Mr Loo Chin of Percydale

When the Maryborough and Avoca Railway was opened at Avoca by the Victorian Governor, among those who attended the festivities were the district’s Chinese residents. In an extensive report of the opening by the Avoca Mail on 24 October 1876 mention was made of a speech given by Mr Loo Chin, of Percydale on behalf of the district’s Chinese residents.

William Loo Ching was an interesting man, who had lived in the Avoca district for six of the more than 60 years he was in Australia.

He was born in Canton (Guangzhou), China, probably about 1830. He came to the Colony of Victoria in the 1850s.

On 9 May 1859, aged 28 (so born about 1831),  he married Anne Lane in St John’s Church of England in Melbourne. He described himself as a storekeeper living in Little Bourke Street. Anne Lane had been born in Ireland, arriving in Victoria in 1855. Anne was the servant of James Darling a Melbourne clergyman. She was introduced to Loo Chin by him. Anne’s sister Elizabeth also married a Chinese man.

William and Anne Loo Ching lived first in Ballarat and later Creswick where William was a storekeeper. 

They  had three children, two of whom died young.  William and Anne were estranged in 1861; on 4 March 1861 William Loo Ching placed an advertisement stating he would no longer be responsible for the debts of his wife Annie. In 1862 Anne Loo Ching successfully sued William Loo Ching for maintenance.

When their daughter Fung Lang (Dora) Loo Ching died in February 1862 there was an inquest. It was mentioned that the father of the child Loo Ching was a wealthy storekeeper at the Chinese Town, Black Lead (Creswick). He was reported to have been very fond of his daughter.

From about 1862 William Loo Ching cohabited with a woman called Julia Millar. They had eleven children.  Two of them were born in the gold fields town of Sofala, New South Wales, in 1865 and 1868. Around this time William also had a child with a Sofala woman, Caroline Green. The child died in infancy. William and Julia returned to Creswick, where a daughter was born to them in 1870. Between 1873 and 1877 three more children were born to the couple at Percydale near Avoca. By 1880 they were living in Sydney where four more children were born.

William and Julia married in Percydale on 5 June 1874 by licenseby a Wesleyan minister called David O’Donnell, a Wesleyan minister. Witnesses to the marriage were Elijah Gilsenan and Mary O’Donnell. On the marriage registration William aged 46 (born about 1828) was recorded as a widower with three children, two of whom had died. He had been born Canton, China. His occupation was Interpreter of Percydale. No information about his parents were recorded. Julia Miller was a spinster, aged 30.

In 1871 at Berlin (now Rheola) sixty kilometers north-east of Avoca, Loo Chin was with a party of Chinese miners who found a large gold nugget they named “The Precious” (also known as “The Kum Tow”). It weighed 796 ounces (22.6kg), the sixth largest nugget ever found in Australia.

In June 1875 Loo Chin was employed as an interpreter in Avoca. A correspondent to the Avoca Mail suggested his English was not good.

In October 1876 at the opening of the Maryborough Avoca Railway Loo Chin presented an address to the Governor of Victoria on behalf of the residents of Avoca.

In 1877 Loo Chin, then living at Percydale, was recorded in the newspapers scoring a cricket match and playing in another match.

He moved to Sydney in 1880 where he became a merchant living at 47 Smith Street, Surrey Hills. His family adopted the surname Lisson.

In December 1880 he advertised in the Sydney Evening News:

PUBLIC NOTICE.—WM. LOO CHING having
now Opened his commodious premises, is ready
to supply purchasers with the best and cheapest of
GROCERIES. If you wish to save money, do so by
purchasing your Groceries of him. Every kind kept in
stock. Note the address—William Loo Ching, 34,
Lansdowne-street, Surry Hills.

In 1888 William Loo Ching wrote a letter to the editor of the Sydney Daily Telegraph. In this letter he asserted he was 72 years old (born about 1816) and had arrived in Australia 42 years previously (about 1846).

Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW), Wednesday 9 May 1888, page 5

A VETERAN CHINAMAN'S FEW REMARKS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.
Sir,— Kindly excuse me for introducing myself. I am one of the oldest naturalised British subjects in Australia. Born in Canton 72 years ago, I emigrated, or rather took passage, at an early age in one of the old sailing boats then trading between Hongkong and London. I served as cabin boy to and fro for several years, and served in various capacities afterwards. I have resided both in Liverpool and Glasgow. I have reared an Australian family of 13, seven of them sons. Was one of the first batch of Chinamen who arrived some 42 years ago in Australia.

