HOY POY Renie (female)

Description

Biographical informationDaughter of Yuen Hoy Poy and Mary Selina Brewer.
Renie Avis was born 30 June 1915 in Perth (BDM 101248/1915).

She attended the Wesley Church Mission School and Perth Technical School. By the age of 16 she decided to attend school in Canton.
She travelled to China in January 1932 with her brother Clyde and did not return to Australia until September 1947.

When hostilities broke out in 1939 Sadie and Renie were both in Hong Kong but moved to unoccupied China. Sadie applied to return to Australia but Renie stayed in China working for the British Press (NAA Security file, ID 780258 and 1382249).

In 1941, realising that she would need to extend her citizenship after 10 years out of Australia, she explained that, 'owing to the present difficulties and the very high cost of travelling nowadays, I cannot foresee returning to Australia by January 1942'. She received an extension to January 1944 but returned to Australia without issue in September 1947 (NAA CEDT App 1941 file).

In 1944 she was awarded an Americal civil decoration for her work with the air force.

When she returned to Perth in September 1947 she went to live with her mother Mary (West Australian, 22 September 1947, p. 12).

There are 3 Oral Histories of Renie Yuan at State Library WA:
OH 3967 (1981)
OH 4296/7 (1994)
OH 4296/11 (1994)Date of birth30th June 1915

Document

'Faithful Service' - 1945

'Perth Girl Gets out of Hong Kong' - 1943

'West Australian Woman tells her story' - 1947

2007 Profile of Renie - Asia Times

2007 Profile of Renie - Chinese

2007 Profile of Renie - English

Hoy Poy family name

Hoy Poy family name, 1982

Secret Service File - Hoy Poy family

Secret Service File - Yuen Hoy Poy family

Person

HOY POY Bruce

HOY POY Clyde

HOY POY Doreen Sadie (female)

HOY POY Elvie (female)

HOY POY Max

HOY POY Royce

HOY POY/YUEN Mary (female)

YUEN HOY POY

Photograph and slide

Renie Hoy Poy - 1945 medal

Renie Hoy Poy pictured around the age of 16 on her Certificate Exempting her from the Dictation Test (sourcee: National Archives, K1145, 1931/56).

Family

ParentYUEN HOY POYHOY POY/YUEN Mary (female)SiblingHOY POY Doreen Sadie (female)HOY POY Elvie (female)HOY POY ClydeHOY POY BruceHOY POY RoyceHOY POY Max

Connections

Item information

ContributorSchool of Social SciencesSource of informationNAA CEDT File 1931NAA CEDT App 1941

UWA Collected

HOY POY Renie (female)

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA