Haina-Mana History

Project 2024 | Chinese History in Aotearoa

Project 2024 is working to address the educational gap around Chinese history in Aotearoa, by raising awareness about the Poll Tax, other discriminatory legislation and crimes, as well as celebrate events & people significant to Chinese people of Aotearoa, such as important book launches, journal articles, theatre productions, films, birthdays, artists, and more. Many images used are in the Public Domain or under a Creative Commons license, and others cite the copyright owner. In all cases, the image source is referenced.

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Daily informative posts on Chinese history in Aotearoa for 2024 🐉 with support from the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust

#OnThisDay in 1901, it was reported that a mob of

#OnThisDay in 1901, it was reported that a mob of 2000 had wrecked a Chinese shop, Yee Bow & Co., in Christchurch, over false allegations.

The southeast quarter of the town was thrown into a state of excitement on the night of November 30 when something like a bombardment took place at the premises of Yee Bow and Co., Chinese storekeepers.

At about 9 o'clock, a woman living in the vicinity missed one of her little girls, aged 11 years, and traced her to the Chinese shop, where she, with two other girls, was purchasing crackers.

The mother jumped to the conclusion that the Chinaman had been encouraging the children to go to his place and proceeded to give the inoffensive man a piece of her mind and made grave charges against him.

She then hit the child on the head with a piece of box lid, and as the Chinaman protested, she picked up a heavy box and struck him on the head. The unfortunate man replied by striking the woman on the head with a bamboo walkingstick.

She shrieked, and this brought a crowd round, to whom the woman told a voluble tale of the man's perfidy, with the result that several men rushed into the shop and assaulted the shopkeeper.

Eventually, the police came on the scene, and the intruders got out. The door was locked, and matters quieted down. At about 10.30, however, the woman returned with her husband, and a crowd of 2000 people gathered.

In spite of the large reinforcement of the police, the building was pretty well wrecked; the panels of the doors were kicked in, and not a whole pane of glass was left in place.

No arrests were initially made, but the police stated that there was no truth in the statements of the woman as to the shopkeeper encouraging the children to visit their house.

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MANCHESTER STREET, CHRISTCHURCH, AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGH AND LICHFIELD STREETS—THE JUBILEE CLOCK TOWER IN CENTRE OF ROADWAY. —Guy, photo. (Otago Witness, 12 December 1906). Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/14923026

Sources

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 11620, 2 December 1901, Page 4

#OnThisDay in 1925, Rev. Leonard B. Dalby, the new

#OnThisDay in 1925, Rev. Leonard B. Dalby, the new Pitt St Methodist Minister, warned of the danger of the “Yellow Peril” in London.

Mr Dalby, who had worked in London and preached in the Chinese quarter of the city for seven years, stated that Chinese were flowing into London in greater numbers every year.

He knew of cases where white girls would rather marry Chinese than white men. They stated that the Chinese were kinder. "This is a very real danger," said Mr Dalby. "Not only is it felt in London, but in many other English speaking countries."

"I feel the only things that will save the commonwealth of British peoples are hard work, coinage and faith. I find that colonials are pessimistic about England. Is England done? No, England is by no means done."

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Pitt Street Church (Methodist), Auckland. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, Record # 35-R0096

Source

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 10662, 2 December 1925, Page 3

#OnThisDay in 1907, a number of Chinese Market Gar

#OnThisDay in 1907, a number of Chinese Market Gardeners in Auckland were fined for gathering and preparing vegetables on a Sunday.

Mr Charles Kettle, stipendiary magistrate, gave his reserved judgment in the case in which a number of Chinese gardeners were prosecuted for working at the ordinary avocations on Sunday.

He said that after a long spell of wet weather, the conditions improved on Saturday night, and the Chinese considered it necessary for the safety of their crops to get at it on Sunday. In the special circumstances, the work was reasonably necessary.

Those defendants who gathered and prepared vegetables on Sunday in full view of the public highway were fined 5s each and costs, but the charge against those engaged in saving potato crops was dismissed.

Image

https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/photos/id/230773

Source

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9480, 30 November 1907, Page 7

#OnThisDay in 1910, MPs debated the Factories Act

#OnThisDay in 1910, MPs debated the Factories Act Amendment Bill, with feeling to protect European interests at Chinese expense.

Some of the MPs thoughts were as follows:

The Hon. W. C. Carncross remarked that he considered the Bill another attempt to get at the Chinamen. To his mind, it was a cowardly sort of legislation, and he had no patience with it; in fact, he did not think it should be brought down at all. The Europeans had the whole thing in their own hands by not patronising Chinese businesses. It was a miserable, unreasonable legislation, and he did not think we should kowtow to legislation of that kind.

The Hon. J. T. Paul said the Chinese competition in the laundries and other businesses had never given white labour fair play. The antipathy to the Chinese was the instinct of white people to protect the white race. He welcomed the Bill, including its restrictive legislation as far as laundries were concerned.

The Chinese in Wellington had almost a monopoly of the fruit establishment, it was difficult to find a European fruit shop if you wanted it.

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Factories Act Amendment Bill, 1910

Source

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13903, 30 November 1910, Page 11

#OnThisDay in 1910, Christchurch MP Thomas Edward

#OnThisDay in 1910, Christchurch MP Thomas Edward Taylor advocated for European women to be banned from working in Chinese laundries.

Speaking on the second reading of the Factories Act Amendment Bill, Mr T. E. Taylor expressed the opinion that it was time Chinese were forbidden the right to employ female European labour.

He quoted an instance of a Chinese laundry proprietor who advertised for European girl labour, and when enquiries were made, it was found that he always employed one or more European women in his laundry and that his character was not above reproach.

He submitted it would not be an injustice to prevent Chinese employing European women. He did not see why we should allow white people to be employed by people such as Chinese were, and such as they invariably remained.

Mr Poole also expressed himself against allowing Chinamen to employ female European labour. Mr G. W. Russell said he considered that, in the view that one could not go into heroics over the morality of the Chinese and the absence of Chinese women, it was undesirable that white women should be employed by them.

The Hon. J. A. Millar said he did not think it would be wise to ask the committee to make such a radical alteration in the law without further information being obtained. For instance, one would not prevent a white woman working in the laundry of a Chinaman to whom she was married.

He agreed that the employment of white women by Chinese was undesirable, but it was a matter that required investigation.

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Thomas Edward Taylor. S P Andrew Ltd: Portrait negatives. Ref: 1/1-014939-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22328381

Source

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15004, 30 November 1910, Page 2

#OnThisDay in 1888, the Ashley River in Canterbury

#OnThisDay in 1888, the Ashley River in Canterbury flooded, and a Chinese produce hawker almost drowned crossing the stream.

He was crossing it in his cart, and was washed down the stream, narrowly escaping drowning.

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View of the Ashley River Rakahuri, Glentui, Ashley District, showing a swing bridge over the river and a waterfall in the background. The Press (Newspaper) :Negatives. Ref: 1/1-011772-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/29946958

Source

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8546, 28 November 1888, Page 5

#OnThisDay in 1907, two men received probation for

#OnThisDay in 1907, two men received probation for setting fire to an outhouse on Chinese premises on Taranaki Street, Wellington.

Frank Caroll and Francis Lyons were also ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution. The principal offender, Burgess, had previously been admitted by Mr Justice Button to probation, which Mr Justice Cooper said was stretching the First Offenders Act to its utmost limit.

He was aware that amongst some people, there was a strong racial feeling against New Zealand Chinese, but he wished it to be understood that offences against Chinamen would be punished just the same as they were against Europeans.

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Building on the corner of Jessie and Taranaki Streets, Wellington. Smith, Sydney Charles, 1888-1972: Photographs of New Zealand. Ref: 1/1-022772-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23226275

Source

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14072, 28 November 1907, Page 7

#OnThisDay in 1954, the story of Rev. Y. T. Fong,

#OnThisDay in 1954, the story of Rev. Y. T. Fong, the Presbyterian minister for Chinese residents across the South Island, was published.

His charge covered nearly all of the South Island. In Christchurch his charge took in 17 market gardens, 12 fruit shops, 13 laundries, and three wholesale and retail merchants’ establishments. This made a total of 220 persons—130 adults and 90 children.

In Ashburton the number was 35 adults and 27 children. With the assistance of his wife, the minister looked after the welfare of many of his countrymen in the South Island.

“When I was a student at the Union Theological College of Lingnan University in Canton, I longed to go to Britain, New Zealand, and the United States,” Mr Fong said today. “I tried to get some knowledge of the churches in foreign countries, .their organisation, government, and every kind of work which they use to prosper the church,” he said.

In 1940 Mr Fong left Hong Kong and went to Java, where Mrs Fong and he worked for about nine years and a half. In 1950 they came to New Zealand, and Mr Fong became a minister of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.

Winning friendship and preaching are facets of his work that Mr Fong considers most important. “To win friends one must meet them in their own homes,” he said. “Sometimes we go out in the evenings to visit some Chinese, because during the day they are very busy working in the shops. Most likely they have some household and other problems for us to solve. We also take care of the sick people and comfort them with the words of God. I think while anybody is healthy he is apt to forget God, but when in difficulties he calls for God’s help.”

Twice a year Mr Fong visited Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Gore, and Invercargill, holding evangelistic meetings. Sometimes, he also visited Westport, Greymouth, and Nelson. His son James, a pupil of the Otago Boys’ High School, hoped to study for the Presbyterian ministry.

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Rev. Yik Tak Fong, standing outside the Chinese Church in Carroll Street, Dunedin.
https://pcanzarchives.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/3572

Source

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27517, 26 November 1954, Page 6

#OnThisDay in 1927, the Shops and Offices Amendmen

#OnThisDay in 1927, the Shops and Offices Amendment Act, 1927, was passed, banning most Chinese from petitioning shop opening hours.

This act banned non-British residents from petitioning shop opening hours, which were set by British shopkeepers, as an action to prevent Chinese migrant dominance in the grocery and greengrocer industries.

At this time, Chinese New Zealanders were banned from becoming naturalised, making this amendment particularly targeted.

Source

Shops and Offices Amendment Act, 1927

#OnThisDay in 1900, Wong Sow was fined £5 for dis

#OnThisDay in 1900, Wong Sow was fined £5 for distributing liquor without a licence, following hundreds of bottles confiscated from his

However, he had imported the liquor legally, having paid a duty, so the Magistrate ordered that it not be destroyed pending application for its return to Wong Sow.

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Ng Ka Py alcohol bottle. Cromwell Museum. https://ehive.com/collections/5984/objects/560429/ng-ka-py-alcohol-bottle

Source

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 7987, 23 November 1900, Page 3

#OnThisDay in 1969, Brent Wong’s work was exhibi

#OnThisDay in 1969, Brent Wong’s work was exhibited in a group show at the gallery of the Canterbury Society of Arts.

He was a new guest artist, and the work exhibited was "Trade Winds" No. 15 (pictured). Other artists in the show included Pat Hanly, Ralph Hotere, Rita Angus and Colin McCahon.

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"Trade Winds" No. 15 (1969). https://fletchercollection.org.nz/artworks/trade-winds/

Source

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32152, 22 November 1969, Page 18

#On this day in 1907, it was reported that Lionel

#On this day in 1907, it was reported that Lionel Terry had escaped from Seacliff Asylum.

Terry has been receiving treatment for his mental health, and had recently said that, having made his protest, he had no intention of further violence towards Chinese people, but that his views regarding them were unchanged.

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Archives New Zealand (Public Domain)

Source

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14536, 22 November 1907, Page 7

#OnThisDay in 1907, Mr W. Chung, of the Chinese Mi

#OnThisDay in 1907, Mr W. Chung, of the Chinese Mission, was nominated as moderator at the Dunedin Presbytery.