In the old days a Chinaman was looked upon as a species of natural curiosity rather than an interloper, and received more tokens of regard and friendship than, I regret to say, are at present shown him. I am sorry to see that my countrymen are not treated now as they were in former years, and am at a loss to understand why the national feeling should be so antagonistic to those of us at present amongst you. Is it because a new and totally different generation has sprung up, who are jealous of their rights and privileges; and fear that they will be encroached upon, or is it a popular fear that Australia will be overrun by us ? and we will make the continent a Chinese one ? To these grounds I say there are some causes for fear, for over-populated China must have some outlet for her vast numbers. As population there gradually increases and means of livelihood become limited, the people must and will seek for other lands where the chances for subsisting are easier. If, therefore, these reasons are correct, then I say the nation is right and is perfectly justified in closing her ports against us, for, to use the old adage, "Self-preservation is the first law of nature."

I, with the majority of my countrymen, those in mercantile and other pursuits, are of one mind, and have been so for years past, that it would be best for Australia to prevent a further influx, as this action would materially tend to benefit, not only themselves, but would make the lot of those of our countrymen lighter. For at present, in the face of hard and struggling times, it is a serious and difficult matter for all of us to eke out anything like a fair and honest living, and it would be a much harder matter for all of us to live were the colony swamped by excessive immigration.

If, therefore, prohibition is enforced, I would implore all trueborn Christian native Australians to be kind to those of us who are "aliens" amongst you and who are seeking for means of subsistence. Treat us not as beasts (as I have seen some of us treated), but bear with us with kindness and civility; for this you will get in return ; and do not forget that although our skins are yellow we have the same kindred feelings as yourselves and a heart beneath our jumpers which beats the same as any man ; for bear in mind that in a very few years indeed our present numbers will be considerably lessened both by death and departure (for a Chinaman's dearest wish is to lay his bones in his own native land), and then Australia will have attained her object of keeping "Australia for the Australians." Such men as self-constituted leaders of anti-Chinese societies and others who demean themselves by offensive epithets and disgraceful utterances against us we treat with silent contempt, as these proceedings not only rebut against themselves, but fail to benefit their cause. We cannot understand how any educated logical gentleman can use these utterances, much less direct others neither to speak, deal, sit, walk with nor acknowledge us.

What we ask for is common justice. (What says our mutual treaty?) If you deal with us, what we give you in return for your money is full value, whether it be in vegetables, cabinetware, or merchandise; This the poor classes can attest to.

From the press I would ask impartial treatment. If we transgress against your laws or otherwise offend, report us in truth. Neither vilify or for the sake of sensation say aught against us to our detriment. The truth we can bear.

We are not an infallible people, and as our stay amongst you will be but of short duration let us seek our living in peace, for in the course of but a few years' space we, the poor despised Chinaman, will be but an historical person of the past. — Yours. &c.,

WILLIAM LOO CHING,. Sen.
47 Smith-street, Surry-Hills

In 1892 William Loo Ching was one of the merchants representing Chinese residents in Sydney. There had been a riot. The Chinese community was dissatisfied with how Mr Quong Tart resolved a dispute and resolved that he should not represent them in future in matters requiring arbitration. William Loo Ching was described as “the oldest Chinaman in the colonies and a resident in Australia of 51 years”.  The dispute was apparently resolved amicably at a meeting of senior Chinese merchants including Mr Quong Tart and William Loo Ching.

In October 1910 William Looching Lisson died. He was said to be aged 91 but was probably 81 based on his ages when he was married. He was buried in Rookwood, Sydney, in the Old Church Of England Section of the cemetery.

Related posts and further reading:

• Opening of the Maryborough and Avoca Railway in 1876
• Chinese pageant and speech at the opening of the Maryborough and Avoca Railway in 1876

• 给我悄悄话. (2022, November 3). Loo ching 魯清（暫譯） – 博客 | 文学城. 文学城 | 博客 blog.wenxuecity.com. https://blog.wenxuecity.com/myblog/75580/202211/2108.html (Can be viewed in English using GoogleTranslate)

• Wikitree: William Loo Ching (abt. 1830-1910)

William Loo Ching owned real estate in Sydney. To do this he must have been naturalised. I have not found his naturalisation papers.