Celestial Connections
On the kokoda track Images and stories from Kokoda Track might have you believe that Australian soldiers, all of good British stock, took on and ultimately beat back the invasion by Asiatic hordes in Papua New Guinea during World War 2. However, some of the Australians were from other ethnic
Celestial Connections
Two of the boys of “Tommy” Ah Chong and his wife Emma of Moora (mentioned in an earlier story) served overseas with the AIF in World War 1. This helps to illustrate that the men and women who served came from quite diverse backgrounds. The image of the “bronzed ANZAC”
Celestial Connections
A long-serving (and maybe long-suffering) teacher with the Victorian Education Department and local resident, Dorothy (“Dot”) Jean Salter, was of Chinese-Australian heritage. When she taught humanities subjects at Rushworth, some of the students called her “Ching” or “Old Ching”, reflecting the casual racism that was unfortunately still
Celestial Connections
In this area, we tend to only hear about Chinese New Year through news stories of events held in larger centres like Bendigo and Melbourne. However, it is an important annual event for Chinese people everywhere. With traditions going back around 3500 years, New Year in China is a time
Celestial Connections
As a group, the Chinese miners on the Waranga goldfields were probably more spiritual and active in remaining connected to their religion than the European miners. They obviously had a spiritual connection to their homes in China which meant that many of them returned home as the returns from alluvial
Celestial Connections
Gambling by Chinese immigrants was usually described in negative terms by the press of the goldrush era. Terminology included phrases such as “gambling dens”, “unlawful games” and “gang of Chinese gamblers”. The reality was that people of virtually all ethnic backgrounds engaged in gambling on the goldfields, of one form
Celestial Connections
Some of the Chinese immigrants in the Waranga area were opium users. One of the many stereotypes trotted out by the press of the day referred to “opium dens” and the number of “depredations” attached thereto. At the same time, the writers tended to overlook the excessive use of alcohol
Celestial Connections
Many of the Chinese men who came to the Waranga area during the gold rush era were members of fraternal societies. Westerners who did not understand the nature of the groups tended to refer to them as “secret” societies and hinted at links to organised crime. Even today, the Chinese
Celestial Connections
Generally, the Chinese in the Waranga area were good citizens in that they only came up before the courts on a relatively small number of occasions. When they did, it was for a variety of misdemeanours and crimes, including non-payment of taxes and theft. One of the Chinese shepherds
Celestial Connections
Contemporary accounts suggest that the Chinese on the goldfields were generally law-abiding citizens. With the numbers involved, there were always going to be some offenders and disputes arising between various parties. Probably the most common offence was not paying the various taxes that applied only to Chinese miners, such
Celestial Connections
Calvin Chong, one of the sons of “Tommy” and Emma Ah Chong of Moora who were mentioned in an earlier story, was lucky to survive an incident that took place on New Year’s Day, 1888. It was every parent’s worst nightmare scenario. As a four-year-old, Calvin
Celestial Connections
In Chinese culture, most people wished to eventually return, or at least have their bodily remains returned to their home village. Of course, when you were nearly 6000 nautical miles from home, this was not always going to be possible. As a result, some of the Chinese immigrants to the