AH TAI HOY (CHENG) (female)

Description

Biographical informationBorn in China on 10 August 1917 (but Immigration files incorrectly list her birth date 1920). Confusingly, Ah Tai lists her father as Cheng Ling Moy and her mother as Pan See (same name of her husband's mother so likely to be an administrative error). Other forms from her Immigration file indicate her mother's name may have been Oh See Foon. Family knowledge lists her father as Chan Zhuo Ying and her mother as Lu Huan.

Lived in Singapore most of her life until she arrived in WA on 5 September 1940. Worked as an Amah (nanny) for Mrs F. M. Stevens whose husband worked for Caldbeck, MacGregor & Co., Wine Merchants. Originally granted a six month Certificate of Exemption and lived at Cernay Private Hotel in Claremont and extension granted to September 1941 and was then living at 273 Marmion St, Cottesloe with the Stevens family. A further year extension was granted to September 1942, and again to September 1943 and September 1944.

Ah Tai left the Stevens family in February 1944 and worked at C. Han, a restaurant at 130 James St, Perth. Her Certificate of Exemption was extended again to September 1945 and then again to June 1946 suggesting that the Immigration officials regarded her as a good worker who was gainfully employed.

Wife of Goon Tam Hoy. Married January 1946 at Gum Yuen's residence of Mr W. Yuen, 245 Newcastle Street. “On 26th January 1946 GOON TAM HOY was married to AH TAI CHENG, a Chinese Amah, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. Jenkins, Wesleyan Minister.” [Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file but also recorded as 19 January 1946]

Mother of of 7 children all born in Western Australia:
James
Moya
Allan
Philip
Stephen
Kevin
Michael

In May 1948, Goon Tam Hoy's visa was extended to June 1952 but on the express understanding that Ah Tai Cheng return to China before the expiration of her visa in September 1948.

In September 1948, Goon Tam Hoy wrote to the Immigration Department (presumably through an interpreter): “Owing to the troubled state of affairs in Singapore it will be extremely difficult for her and the two children to return there. My wife originally came from Singapore and she and the family are depending on me for their upkeep. At the present time my financial position is insufficient to meet expenses for their departure.” (Page 137 of Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file)

Relative Albert Yuen also made an appeal to E. Needham, Member of Parliament, that Ah Tai and the children be allowed to remain in Australia on the basis that she had never lived in China (Page 127 of Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file but Ah Tai's Immigration file suggests she was born in Kwantung, China). She was declared a prohibited immigrant in March 1949 (Page 121 of Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file). In May 1950 she was granted permission to remain in Australia until May 1955 as a war time arrival (Page 96 of Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file).

By March 1955 it was noted that she was "able to converse in English without any difficulty", living at 106 Royal Street, East Perth with her eldest three children attending East Perth State School (Page 83 of Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file).

An extension to her Certificate of Exemption was granted in May 1955 allowing her to stay until May 1960 (Page 77 of Goon Tam Hoy's Immigration file).

After living in Australia since 1940, and applying for extensions to remain over 21 years, was naturalised as an Australian citizen in December 1961 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 20 December 1961, p. 4675).

Ran the Hong Kong Restaurant with her husband and continued to run it after her husband died in 1963. Her children believe she ran it for several years and sold it perhaps in the late 1960s when it became an Indian Restaurant possibly called the Cafe Kyber.

Note: the information in Ah Tai Hoy and Goon Tam Hoy's immigration files are similar but in many instances the relevant page listed here relates to Goon Tam Hoy's file.Date of birth10th August 1917Date of death2011

A young, 20 year old Ah Tai Cheng when she worked as an Amah (nanny) for the Stevens family (source: National Archives, PP239/1, W1960/14138).

Family

SpouseGOON TAM HOYChildHOY JamesHOY Moya (female)HOY AllanHOY PhilipHOY StephenHOY KevinHOY Michael

Connections

Subject (organisation)Hong Kong Restaurant, PerthRelated collectionAnne Atkinson CollectionCelebrating 200 Years - National Foundation for Australia-China Relations Project

Item information

ContributorSchool of Social SciencesSource of informationNAA Immigration File for Goon Tam HoyNAA Immigration File for Ah Tai Cheng/Hoy

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UWA Collected

AH TAI HOY (CHENG) (female)

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA