The Chinese born population in Australia continued to decline until
the early 1950s. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s there was
an increasing number of private and government sponsored Asian students
coming to Australia to study as well as a growing number of Asian
migrants. Some of these were ethnic Chinese. Most of the Chinese-born
immigration during the 1970s & ‘80s came from countries
like Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam & Taiwan.
Many Chinese-born overseas students came to Australia to study in
the 1980s. After the Tianaman Square uprising in 1989 students were
allowed to stay in Australia as permanent residents. The return
of Hong Kong to China led to an increase of Chinese entering Australia
under the Business Migration Scheme in the 1980s & 90s.
CHINESE COMMUNITY IN DAREBIN
The Chinese community in Darebin has grown rapidly over the last
20 years with the latest arrivals being mostly from Mainland China.
Their influence can be seen in the number of shops, small businesses,
Chinese medical practitioners, dance groups, language classes and
organisations such as the North Eastern Melbourne Chinese Association(NEMCA).
NORTH EASTERN MELBOURNE CHINESE ASSOCIATION
The North Eastern Melbourne Chinese Association (NEMCA) was formed
in 1994. Members meet every Saturday and Sunday in Preston. The
Association is active and holds many activities including the Annual
Festival of Kites at Bundoora Park, Chinese chess and bridge games,
social dances, rehearsing singing, dancing and fashion parade performances,
Chinese painting and calligraphy through the Aust-China Art Centre,
table tennis and Tai Chi amongst other things.
‘The NEMCA WEBSITE’ http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/nemca/web/index.html
CHINESE SETTLEMENT IN THE CITY of DAREBIN
In 2003 Arthur B.W. Yong co-ordinated and edited a book for the
North Eastern Melbourne Chinese Association (NEMCA) on Chinese settlement
in Darebin. First published in July 2003,
'Chinese Settlement in the City of Darebin', records the experiences
of Australians of Chinese descent who live, work and study in the
City of Darebin. There are nineteen stories on the lives and contributions
made by the Chinese for over 100 years from Market Gardeners to
University Lecturers. These stories give some insight into the lives
of Chinese Australians in Darebin.
LISA CHAN
One story from Lisa Chan recalls her student days, “I don’t
recall being bullied at all through my school years. No one ever
treated me differently to the other kids nor did I ever feel dissimilar
to them. I was always part of the gang”. Lisa credits this
to the fact that Darebin has been a multicultural city.
DR STANLEY TIEN-LIN CHIANG
Dr Stanley Chiang was born in 1959 in Shanghai, China. Dr Chiang
said,"My most memorable experience in Australia is NEMCA being
awarded 'Organisation of the Year' by the City of Darebin in 2001
and me being elected as the first Councillor of Chinese background
in the City of Darebin."
DR CHRISTINE CAO
Dr Christine Cao, a Mental Health worker from Northcote talks of
being helped by English teachers from Darebin’s Neighbourhood
Houses to help edit a thesis.
MING YANG
Ming Yangs first impression of Australia was that it had a country
lifestyle. “Because I was from a busy city, Shanghai, I am
so used to noise, here it is so quiet.” Ming lives in Preston
and wants to be the first Chinese born Australian to play senior
Australian Rules Football.
ALICE YUK-LIN WONG
Alice Yuk-Lin Wong was born in Singapore in 1949. She completed
her nursing training in Hong Kong, worked for 2 years as a nurse
in the United Kingdom and today works in a Maternal & Child
Care Centre in the City of Darebin.
YING ZHU & JUE PENG WANG
Ying Zhu and Jue Peng Wang have exhibited their artworks of Chinese
calligraphy and paintings at the Festival of Kites Bundoora Park
in 1997-2003, at launches of Chinese collections of books and video
tapes at Darebin Libraries, at Darebin community festivals and Chinese
festivals in the City of Darebin. Yeng Zhu co-ordinates the North
Eastern Melbourne Chinese Association (NEMCA) Aust-China Art Centre
etc.
ARTHUR BOON WAH YONG
Yong Boon Wah was born in Penang - Malaysia in 1950.
His grandparents had immigrated to Malaysia from Teochiu province
in China. The Yong family maintained their traditional values and
Chinese faith and Arthur learnt the Chinese language, the Hokkien,
Hakka and Cantonese dialects. Arthur’s Chinese name means
‘chinese scholar’ and ‘old man with longevity’.
“I was one of 6 children, three boys and three girls. I was
number four, the second boy in the family. My father and his brother
operated a photographic studio in Penang.
At the age of 19 Yong’s parents thought it best that their
son further his education overseas as the Malaysian system discriminated
against Chinese. “Chances for education were limited. We looked
at whether I should go to Japan, India or Taiwan & eventually
decided on Australia”.
YONG BOON WAH COMES TO AUSTRALIA
On the 16th of January 1969 Yong Boon Wah left from Penang Airport
with his Chung Ling High School mate Ooi Hoe Ghee & his brother
Hoe Sin. “Soon after we arrived in Australia we changed our
names. I became Arthur B. W. Yong, my class mate called himself
Albert & his brother became known as Alex. After arriving &
settling I continued my education at Thornbury High School doing
my Year 11 Leaving Certificate & Year 12 Matriculation”.
ARTHUR AS A TRAM CONDUCTOR
While on school holidays I picked up some work as a Melbourne tram
Conductor at the East Preston Depot. This really exposed me to the
City and its citizens. I learnt the language and developed my human
skills! The student conductors worked for around 2-3 months while
many of the permanent trammies were on holidays. I enjoyed 3 seasons
as a Connie in 1969 -’70 & ‘71”.
“Being a trammie also introduced me to Melbournes love for
sport. Living in Preston and hearing much about Peter McKenna led
me to barrack for Collingwood”.
BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE
Arthur completed a Batchelor of Applied Science, majoring in Chemistry
& Bio-Chemistry at Swinburne. In 1974 he joined the Alfred Hospital
and later The Royal Children’s Hospital as a full time medical
scientist & biochemist, the start of a long & distinguished
medical science career. “I was involved in performing a range
of diagnostic tests in the specialised areas of Paediatric Endocrinology,
Steroid Biochemistry, Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Gastroenterology
and Nutrition of Clinical Biochemistry at the Royal Children’s
Hospital. I’ve also worked as a part-time biochemist at Preston
& Northcote Community Hospital”.
MARRIED JADWIGA OF GERMAN & POLISH ANCESTORY
Arthur married Jadwiga, daughter of a German mother and Polish father
in 1975. They’ve had two daughters, Shwu Lin and Mai Lin.
The Yong’s love to mix Eastern and Western cultures with an
example being the eating of Asian and Australian foods at home.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY, RECONCILIATION & THE PUBLIC DEBATE
- 1998
Arthur was active in challenging the One Nation Party’s immigration
policies at the Northcote by-election in 1998. He spoke on behalf
of the Chinese community in the City of Darebin next door to the
Northcote Town Hall on the 25th of July to promote multiculturalism
and protest against Pauline Hanson’s divisive policies. He
also encouraged NEMCA to rally on the streets on a march for ‘Reconciliation’.
NORTHERN MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTRE
Arthur currently works at the Northern Migrant Resource Centre helping
Chinese men in areas of preventative health, parenting, relationship
issues and helps to settle newly arrived people to adjust to a ‘new
life’.
NORTH EASTERN MELBOURNE CHINESE ASSOCIATION - NEMCA
Arthur B. W. Yong is Vice President of NEMCA and is on the working
party for the annual City of Darebin Kite Festival held annually
in Bundoora.