He declined, as he did not feel his English was sufficient.

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Overlooking Dunedin City. Webb, Steffano, 1880-1967: Collection of negatives. Ref: 1/2-049633-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23134431

Source

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 49, 21 November 1907, Page 11

#OnThisDay in 1909, a proposal by the Napier Borou

#OnThisDay in 1909, a proposal by the Napier Borough Council to exclude Chinese from the municipal baths was criticised by the Chinese Consul, Yung-Liang Hwang 黄荣良.

Hwang said that the presence of Chinese citizens in Napier was proof of their right to participate in the municipal advantages to which they, as ratepayers, contributed.

No country in the world should object to privileges being enjoyed by all citizens of whatever colour or condition, provided they observe the law. Moreover, this touched a question of national politics.

Further, on December 1, Councillor Eagleton gave notice to move the following motion at a meeting of the Borough Council: — "That the Chinese be excluded from the municipal swimming baths, but may bathe in the hot plunge bath, same to be reserved for their use, provided they purchase sufficient tickets to reimburse the Council for such privilege."

The municipal solicitors advised that, in their opinion, any by-law aimed at the exclusion from the baths of some particular class of the public, say Māori or Chinese, because of their nationality would be ultra vires.

Councillor Eagleton's motion was accordingly ruled out of order.

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Portrait of Yung-liang Hwang, the newly appointed Chinese consular agent. (Public Domain).
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/photos/id/155032

Sources

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2664, 20 November 1909, Page 5

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVIII, Issue LVIII, 2 December 1909, Page 5

#OnThisDay in 1941, William Wah suggested the gove

#OnThisDay in 1941, William Wah suggested the government increase the number of temporary permits for Chinese market garden workers from 200 to 300.

Mr. William Wah was secretary of the Chinese Fruiterers Association, submitting that increased production was the only solution to the present shortage of vegetables.

He suggested that the permits could be for about two years. With the present abundance of labour in China they would be willing to come and pay their passage money out and home again.

Should any of them prove unsatisfactory, they could be sent back home. His idea was that they should work for existing market gardeners, and not take up land on their own.

An Auckland retailer said that in the last year, 680 Chinese had come into the country, and in Auckland, the Chinese market gardeners had increased by 42 since the war.

It was a point they proposed to bring out in evidence. Mr. Wah said that the Chinese who came in last year were mostly those who were returning. They included a limited number of wives whose husbands were already here and some students 10 to 14 years of age.

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Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 9, 11 July 1938, Page 9

Source

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 November 1941, Page 8

#OnThisDay in 1945, Chinese men in a house on Grey

#OnThisDay in 1945, Chinese men in a house on Grey’s Avenue outsmarted would-be robbers who had them at gunpoint.

Some quick thinking saved about £400 from falling into the hands of an armed youth who attempted to stage a hold-up in a Chinese building on Grey’s Avenue at 8.30 pm.

There were a few tense moments when the youth burst into the room and interrupted an earnest game of fan tan by brandishing a .45 automatic pistol, but the situation was turned into an anti-climax in the best tradition of popular fiction by the quick action of one of the players.

A tall, thin European youth wearing a lumber jacket pushed open the door of the premises, opening directly onto the footpath, and took about two paces to the end of a partition. Then with a full view of the small room in front of him, he whipped out a .45 pistol.

In an unsteady voice he called out: "Hands up. Hand over that money.” About 25 Chinese, most of them elderly, were grouped around the big wooden table, the principal piece of furniture, or standing in the corners. Fan tan was in progress, and the banker had about £400 in notes and silver in neat stacks on the table.

The Chinese blinked in astonishment when the youth called out and the situation appeared to be grim. However, a short, plump, middle-aged Chinese who had finished his game and was standing about two paces away from the hold-up man quietly turned the tables.

As the youth pointed the pistol toward the table, the Chinese blandly lisped, “Excuse, please,” and walked out of the door, quietly brushing past the youth and another young man who may have been an accomplice and who was standing in the doorway.

The cool action of the Chinese caught the youth completely off his guard. Before he realised what had happened the Chinese was out of the door and on his way across the road to telephone the police.

When the youth did see how he had been thwarted, he turned on his heel and ran out of the door. Another Chinese jumped from near the table and tried to catch him, but the youth lost no time in leaving.

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US Government-issue M1911A1 pistol. Public Domain.

Source

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23362, 20 November 1945, Page 6

#OnThisDay in 1932, a fire destroyed the home of 1

#OnThisDay in 1932, a fire destroyed the home of 11 Chinese market gardeners in Outram.

So swift was the destruction by fire of an old wooden seven-roomed house near Outram yesterday afternoon that only three of the eleven Chinese working in a nearby market garden were able to save any personal property.

One man was fortunate to retrieve £78 in notes from the blaze. The fire started in the washhouse, and with a strong wind, the place was gutted in 10 minutes.

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Christchurch Fire Brigade, fire fighters on board a fire truck. The Press (Newspaper) :Negatives. Ref: 1/1-008495-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/29942088

Source

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1932, Page 6

#OnThisDay in 1938, Willie Wong was lucky to recov

#OnThisDay in 1938, Willie Wong was lucky to recover two £50 notes that he had lost in Wellington.

The similarity between the ten shilling and the fifty-pound note issued by The Reserve Bank caused Willie Wong, market gardener of Cuba Street, Wellington, the misfortune of losing two of the latter on October 31.

He began advertising, but it was not until November 14 that the advertisement was noticed by Oswald Davies, of 8 Ascot Terrace, a labourer, who on Wednesday, November 2, picked up what he thought to be two 10s notes outside the To Aro Post Office.

He threw them into a drawer on reaching home and more or less forgot about them, as he still thought them 10s notes. It was not till yesterday that he found they were fifties. He immediately took them to the police station, and they were returned to Wong.

Images

Copyright belongs to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

Source

Evening Star, Issue 23115, 15 November 1938, Page 8

#OnThisDay in 1911, the Chinese Consul Mr C. S. La

#OnThisDay in 1911, the Chinese Consul Mr C. S. Lanchu was introduced to Dunedin Presbyterian Assembly.

Mr C. S. Lanchu was the Imperial Chinese Consul from 1911-1912 and a Presbyterian who was baptised in New York in 1903.

He was introduced to the Assembly and heartily welcomed by the moderator.

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Corner of Frederick Street and Great King Street, Dunedin, featuring Knox Presbyterian Church. Williams, Edgar Richard, 1891-1983: Photographs and papers. Ref: 1/2-140603-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23254187

Source

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15774, 15 November 1911, Page 7

#OnThisDay in 1944, Albert Duk of Auckland, aged 4

#OnThisDay in 1944, Albert Duk of Auckland, aged 45, was assaulted and robbed of £370 in banknotes by two men outside his home.

After being knocked unconscious, Mr Albert Duk, a Chinese interpreter, was robbed and left lying in a lane off Hobson Street early in the morning.

Mr Duk had stopped his motor-car outside Carlton House in Hobson Street, where he lives, intending to park it on the roadside overnight. He was bending over the motor, removing a portion of the distributor, when he was attacked from behind.

He stated yesterday that he did not see his assailants. He heard a rushing sound, and one of the men placed his arm around his throat from behind. He held Mr Duk so tightly that he was almost strangled, and he could not call for help.

Both men then punched him about the face and dragged him along Hobson Street into the entrance to a coal yard, where they again attacked him, breaking his teeth.

Mr Duk said he lost consciousness, and when he revived, he was lying in a pool of blood. There was no sign of the two men. He got up and went into Hobson Street, where he stopped an American patrol car.

He told the Americans what had happened, and they notified the police. The money stolen included 71 £5 notes. His gold watch and chain were also taken.

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Hobson Street, Auckland. Auckland Star: Negatives. Ref: 1/1-002807-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22771360

Source

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25050, 14 November 1944, Page 4

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