KWONG SAM KEE

Description

Biographical informationKwong Sam Kee was born on 7th January 1894, in Taishan District, Guangdong Province, China. He worked for ten years as a shop assistant in the Chung Mel Drug Store, Canton before travelling with Fong Hing to Western Australia on the SS Minderoo. They arrived on 21st May 1918 and they worked in the See Sing & Co general store in Roebourne managed by Fong Hong's father, Fong Fulson. The Minister granted them permission to enter Australia (i.e. an exemption) on the understanding that they would temporarily take the place of Fong Warley and Fong Ham, two See Sing & Co business partners who had decided to return and spend time in China. The exemption was granted on the condition that both Fong Hing and Kwong Sam Lee would leave for China within three months of the return of Fong Warley and Fong Ham.

Kwong Sam Lee worked as shop assistant in Roebourne from 1918 to 1921. In 1919 he and Fong Hing applied for permission to settle permanently, but this was denied. Instead they were told again that they would need to leave within three months of Fong Warley and Fong Ham returning. Annual approval of their exemption became increasingly difficult and in May 1920 a further approval was only agreed after Fong Lim and Ah Lik, the two managers of the See Sing & Co Broome branch left the country. In October 1920 Fong Hing and Kwong Sam Lee applied to return to China for a holiday. Fong Warley returned in November 1920. Fong Hing and Kwong Sam Lee left from Derby on 28th March 1921 on the SS Gorgon. In February 1922 Fong Fulson and Fong Warley altered the deed of See Sing & Co to make Fong Hing and Kwong Sam Lee both partners in the business.

On 28th October 1922 Fong Hing and Kwong Sam Lee arrived back in WA from China on the SS Minderoo using Chinese Merchants papers. They continued their work in Roebourne. On the 31st October 1923 they were told that See Sing & Co was not engaged in sufficient foreign trade to justify ongoing exemption and that one of them must return to China. On the 8th November 1923 Fong Fulson left for China and it was agreed that both Fong Hing and Kwong Sam Lee could stay until Fong Fulson returned. By the time Fong Fulson returned in September 1924, the sole remaining partner, Fong Warley, had also returned to China and so Kwong Sam Lee was allowed an exemption to remain in Australia. Other nameKwong Sam Kee (differentiated name)KWONG SUM KI (also known as)鄺森基 (Chinese name, as shown on Visa Application, 16 June 1921)Date of birth7th January 1894