S. Couchman (ed), Journeys into Chinese Australian Family History, Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria: Melbourne, Vic, 2019
Commendation: Community Diversity Award, Community History Awards, 2020
Despite improvements in our understandings of Australia’s Chinese history and heritage, there remain many aspects of the lives, culture and community of Chinese immigrants and their descendants about which we know frustratingly little. This can be daunting for those researching their Chinese ancestry. What members of the Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria (CAFHOV) want to demonstrate through our work is that these challenges are not insurmountable, and you don’t have to face them alone. The first half of this book illustrates the diverse paths CAFHOV members have travelled in order to understand more about their families. Each journey starts with a different set of circumstances and challenges. The second half of the book focusses on historical sources and skills which might prove valuable to those researching their Chinese ancestry.
Table of Contents
- Introduction – Sophie Couchman
- Family history and pioneering project in academia – Mei-fen Kuo
Part I: Family History Journeys
- Harm Goong and Leung Mang Yee: Sally Keam
- Finding Dong Low and our ancestral village: Alan To and Terry Young
- Who is Chin Loong? A Chinese grandfather discovered: Mei-Ling and John Griffiths
- Henry Lamson (Lim Son) of Cheshunt, King Valley: Wayne Brown
- We are all connected…: Irene Poon
Part II: Journeys into the Archives
- Working with Chinese language when you don’t speak Chinese; Sophie Couchman
- Researching Chinese Australian ancestry in Hong Kong: Pauline Rule
- How to use Certificates of Title to track down your family history: Brian Tseng
- Understanding Sands & McDougall directories and local government rate books: Sophie Couchman and Barbara Nichol
- Using DNA in your search for Chinese ancestors: Sally Keam
- DNA for beginners: What’s in it for me?: Wayne Brown
To be launched Sunday, 18 August at the Chinese Museum as part of CAFHOV’s Chinese Australian Family History Day.
