James Chung Gon (Part One)
| Town/City | Launceston |
|---|---|
| First name | James |
| Last name | Chung Gon (Part One) |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Date of Birth | 1855 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1873 |
| Submitted by | Dr Edward Chung Gon |
Story
The Australian Story of James Chung Gon PART ONE
James Chung Gon (1855-1952) was born in a rural, tropical village Ping Gang Cun, Xin Hui (Sunwei) County, Guang Dong (Kwangtung Province), in Southern China.
In this the era living conditions in China were difficult, characterised by food shortages, social and political unrest. Thus in 1873, when James Chung Gon, aged eighteen years, had learned of an Australian Gold Rush in Victoria, he journeyed by ship to Australia, ‘with only a shilling in his pocket\’.
The full story of James Chung Gon\’s successful life in Australia became one of trials, tribulations, perseverance and eventual achievement.
On arrival in Melbourne, wearing traditional clothing and hair in pigtail, unable to speak a word of English, James Chung Gon was bullied in the street by louts.
After time in the Bendigo Area Gold Fields, James Chung Gon found the rough living conditions and general hostility not to his liking. He then grasped the opportunity to go, with Chinese friends, to the alluvial tin mining boom, in rugged northeast Tasmania.
Chinese tin miners were amongst the earliest pioneers of Tasmania\’s northeast. They were not numerous in number, about 1000 in 1891, but they were very important to the history and development of that region. Between 1886 and 1896, Chinese Miners outnumbered their European counterparts throughout the region, in some areas by as much as ten to one.
By 1881, according to census figures, there were 844 Chinese living in Tasmania with 770 recorded as living on the tin fields of Tasmania\’s wilderness northeast.
In the mid 1870\’s in Launceston, James Chung Gon commenced a life long friendship with Frank Walker, a Tasmanian and a Christian of similar age.
Frank Walker influenced James Chung Gon to learn English with a Sunday Bible study group. James Chung Gon became a Christian and then a naturalised British Subject. This occurred long before the 1901 federation of the separate states of Australia to the Federal Government of Australia..
Prior to 1885, during the alluvial tin mining boom, James Chung Gon set out to prospect with his friend, Frank Walker. After travelling about 122 kilometres through virgin bush and mountains, they pegged out a lease of 100 acres in rich tin bearing country at South Mt Cameron. They later sold this at a profit to the Colossal Tin Mining Syndicate of Melbourne.
After James Chung Gon received money for his interest, he bought 200 acres of land at Turners Marsh, a fertile area near Lilydale, thirty kilometers north-east of Launceston. He cleared the land and planted vegetables, potatoes, apple, cherry plum, and pear trees. The produce was sold to the Victorian Gold Fields, to provedore the shipping trade, for local sale and for his own use.
In 1885, at age 30 years, being financially secure, James Chung Gon, returned to China to court and marry Mary (Mei Ying) Li (1866-1918) from the adjoining Li Village. This village was within walking distance of his ancestral village of Ping Guan Cun.
The ancestors of James Chung Gon first settled in Ying Chuan County in Henan Central China thousands of years ago. About 800 years ago when the South Song Dynasty was over run by Mongols, some family members migrated far south to the present village of Ping Gang Cun in Guang Dong Province.
Being a British Subject James Chung Gon was qualified to bring his wife and their first born child with their subsequently adopted chaperon back to his Turners Marsh orchard…
James Chung Gon\’s Turners Marsh orchard was one of the first commercial orchards in Northern Tasmania. It was here that most of the 11 Chung Gon children were born.
James Chung Gon\’s wife Mary was the daughter of a well to do silk worm farmer. She had bound feet (golden lilies), a then tradition for the females of wealthy Chinese families.
Mary\’s hand made self-embroidered clothing and hand made Lotus Shoes are on display in the Chinese Collection of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania.
The outbreak of World War 1 prevented the family from returning to China, where they had planned for their children to be educated. The Chung Gon family instead remained in Launceston, Tasmania where they became widely known and respected for their long involvement with the life of the city.
Later James Chung Gon relocated to Launceston, to market garden at various sites. He opened retail fruit and vegetable stores both in Elizabeth and Brisbane Streets.
As Chinese Elder, James Chung Gon was involved in business and civic affairs. He was one of the prime organisers of the Chinese Dragon Procession to raise funds for the initial development of the now famous Cataract George Tourist Grounds.