WONG GING

Description

Biographical informationWong Ging was born in about 1876 in Canton, China. He migrated to Western Australia in 1899. He was five feet four and three quarter inches in height.

In the early 1900s, he was the principal partner in a market garden in Northam. This was the Ying Wah market garden. Three of his brothers were also partners: Wong Pee, Wong Quang, and Wong Cheong. In 1902 his three brothers were unable to attain certificates of domicile and so departed on a boat to Hong Kong without paperwork. Wong Ging was left running the market garden. In late 1904 the other three brothers departed from Singapore on the SS Charon as stowaways after bribing a crew member, stated to be Eng Seng. During the voyage, Wong Pee was allegedly hidden in a box, died, and his body was thrown overboard.

The other two brothers, on board the SS Charon, were discovered by customs officials upon arrival at Fremantle on the 13th January 1905 and faced prosecution as illegal immigrants. When they were released from custody, Wong Ging took them back to Northam, pending further proceedings against them. When the police investigated, they were told about the death of Wong Pee and charged Eng Seng, and two other Charon crew members, with murder. The case was much reported in newspapers but, after a long court case, the crew members were found not guilty due to lack of material evidence of a murder - no body was able to be produced. The remaining brothers were ordered to pay 707 pounds and 10 shillings in damages and were forced to sell the Ying Wah market garden to pay for their debts.

He later worked as a market gardener in Bourke Street, Leederville, in 1916 (B). In 1946 he was working as a market gardener in Charles Street, North Perth (West Australian 21st October 1946, pg 6).

He travelled overseas four times: January to December 1917; April 1921 to November 1922; December 1926 to February 1928; and March 1931 to January 1937 (D).Other nameWong Ging (differentiated name)Date of birth1876

Wong Ging aged 40 in 1916 from his CEDT paperwork (source: NAA: K1145, 1916/162)

Employment

Job titleGardenerDate employed[date unknown]

Family

SiblingWONG CHEONG (1)WONG QUANGWONG PEE

Connections

Subject (organisation)Ying Wah Market Garden, NorthamSubject (place)Bourke Street, LeedervilleNorthamCharles Street, North PerthSubject (topic)Chinese heritage in Western AustraliaMarket gardeningRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionRelated linkNAA CEDT File 1916NAA CEDT File 1921NAA CEDT File 1926NAA CEDT File 1931NAA Immigration Files 1916-1937 <Not digitised #4317290 & 4317453>NAA War Registration File 1916-1920 <Not digitised #4283818, 4283819, 5102742>Wong Ging in North Perth in October 1946

Item information

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

Significant place

RelationPlace of birthPlaceCantonDate1876

Significant place

RelationImmigrated toPlaceAustraliaDate1899

UWA Collected

WONG GING

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA