HEM BEN YEM

Description

Biographical informationHem Ben Yem (akak Ben Yen) was born November 1885 in KongMoon [Jiangmen 江门], China. He migrated to Western Australia in July 1901 or June 1902. He was around five feet and seven inches in height. He left his wife and children in China.

He was related to George Shom, manager of Ah Ling & Co. He may have had three brothers: George Shom, Ah Wing (4) and Wong Ah Yem. Ah Wing (4) and Wong Ah Yem also may have worked at Ah Ling & Co.

From the time of his arrival until 1928, Hem Ben Yem worked as a shop assistant in the Ah Ling & Co store, 127 Barrack Street, Perth. During this time he also leased market gardens at Burswood and Kalamunda. After the Ah Ling & Co's store was sold in 1928, Hem Ben Yem worked as a market gardener.

He left Western Australia in 1930 and lived in Sydney until 1932 when he returned to Western Australia and worked on a market garden at Bayswater.

In 1936 he moved to Leederville. Between 1940 and 1947 he lived in Charles Street, Leederville.

He travelled overseas three times: March 1907 to January 1908; October 1919 to July 1922; and May 1928 to May 1930.

He left Western Australia permanently in March 1947. [On his 1947 CEDT, his age is given as 45 but must be more like 62.]Other nameHem Ben Yem (differentiated name)BEN YEN (also known as)LEM BENYEM (also known as)Date of birth1885

Hem Ben Yem, pictured aged 45 in 1928 and referred to as Ben Yen on his Certificate for Exemption from the Dictation Test (source: National Archives, K1145, 1928/57)

Employment

Job titleGardenerDate employed[date unknown]

Family

ParentAh HongSiblingWONG AH YEMSHOM GeorgeAH WING (4)Other relativeAH LING (1)

Connections

Subject (organisation)Ah Ling & Co., Perth (formerly Chew Youke & Co.)Ah Ling & Co. Market Gardens, Kalamunda & Gooseberry HillAh Ling & Co. Market Garden, BurswoodHem Ben Yem's Market Garden, BurswoodSS SultanSubject (place)127 Barrack Street, PerthCharles Street, LeedervilleKalamundaBurswoodSubject (topic)Chinese heritage in Western AustraliaShop assistantMarket gardeningRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionRelated linkNAA CEDT File 1907NAA CEDT File 1922NAA CEDT File 1928NAA CEDT File 1947NAA Immigration File 1907-1947 <Not digitised #327256>

Item information

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

Significant place

RelationPlace of birthPlaceKongMoonDateOctober 1885

Significant place

RelationImmigrated toPlaceAustraliaDate1902 SS Sultan

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UWA Collected

HEM BEN YEM

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA