Summary

Photograph of a group of adults and children taken on a ship. The people in the photograph are mainly Chinese, and it is likely some members of the Gung family are depicted in the photograph. The Gung family travelled frequently between Australia and China from the 1920s to the 1950s. The Gung family collection documents their experiences of migrating and living in Australia from the 1920s to the 1960s and the gradual easing of the White Australia policy.

The man seated centrally at the front of the group has been identified as Wong Shee Ping (aka Wong You Kung). He was a writer for Melbourne's 'Chinese Times', a Christian preacher, Chine revolutionary and a member of a prominent family in Victoria's Chinese business community. He is reported to have spoken little English, but made it his mission to espouse Western-influenced values and ideas. He is the author of Australia's first Chinese language novel 'The Poison of Polygamy' which recounts the story of a man from southern China who tried his luck on the Victorian goldfiends, the wife he left behind and thir eventaul reunion. A translation of the book by Ely Finch was published by Sydney University Press in 2019.

Description of Content

Photograph of a group of passengers taken on a ship. There are both adults and children, largely of Chinese descent. It is likely that some of the people depicted are members of the Gung family.

Physical Description

Black and White image. Landscape format.

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