Robert James

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Robert James, born 1810 arrived as a convict, Libraries Tasmanian, PH30-1-8854

From “Coroner’s Inquest”
Robert James, a man of color, deposed that he kept a board and lodging house in Cross- street; he identified the body as that of Margaret Roberts wife of Jesse Roberts, second mate of the Runnymede, whaler, and proved that he was present at the marriage: but they had lived apart between five and six years, owing to deceased’s inclination for evil courses. She was witness’s wife’s sister, and was 23 years of age.
The Mercury, 26 July 1861
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Chinese memorial stone, ceremonial oven and headstone, Weldborough

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Ancestor worship was an important feature of Chinese culture and Confucian religion, being a mechanism of clan ownership of land and permeating the social structure and ideology of ancient China. Most of the Chinese in northeast Tasmania carried on their customs and buried their dead in the traditional manner making only the adjustments required of them by the laws of the land. Whenever possible the bones of the deceased were exhumed and sent back to China to reside in the ancestral burial grounds. It was common practice for those who could afford the journey to return to China to die.

The cemetery contains a memorial erected by the local Chinese community to their dead and a number of Chinese graves. Only one grave bears a headstone engraved with Chinese characters but it is very likely that there are many unmarked Chinese graves in the cemetery.
From “Tasmania’s Chinese Heritage: an historical record of Chinese Sites in North East Tasmania”, by Helen Vivian


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Chinese to Tasmania, pre-1870

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The List

I read many histories of Chinese in Tasmania that start by saying at the start of 1870, there were only 13 Chinese in Tasmania. Now, if there were only 13, it should be possible to find there names, right?

Turns out, what they actually mean is the census of 1870 lists 13 people born in China, which is slightly different. But by the time I realised that I was already committed to finding these early migrants.

The significance of 1870 is that was the year an enterprising business man brought over Chinese labourers to work in the goldfields. They disocovered the tin fields were more lucrative, and were soon followed by more. That’s another story, and more about it on the page about the temples.

I start making a list of the all the Chinese people in Tasmania prior to 1870. The two main sources of Chinese “migrants” were prisoners from Hong Kong & Mauritius, and a shipload of mechanics (carpenters), but others arrived for other reasons.

Alongside the list is a series of posts with any information I’ve been able to find. It is not an attempt to tell the story of any individual. I’ll leave that to other people! (If you’re written anything, I’d love to link to it.)

With variations in spelling and deliberate name changes, it’s hard to track people especially if they move about, so there might be some duplication, and I have certainly missed things. The sources themselves are often wrong too. So any extra information, corrections etc. are good. There are also the shipping records. People arrive who don’t seem to appear again. People depart who don’t seem to have arrived. Some are just passing through. So far, I’ve only included arrivals and departures when they connect to names found elsewhere. I’m sure there are some in there who stayed but I have yet to find another trace of.

But most importantly, this is an ongoing list. I keep finding more names so entries are still being added.

Name list.
All the posts.

Wham/James Sing

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The first Europeans to commercially fish for abalone in Tasmania were a group of Irish shark fishermen at Southport. When the Jesuit priest Father Julian Tennison-Woods visited Southport and he found ten families fishing for shark there and in Recerche Bay. They boiled down the livers for oil, sold the fins and used the flesh for fertilizer on their cabbage fields. When the weather was too rough to catch shark they speared abalone. The fins and the abalone were boiled and then dried by Wham Sing and his brother Teck at Southport and shipped to Hobart for export to the goldfields. According to Tenison-Woods the Sydney merchant Chin Ateak was prepared to pay 9d a pound in 1880 for any quantity of the shellfish that was ‘much esteemed by the Chinese’. The priest found that although abalone were abundant ‘it was too troublesome a fishery to make it a pursuit, except when nothing else could be caught.’
The Tasmanian Abalone Fishery: A Personal History


MARRIAGES: Wham Sing & Eliza Palmer, Franklin district 1864 RGD37/1/23 p62

BIRTHS from RGD 33

An act of charity, deserving of record, has just been performed by some splitters from Southport, who arrived in town early yesterday morning. It appears that a man named John Fisher, and his daughter Mary Fisher, 16 years of age had for some days been suffering from severe illness and were unable to procure medical attendance, they being in extremely destitute circumstances, and there being no doctor resident nearer to their place of abode than Three Hut Point. Under these circumstances the men referred to, whose names are Edward Isaacson, James Warren, John Burgess, Henry Silvester, and George Asher, obtained the use of a whaleboat belonging to James Sing, a native of China, living at Southport, and volunteered to bring the invalids to town, free of charge. They accordingly started on their mission of mercy at about 3 p. m. on Thurs-day, but whilst on the voyage hither the girl died. As soon as the boat reached town the body was conveyed to the hospital dead-house by the police, and the girl’s father was also removed to the institution, where he still lies under treatment.
The Mercury, 10 April 1869


DEATH: Avis Aella Sing, Esperance district 1871 RGD 35/1/40 p63
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Ovel

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Tried Port Louis, 2 December 1843
Arrived Ocean Queen, 3 April 1844
“Killing my master by striking him on the head”
Native Place: China
Labourer

Conduct Record
Indent

https://www.jimtaker.com/taker_jim/ (aka Ovel)

19 March 1851 charged with “Absconding & remaining at large until apprehended on board the “Shamrock” being there with intent to leave the Colony.

