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Anne Atkinson Collection

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School of Social Sciences

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LEE FAY (2)

Description

Biographical informationLee Fay (2) was born in July 1875 in Canton, China. He migrated to Western Australia in November 1897. He was five feet eight inches in height. He had a wife Woo Hoi (1904-1953) in China.

He worked for several different companies as a cabinet maker, including See Wah, Tock Sing, Washing Brothers, E. Cooper, and Sing Hing. He had a reputation as a skilled and efficient worker (SRO, S165, Cons 3560, 1909/074).

Lee Fay was the proprietor of the Lee Fay Furniture Factory with premises at 432 Murray Street, Perth, in 1907, 110 Roe Street, Perth, in 1908 and 386 Murray Street, Perth, in 1916. The business moved to 47 Marquis Street, West Perth, in 1919 and 396 Murray Street, Perth, in 1920 (F).

In 1907, Lee Fay was charged by the Chief Inspector of Factories, Frank Vincent, with employing a Chinese cabinet maker after November 1903 (when the Factories Act came into operation). The man employed, Lee Neu (or Lee New) had worked as a cabinet-maker in Victoria and been in Western Australia briefly around 1901. Lee Fay appealed the decision on the basis that the term 'factory' should apply to any Australian factory. The Supreme Court referred the matter to the High Court who in turn remitted it back to the Supreme Court. The case was dismissed in 1909.

Lee Fay went bankrupt in 1909 after a business partnership commenced with Lee Yin in 1908 failed. Their trading name was Sam Lee & Co. After the business failed, See Long took over their previous premises in Beaufort Street. Albert Washing acted as interpreter during his bankruptcy proceedings.

Lee Fay was fined 40 shillings in October 1918 and £5 in February 1919 for 'Breaches of the Factory Act'. He was fined 22 shillings in April 1918 for 'Being Found in a Gaming House' and £5 in April 1919 for 'Assisting in a Gaming House' (B).

He applied for a CEDT in 1919 but did not use it. He did however, travel overseas between November 1922 and April 1924 (D). He had two daughters born in China, Kam Lan Lee (Lily) in 1923 and Sheung Chan (1928-2022).

Lee Fay does not appear in Western Australian records after the late 1920s. Information provided by the family of Lee Foy would indicate that Lee Fay and Lee Foy are most likely to be the same person.

Family knowledge would suggest that he moved to Melbourne briefly, then Sydney and then Brisbane.

He may have been involved in several businesses , particularly in helping establish new businesses. In Sydney he had strong connections with the Mee Lee family and Arthur Mee Lee was apprenticed to him. Commonly known as Lee Foy at this time, he established a Chinese Restaurant, 'The Red Rose' and a furniture factory. He was known for assisting other Chinese people by providing food, shelter, training and business assistance.

When he moved to Brisbane, he bought several properties in the time before his daughter and son-in-law moved to Australia. He had a cottage at Kangaroo Point under the Storey bridge; a small factory in Bowen Street, Spring Hill and a three-street frontage building in Bulimba.

After his death in 1956, his son-in-law Phillip built a large furniture factory on Lee Fay's land and called it F. Lee and Sons. His grandsons, John and Walter, joined the business. John later became an architect and Walter remained in the family business designing furniture. Lee Fay's grandaughters are Lindy Lee AO (a renowned Chinese Australian artist) and Joyce (retired business manager).

He is buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney. He was also known by the names Lee Foy, Lee Fu Ming Hong and Lee Hai Dat.Other nameLee Fay, 1875- (differentiated name)LEE FOY (also known as)Lee Fu Ming HongLee Hai DatDate of birthJuly 1875Date of death1956

Document

AAC-Box-006-0280

AAC-Box-006-0281

AAC-Box-006-0282

AAC-Box-006-0283

AAC-Box-006-0284

AAC-Box-007-6-0091

AAC-Box-007-7-0046

AAC-Box-007-7-0217

AAC-Box-007-7-0241

AAC-Box-007-7-0245

AAC-Box-007-7-0262

AAC-Box-007-8-0069

AAC-Box-007-8-0070

Lee Fay (2) CEDT 1919 (NAA: Item ID 1740820)

Lee Fay (2) CEDT 1922 (NAA: Item ID)

Lee Fay (2) v Frank Vincent (NAA: Item ID 1695409)

SRO File 'Lee Fay and Frank Vincent - Case Stated'

SRO File 'Lee Fay partnership with Lee Yin' bankruptcy

SRO File 'Manure Pit - 432 Murray St - Lee Fay', 1907

Photograph and slide

Lee Fay photograph with family

Lee Fay's daughter Kam Lan, c.1949

Lee Fay's family

Lee Foy photograph

Organisation

Lee Fay's Furniture Factory

Sing Hing and co Furniture Factory, Perth

Lee Fay pictured aged 47 around 1922 on his Certificate for Exemption from the Dictation Test (source: National Archives, K1145, 1922/104).

Employment

Job titleStorekeeperDate employed[date unknown]

Connections

Subject (person)Lee NeuSubject (organisation)Lee Fay's Furniture FactoryWashing Brothers Furniture Factory, PerthSam Lee & Co. Furniture Factory, PerthSee Wah & Co. Ltd Furniture FactoryTock Sing Furniture Factory, PerthE. Cooper Furniture Factory, PerthSing Hing and co Furniture Factory, PerthSubject (place)432 Murray Street, Perth110 Roe Street, Perth386 Murray Street, Perth47 Marquis Street, West Perth396 Murray Street, PerthSubject (topic)Chinese heritage in Western AustraliaFactory ownerManagerCabinet makerGamblingGaming HouseRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionRelated linkNAA CEDT File 1919 unusedNAA CEDT File 1922NAA War Registration File 1916-1920 <Not digitised #5143542>SRO 1907 Fay v Vincent fileSRO 1907 432 Murray St fileSRO 1909 Lee Fay Bankruptcy file

Item information

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

Significant place

RelationPlace of birthPlaceCantonDate1875

Significant place

RelationImmigrated toPlaceAustraliaDateNovember 1897

UWA Collected

LEE FAY (2)

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA