Patsy Tong See holding tea cup at Families of Fortune exhibition May 2009. Photo courtesy of Tweed River Regional Museum
In memory of Henry Chan (1937 – 2008)
A wave of Chinese migration to the Tweed began in the late 19th century and the newcomers quickly established themselves as market gardeners, banana growers, cooks, herbalists and shopkeepers. Many long-term Murwillumbah residents remember the Tong family who ran a store for many years. All these are recorded through personal stories, photos and historical information in Families of Fortune – Chinese People In The Tweed.
The project documented Chinese history in the Tweed Valley, and was part of a broader project that the Tweed River Regional Museum has been working on since 2005 with the NSW Migration Heritage Centre which aimed at collecting and preserving information on the formation of the Tweed’s culturally diverse communities.
The project included:
• identification and recording of photographs and objects relating to Chinese heritage held in private hands;
• filming of four oral histories with Chinese or Australian-born Chinese in the Tweed Valley;
• location and documentation of Chinese heritage sites in the Tweed Valley;
• a 96 page illustrated publication;
• An exhibition featuring significant objects from the Museum’s collection as well as items loaned from families and individuals in the Tweed and
• A launch event attended by over 200 people, including descendents and family members of some of the early Chinese migrants to the Tweed.
Book
The book Families of Fortune – Chinese People In The Tweed was written by Joanna Boileau for the Tweed River Regional Museum and NSW Migration Heritage Centre in association with the Chinese-Australian Historical Society and the Tracking The Dragon project. The book was Highly Commended in the 2010 National Trust Heritage Awards.
DVD
A wave of Chinese migration to the Tweed began in the late 19th century and the newcomers quickly established themselves as market gardeners, banana growers, cooks, herbalists and shopkeepers. Many long-term Murwillumbah residents remember the Tong family who ran a store for many years. The Tong family and other personal stories are featured in the video Families of Fortune – Chinese People In The Tweed by documentary maker Magli McDuffie and Pandion Pictures produced by the Tweed River Regional Museum and NSW Migration Heritage Centre.
Launch Photos
John Petersen, Former Manager of the Migration Heritage Centre (2004-2012), officially launches the publication “Families of fortune: Chinese people in the Tweed.”
Barry Longland, Deputy Mayor of Tweed Shire, officially launches the Families of Fortune exhibition at the Coolamon Cultural Centre, 30 May 2009
