CHINESE IN FIRST WORLD WAR / OPENING UP AUSTRALIA

 You   sure  live and   learn . The purchase by one of our pickers  of  this  slim booklet  from  the Townsville University Hospital  volunteer   stall   book  section ,   about   26  men  from  the  tiny New South Wales  town  of   Tallong  who went off  to  fight  in  the  First World  War ,  made  this    blog  aware   for  the  first  time  of  the   Chinese  contribution  to   the  conflict.

It specifically mentions the Noyelles-sur-mer  Chinese  cemetery  for those  who  died  in France  while  helping  the  Allies  in  many , non combatant ,  ways .

 A quick   online   check  ,which  included  the Encyclopedia Britannica ,  revealed  extensive   information  about  the tens of thousands  of   labourers  who  joined  the   British  Army    Chinese  Labour Corps .  It  seems  the  volunters  escaped  the  poverty  and  political unrest of China  in much of the country , each  one  receiving  an embarkment fee of  20 yuan, followed by 10 yuan  payment to  the  family in China.   Most travelled to Europe by the Pacific and  Canada  .

They carried out a variety of work -clearing mines, repaired  roads  and  railways , loading and unloading munitions.,  digging  up  bodies . They were kept  in  camps, not  allowed out  to fratenise  locally .

AN  ABC  documentary  shown at the weekend  included  interesting information  and  photos  about  the  Chinese  in  North Queensland , especially   Cairns  and   Atherton . The following photo  is of  a prominent  Chinese  man and his  family  in  Cairns.  

  

In  the  Chinese temple in Cairns is  a  banner (below)  which   refers to the signifance  of  bats .

Author, historian and publisher  , the late Glenville  Pike ,  who wrote  about the pioneering days of   North Australia , often stated the Chinese  played a major part  in opening up Australia, building railways, clearing  land ,establishing  market  gardens , working mines , opening shops and cafes . Darwin had  once  been regarded  as  a Chinese  town , many  Europeans   there  ,including  public servants,  given   credit   by   Chinese .  Canny Chinese   merchants  were said to  closely  watch  passenger ship  departures  from  Darwin  to make sure no one  left  town  without  settling  their  IOUs.