Format: Person

Linked To

Spouse

LAM CHEE FOO CHOW (female)

Sibling

GEE KOOEE

Child

Subject (organisation)

Related collection

Anne Atkinson Collection

Contributor

School of Social Sciences

Document

Subject of (7)

Person

Organisation

Subject of (2)

Photograph and slide

Subject of

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YEE WAH

Description

Biographical informationYee Wah (aka Ah Wah) (亞華) was born in about 1853 in Canton, China. He migrated to Western Australia in 1883. He was five feet, five and a half inches in height. He was the brother of Gee Kooee and partner with him in Yee Wah & Co. in Broome. In 1898 he was registered as a partner in Woo Sang Long & Co, 255 Wellington Street, Perth.

In 1897, he applied for naturalisation but was refused. The following year he applied for permission for his wife, Lam Chee Foo Chow, to join him in WA. When Yee Wah (under the name of Ah Wah) and Lam Chee Foo Chow travelled to China from August 1904 to June 1905 they took with them two sons: Ah Ming (3) then called Ah Ling (7) and Meng Hen, and a daughter, Ah Foong (2) (A).

Yee Wah had one son already when he married Lam Chee Foo Chow, Ah Ming (3). He and Lam Chee Foo Chow went on to have at least a further five children all born in Broome: Ah Foong (2) who was born in 1901 (BDM 1901/159), Meng Hen in 1903 (BDM 1903/378), Ken Yook in 1906 (BDM 1906/1100016), Ming Kwong in 1907 (BDM 1907/1100006), Ah Shue who died at the age of four months (BDM 1908/1100012 and 1909/1100014) and Yee Ming Chong in 1910 (BDM 1910/110009).

Yee Wah remained at Broome until August 1912 when he travelled overseas. Two sons and a daughter, Yee Ming Chong, Meng Hen and Hin Yook, travelled with him to China. Meng Hen returned, but it is not recorded whether the others returned. Yee Wah did not return, he died in China sometime before 1924.Other nameYee Wah (differentiated name)Ah Wah (also known as)Ah Wah (2) duplicate entry亞華

Document

AAC-Box-004-Binder-1-0319

AAC-Box-004-Binder-1-0361

Box-007-Sorb-Box-0186

Ho Ah Chin 1899-2097

Yee Wah CEDT 1904 (NAA Item ID: 1733874)

Yee Wah CEDT 1912 (NAA Item ID: 1739678)

Yee Wah certificate to return1898

Person

AH FOONG (2) (female)

AH MING (3)

AH WAH (2) (duplicate entry)

GEE KOOEE

LAM CHEE FOO CHOW (female)

MENG HEN

Organisation

Woo Sang Long & Co.

Yee Wah & Co., Broome

Photograph and slide

Yee Wah photograph 1898

Yee Wah pictured aged 57 in 1912 shortly before he permanently returned to China (source: National Archives, K1145, 1912/187).

Family

SpouseLAM CHEE FOO CHOW (female)SiblingGEE KOOEEChildAH MING (3)AH FOONG (2) (female)MENG HEN

Connections

Subject (organisation)Yee Wah & Co., BroomeWoo Sang Long & Co.Subject (place)BroomeSubject (topic)Chinese heritage in Western AustraliaShop keeperRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionRelated linkNAA CoD File 1904NAA CEDT File 1912

Item information

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

Significant place

RelationPlace of birthPlaceCantonDate1853

Significant place

RelationImmigrated toPlaceAustraliaDate1883 (WA)

Significant place

RelationTravelled toPlaceBroomeDate[date unknown]

UWA Collected

YEE WAH

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA