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Perth, Western Australia

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J. W. Wing & Co. Ltd Furniture Factory, Perth

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DescriptionA furniture factory at 235-237 Newcastle Street Perth with at least two sets of owners:
Pre-1916, the factory was managed by One Jack trading as J. W. Wing and employed Ah Lock (4) and Wong Yum.
Post-1916, the enterprise was operated by Yuen Kum, Yen Hay Hoy and Mew Toy with many employees. Yuen Kum's son, Albert, may have managed the business after the death of his father in 1943.
Went into liquidation in May 1951.Corporate historyN.B. J. W. Wing & Co. was in operation around 1910 (PO Directory, 1910, p. 883). It was managed by One Jack and the business taken over in 1916.

Founded in 1916 by Yuen Kum, Yen Hay Hoy and Mew Toy at 237 Newcastle Street in Perth. At first they employed seven Chinese cabinet-makers and a polisher. In 1933 his partners retired and Yuen became the sole owner of the business. At that time he employed fourteen Chinese and four European workers. They manufactured bedroom, dining and kitchen suites and occasional furniture, using a variety of timbers, including jarrah, Tasmanian oak and pine. Dealing mainly with wholesale orders, the firm supplied a number of local stores, among them the Bairds Co. Ltd and W. Zimpel Ltd. All J. W. Wing & Co. furniture carried the “Asian Labour” stamp as required by law.

There were three Directors: Yen Hoy, Gum Yuen and Charles Marchall Harris and Yen Hoy was the Chairman of Directors. Shareholders were
300 shares: May Gum Yuen – 243 Newcastle St, Perth
1 share: Mary How, China
1 share: Wesley Alexander – St George’s Terrace, Perth
2 shares: C. M Harris – Perth
498 shares: Gum Yuen – 243 Newcastle St, Perth
198 shares: Yen Hoy – Canton, China [letter dated 18 October 1935, Goon Tam Hoy’s Immigration File, NAA Item ID: 31659691]

From Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file we learn that the business was not particularly profitable in the 1930s. In order for the Department of the Interior to re-assess Goon Tam Hoy's annual visa extension, returns for the business were furnished. A small profit of £60 was made in 1935 but losses between £70-£250 pounds were characteristic during the 1930s despite sales turnover of around £7,000-$8,500. Business was as variable during the 1940s with losses of £1,000 ranging from profits of £1,000 and largely dictated by 'scarcity of material' during the war years. They had to lay off some workers (including Goon Tam Hoy) in the late 1940s for this reason. The company went into liquidation in May 1951 (Page 90 of Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file).Alternative titleJW Wing & Co.Address235-237,Newcastle Street,Perth,Western AustraliaLocation^[1]