs Herbert, Sir George Le Hunt, Aide de Camp, Lady Le Hunt, Mr Justice Herbert.
Middle row L-R: CHIN MEE LEUNG of Wing Cheong Sing, CHIN PAT MOW of Yam Yan, ? (obscured), FING HOW of Wing Wah Loong.
Front row L-R: CHIN KIM KEE of Chin Leong Hen, CHARLIE YEE of Kwong Lee Cheong, BANG BEN of Cheong Woo, YUEN YET HING of Yet Loong, CHIN TOY of Fang Cheong Loong. Location: Esplanade Palmerston Port Darwin - Year 1905'
Soon after arriving he established a business in Darwin called Wing Wah Loong that operated till at least until c1910. According to Stone and Steele he also established three other businesses - Wing Chong Loong in Pine Creek, Win Chong Kee in Katherine and a business in Mataranka.
He had twelve children. Rev Lo lists the names of five sons and two daughters.
Sons (eldest to youngest): Fong-Kang-Tong, Albert Fong-Kang-Yuen [also called Albert Fong], Charlie Fong-Kang-Man [also called Fong Gang Ming, Charles Gang Ming Fong or Charlie Fong], Eddy Fong-Kang-Hung [also called Eddy Fong] and Fong-Kang-Sam).
Daughters: Fong-Chui-Kam (also called Fong Choi-Kam who became Mrs Chee-Hung-Yat) and Fong-Chee-Seen (who became Mrs Lee Forday). In 1892 he adopted two girls from Toishan and brought them out to Australia. One of these girls was Mrs Lum Loy, also known as Granny Lum Loy, Nu Moo or Lu Moo.
Fong Sui Wing (Fong How) [a Profile]
Fong Sui Wing
Fong Sui Wing is the son of Fong Yam Ken (Yam Ging).
He was born in Canton in 1860 and Died around 12 Feb 1920 in China.
Naming info: He was also known as Fong Sui Wing, Fong Sew Hau, Fong How (Fong How is was the name he was given and known by in Australia when he first arrived, So is what you he is most likely to be found under when searching Australian records), Wing Wah Loong (was the name of one of his stores, his main store i believe, but he as a person was also known by this name).
According to Rev Shui Kwong Lo's unpublished manuscript 'From my Darwin notebook' written 1941-1989 Fong Sew Hau (also called Fong Sui Wing and Fong How) arrived in Palmerston in 1885 from Bamboo Gully, Ling-Boi, Toi-shan [Taishan] district in Kwang Tung [Guangdong] province. [1]
Soon after arriving he established a business in Darwin called Wing Wah Loong that operated till at least until c1910. According to Stone and Steele he also established three other businesses - Wing Chong Loong in Pine Creek, Win Chong Kee in Katherine and a business in Mataranka. [1]
Family Details: He had 3 wives and a total of 22 children.
First Wife: was Wong See. They had 8 children
Second Wife: was Young See. They had 14 Children (two of which were adopted).
Third Wife: name unknown?. They had no children
-------------------------------
The above is from Barbara Fong's research and Rev Shui Kwong Lo's unpublished manuscript 'From my Darwin notebook'.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Australian Newspapers Online Resource
WOW!Last night i found a whole lot of amazing information on the Gee, Chee & Fong family on the National Library of Australia's 'Australian Newspapers' Website (Its an online database of Historic Australian Newspapers, 1803 to 1954).
Go there now!... http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home
Well worth poking around... It seems to yields results on broad searches (Gee, Chee, Fong), but putting specific names helps narrow results.
The picture is an Advertisement (c1925) of Gee Hong Yet's fathers store (It seems Chee Poon was spelt Chee Pon... and his other names are Chee Kee Kan and/or Gee Kee Gan... which is info found on that site!). That tailors eventually become Gee Hong Yet's (... again new info found on that site!). .
Here's some more juicy tidbits on there...
- Li Kim (Gee Yet) is mentioned in an article because she introduced Pneumonic Influenza to the town!
- Gee Hong Yet's brother, Gee Kwong Yet, was arrested for having 100x illegal birds (finches!?)!.
- There's lots of probable/possible stuff on Fong How's other moniker, Wah Wing Loong, which was the name of his store. But i have some confusion on that.
Check it out!!!
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