Biographical informationChi John was born in on the 4th November 1850 in Swatow [Shantou], China. He came to Australia in July 1872 as a cabin boy but jumped ship on arrival in Melbourne. He prospected for gold in Ballarat and then moved to Western Australia in 1874. He was five feet eleven inches in height.
He migrated to Western Australia as a cook in Cossack. He applied for naturalisation which was approved on 29 June 1887. At this time he was a pearler and pearl shell fisherman owning two boats and employing 13 men in 1887. John Chi was one of five Asian 'aliens' to hold a pearling license in 1889 (C). At the height of his success he was said to have owned eight pearling luggers and a schooner.
He met his wife Yaie in Cossack after she migrated to Western Australia in 1886. She was known as Yaie John Chi (aka Chi Tajibana or Tagibana, aka Yae Yamamoto). She was Japanese.
Chi John and Yaie married in Roebourne in 1890 (BDM 300224) and then moved to Broome in 1899. They had five children: 1) Violet Kicko (Kiku, aka Selina) born 1901 (BDM 150); 2) James Minero (Jimmy) born 1903 (BDM 375); 3) Gertrude born 1907; 4) Joseph born 1909 (BDM 1100018); 5) Mary Theresa born 1912 (BDM 1100005). All of the children left Australia for lives overseas except for James 'Jimmy'.
It became increasingly difficult for Chi John to continue pearling as the Chinese were effectively excluded from the industry. He therefore hired Captain Foxworthy to pearl on his behalf using Chi John's pearling boat, Harriet, and employed Ted Hunter to run the business. By 1909 his pearling business was bankrupt.
In 1905 Chi John was prosecuted and fined for the illegal possession of opium. Family history related how his wife, Yae, disliked his use of opium and eventually smashed his opium pipes.
In 1916 Chi John owned freehold property in Broome. He was a boarding house keeper in John Chi Lane and he ran a long-soup kitchen (B). When he died in 1921, his funeral was said to be the largest ever held in the town.Other nameChi, John (differentiated name)Ah CaiLiao You-CaiDate of birth4th November 1850Date of death1921