A DISAPPOINTED EMIGRANT.-A Chinese was ushered into the presence of the police magistrate on Tuesday morning, charged as an absconder. He arrived by the coach on the previous night; and from, a description hastily drawn up and forwarded, Mr. Davis suspected him to be a prisoner of the crown named Ovel, (transported for life from Mauritius for cutting up murdered children and making them into pies,) who absconded from the service of Mr. Webb, confectioner, of Murray-street, Hobart Town, on Monday morning. The prisoner had taken his passage by the Shamrock, and had obtained a special clearance under the name of Assa Eugene. He was remanded to give time for further enquiry. With reference to the horrible offence imputed to the prisoner, the police magistrate believed he was not the perpetrator of the revolting and bloody crimes mentioned by the chief district constable; that such crimes had been committed at the Mauritius was, however, a fact; and it was equally true that the debased and guilty wretch who committed them was in this island. Children in his neighborhood at Mauritius were missed, and finger bones and other unemployed portions of human beings were round on the premises, but no direct proof of the offence could be obtained, otherwise a different punishment had been inflicted. The perpetrator of these diabolical crimes was convicted for a minor offence, and transported for life to this colony. He would.be a meet companion for Annette Meyers.
Launceston Examiner, 19 March 1851 (second page)

Ovelle, p. h., a Chinese in the service of Mr. Webb, the Pastry. Cook, was charged by his master with refusing to work. By permission of the Magistrate, Mr. Brewer defended the prisoner. It appeared, from Mr. Webb’s statement, that he had originally hired the prisoner at the Comptroller General’s Office for twelve months, which bad expired a short time ago ; after that, Mr. Webb entered into another engagement with the Assistant Comptroller General, Mr. Nairne, for twelve months longer, raising the prisoner’s wages to £40 a year. The prisoner however refused to work, as he considered his time was up, and wanted go to another place. In answer to Mr. Brewer, Mr. Webb stated, that no written agreement had been entered into on either occasions, nor was the prisoner present, when the engagement was made ; the prisoner bad been in Mr. Webb’s Service since he had been in the country, and had never been in the Barracks. Mr. Brewer, then contended that, as there was no written agreement there could be no service : the regulations provided, that an agreement should be entered into, which had not been done in this case. Mr. Wilmot said, that, according to the regulations, unless a passholder could get higher wages, he was bound to serve his present master: he, Mr. Wilmot, was clearly of opinion that the prisoner was in Mr. Webb’s service. It was then arranged that, the prisoner should return to his service, and on that condition he, at Mr. Webb’s request, was merely admonished.
Hobarton Guardian, 29 January 1853

`
Note at end of Conduct Record

Lu Puh, a Chinese Burial (Charles Street, Launceston)

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INTERMENT OF THE REMAINS OF LU PUH. —The conduct of the countrymen of the Chinese digger Lu Puh, whose murdered remains were discovered at Back Creek is highly creditable to them. They were discovered by Lee Hung, the leader of part of six men at work at Back Creek, and during the excitement which prevailed until after the inquest, all tho witnesses and other visitors at the inquest were treated with liberal hospitality by Lee Hung. He and his countrymen defrayal all expenses incurred in the removal of the body to town and its internment. The remains were covered with calico, over which were placed a shirt, hat, trousers, socks and pair of buff slippers, but no coat, the deceased having been killed when at work. What use the spirit of the deceased maybe make of his new suit, Confucius only knows, but the liberality of his friends is not lessened by the apparent, absurdity of supplying such a costume for use in another sphere. The coffin was conveyed to the cemetery, Mulgrave-square, four Chinese following in a car. After careful interment, but without any ceremony, a board was placed at the top of the grave bearing this inscription in Chinese characters :– La Puh, native of Canton, discovered murdered at Back Creek, or 29th October, 1873.” Lee Hung has since ordered a tombstone to be prepared to be substituted for the board, and he is at present at work at the stores of Messrs. Peters, Barnard and Co. making a substantial wooden fence to surround the grave of his countryman. We fear that few Europeans would be found acting so disinterestedly, and doing so much for the honor and comfort of a dead countryman as the much abused “Heathen Chinese”.
Cornwall Chronicle, 14 November 1873


Charles Street Cemetery Company Treasurer’s Register,
AF191-1-1

Beechworth Cemetery

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Taken one winter morning in 2009 (but not as early as the camera thinks).

Website.

The 1850’s gold rush saw many Chinese nationals converge on Beechworth seeking their fortune. As the population grew so too did the need for specialised services to cater for their cultural needs. A section of the Beechworth Cemetery was allocated for burial with the burning towers built in 1857. Mourners used the towers to burn offerings of paper prayers, pork and gifts for the afterlife.
Chinese Burning Towers
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