FONG KEE Mary (female)

Description

Biographical informationFong Kee Mary (née Chong) was born in about 1903 in Darwin, Australia. She was the daughter of Chong Wee and Chong Hay Pearl. She was the sister of Chong Wee George, Chong Wee Tommy, Chong Wee Jack and Chong Wee Alice.

She met Fong Kee at Yankee Town, Carnarvon. In 1915 she was described as Mary Fong Kee, wife of Fong Kee. Mary was indecently assaulted and her assailant was charged and sentenced to two months hard labour (Northern Times, 4 December 1915, p. 5).

They moved to Broome in 1917 (B) and were married in Broome in 1917 (BDM 1917/1100011), her age was inflated by five years to make the marriage legal (1898). They had six children: Harold, Frang, Mary Tereasar, Arthur, Mollie and Jacob. She was five feet in height.

She travelled overseas between December 1919 and April 1920 with Fong Kee and their three children at that time: Harold, Frang and Mary Tereaser (D).

She had another child, Ignatius in 1924. Family oral history suggests that that there was doubt that Fong Kee was the biological father of Ignatius and arguments over his birth led Fong Kee to divorce Mary in 1928 and return to China with his other children. Mary and Ignatius remained in Western Australia.

In February 1928, Fong Kee placed several advertisements in newspapers advising he would no longer be responsible for any debts incurred by Mary. (West Australian, 24, 25 and 27 February 1928).

Mary married Robert Vincent Emmett in Fremantle in 1931 (BDM 2700086/1931). Robert later divorced/had the marriage annulled on the basis that Mary was still legally married to Fong Kee. There are many newspaper articles about the divorce case which can be found on Trove by searching for the term 'Mary Emmett'. Robert remarried in 1942 to Beryl Audrey Laming (BDM 2700371/1942).

Mary married for a third and final time in 1959 to Ralph Edward Last in Perth (1959/1450). They lived at 8 Florence Street, West Perth.

She died in Royal Perth Hospital in 1964.

Other nameFong Kee, Mary (differentiated name)Mary Chong Hay (also known as)Mary Chong Wee (also known as)Mary Emmett (also known as)Mary Last (also known as)Date of birth1903Date of death6th June 1964

Fong Kee Mary aged 21 in 1919 from her CEDT paperwork (source: NAA: K1145, 1919/153)

Family

ParentCHONG WEE Pearl (female)CHONG WEESpouseFONG KEESiblingCHONG WEE George MichaelCHONG WEE ThomasCHONG WEE JackChildFONG KEE Harold FONG KEE Frang (?Frank)FONG KEE Mary Tereaser (female)FONG KEE ArthurFONG KEE Mollie (female)FONG KEE JacobFONG KEE Ignatius

Connections

Subject (topic)Chinese heritage in Western AustraliaRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionRelated linkNAA CEDT File 1919NAA Whole Family Immigration File 1919-1960 <Not digitised #31659417>NAA War Registration File 1916-1920 <Not digitised #5102594>Additional research by Ron Milton

Item information

ContributorSchool of Social SciencesSource of informationAsian immigrants to Western Australia, 1829-1901 (Atkinson, 1988)

Significant place

RelationPlace of birthPlaceDarwinDate1903

Significant place

RelationTravelled toPlaceCarnarvonDate[date unknown]

Significant place

RelationTravelled toPlaceBroomeDate[date unknown]

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UWA Collected

FONG KEE Mary (female)

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA