Quotes from 'Citizens' magazine ____________________________________________________________  

 

 

     

The Chung Gon family, so well known in Launceston, have descendants in New South Wales and Western Australia as well as Tasmania, and until the 1980's, they had not intermarried with Europeans, James Chung Gon came from Guangzhou to Sydney in 1868 when he was sixteen years old.    He did not like the atmosphere in Sydney so he moved to Melbourne, which he did not find any better. 

 

The Pagoda at the Cataract Gorge,

Launceston Tasmania

1984

(Click on image)

 

A few months later he crossed the strait to Launceston and took up an early claim when tin was discovered.    A European, Frank Walker, member of a well known Tasmanian family, befriended him and suggested a good place to mine, the very place that James had pegged.   

 

above - Lotus Shoes made by Mary Chung-Gon

 

He made money quickly and then went home for a wife who came back with him, a girl with true goldern lillies 7.5 centimetres long (she had to make her own shoes in Australia) and a slave girl, Rose, whom they treated as an adopted daughter in Tasmania.   

 
    

They bought a farm at Turner's Marsh, thirty kilometres north of Launceston, established a vegetable garden and planted apples, the first in the area.   James carted his produce to Launceston by horse and cart.  

 

They had twelve children.  When the youngest was old enough, James decided  to take them all back to China to be educated.

 

He sold his farm, and then went to the storekeeper in Launceston with whom he had been carefully banking all his spare money.   He thought he had plenty to support them in China "but for your money" said the store-keeper (one hopes it was not Ah Catt), "you have spent it all!"

 

With the proceeds of his farm James began another market garden, carting  his produce to the hospital, to hotels and private houses.   

 

He made money again and later visited China many times.  He lived to the age of ninety - seven.

 

  'Church Mission'

  Front row, right - 

Frank Walker & James Chung-Gon