The Avoca and District Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, collecting and researching the history of Avoca, Victoria, and the surrounding district
Margaret Johnston was born about 1835 in Airdrie, Scotland, the daughter of Thomas Johnston.
The ship Medina 956 tons, Captain J. Sandford, departed Liverpool 26th June 1852, arriving Port Adelaide, South Australia on 9th October 1852. She carried 410 Government emigrants, among them Margaret Johnstone, 18, a farm servant of Fermanagh.
On 26 January 1854 Margaret Johnston married Henry Calaby in Adelaide, South Australia.
They moved to Homebush, near Avoca, shortly after their marriage. Henry Calaby was a herdsman. They had twelve children between 1855 and 1879.
On 21 January 1884 Margaret Calaby was admitted to Maryborough Hospital. On the admission record it was stated that she was 48 years old and lived at Homebush. She had arrived in Australia on the Medina from Birkenhead. A native of Airdrie, Scotland, she had been in the colony thirty-one years.
Mrs Calaby, of Homebush, died in the Maryborough Hospital on Wednesday, and her remains were brought to her late home by train yesterday. The funeral, which took place at two o'clock to-day, was well attended by friends and acquaintances.
Margaret Calaby was buried at Avoca Cemetery. The burial register records that she died of bronchitis and asthma.
In Loving Memory Of Henry Calaby Born Norkfolk England Who Died At Homebush On The 19th March 1892 Aged 63 Years Also Of His Wife Margaret Calaby Nee Johnstone Born At Airdrie Scotland Who Died At Maryborough on the 17th January 1893 Aged 58 Years Also Of Their Children William James And Sarah Thy Will Be Done
Where was Margaret nee Johnston from: Airdrie, Scotland, or Fermanagh, Ireland?
In 1893 when Margaret Calaby was admitted to Maryborough Hospital she was recorded as being a native of Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Nine years earlier, on her admission to hospital then, it was stated that she was a native of Airdrie, Scotland, and had arrived on the Medina. On her gravestone she is said to have been born at Airdrie. On the Medina’s passenger list she was from Fermanagh.
In 1868 a Christian missionary, the Reverend William Young, presented a report on the condition of the Chinese population to the Victorian Parliament.
The Reverend William Young (1811-1888) had been an agent of the London Missionary Society. He was of Scots/Malay background and had spent 27 years in China. From the mid 1850s he ran a Chinese Mission in Castlemaine but visited other gold fields. From 1858 he was a pastor of a Chinese church in Ballarat.
Reverend Young had surveyed Chinese interpreters on the goldfields including Howqua of Avoca. Other localities included in the survey were:
Ballarat: Chinese interpreter Abboo Mason, also Smythesdale
Ararat: Chinese interpreter Lee Young
Maryborough: Chinese interpreter W. Ah-Kew
Castlemaine: Chinese interpreter James Ah Coy
Daylesford and Hepburn District: Chinese interpreter Low Among
Beechworth: Chinese interpreter William Tsze-Hing
Sandhurst (Bendigo): Chinese interpreter Wat Ah-Che
An analysis of the responses can be found on the website Chinese Ancestors Victorian Gold Fields 1860s. It is noted that there were other gold fields that were not recorded in the survey including Stawell, Nine Mile Creek, Maldon, Yackandandah and Geelong.
Report on the condition of the Chinese population in Victoria by the Rev. W. Young. Presented to both Houses of Parliament.
Melbourne, 5th March, 1868
SIR,
In compliance with the desire expressed in your communication to me, under date 17th September, 1867. I have the honor to submit to you a full Report on the condition of the Chinese population in Victoria
The Report divides itself into four Parts.
The 1st Part contains statistics of Chinese population, and particulars of their employments &c., and were furnished by the Chinese Interpreters, in reply to a long series of questions put to them by me. Much interesting information is contained in these statistics, and some valuable suggestions.
The 2nd Part contains a professional report on the condition and wants of the Chinese lepers on Ballarat, by Doctor Clendenning, which is a valuable document.
The 3rd Part contains a translation of a code of rules of a Chinese association, which I considered might be deemed of importance by you, inasmuch as it throws light on some of the social habits of the Chinese. The mode in which the code deals with offenders may possibly suggest to those who are charged with the making of laws for the government of these people a more effectual method of dealing with the numerous Chinese petty larcenies and robberies perpetrated in all directions, and which the mode of punishment hitherto adopted for suppressing has been found to be insufficient.
The 4th Part contains my Report on the condition of the Chinese in the colony, together with suggestions as to how that condition may be improved, and those vicious practices and crimes suppressed which are so notoriously prevalent among the Chinese.
I beg to be allowed to observe, in conclusion, that much more time and pains than I had at first anticipated were required for the collecting of the information embodied in the Report, and many difficulties and delays, unlooked for, were encountered, otherwise the Report would have been submitted to you at an earlier date.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
WM. YOUNG
To the Honorable S. H. Bindon, Minister of Justice, Crown Law Offices, Melbourne.
Statement about Avoca from Part I of the report
AVOCA.
Statistics of Chinese Population, and particulars of their Employments, furnished by the Chinese Interpreter, HOW-QUA.
250 total population of Chinese.
50 Chinese in the largest camp.
150 Chinese married in China.
4 Chinese married to European women in this colony.
9 Chinese children; four go to school.
218 Chinese are miners. Their average earnings are from 12s. to 13s. a week each. Fossickers earn from 6s. to 7s. a week each.
2 puddling machines, each employing six Chinese, who earn £1 a week each.
2 Chinese employed by Europeans at their claims; they earn 25s. a week per man.
30 Chinese employed last year by Europeans as harvest-men, at the rate of 25s. a week per man. They were employed at this work for four or five weeks.
Sheepshearers-none.
10 shopkeepers.
10 market gardeners and sellers of vegetables.
Barbers none.
1 doctor.
Chemists-none.
1 tailor.
2 butchers.
5 carpenters.
1 cook-shop. Fishsellers-none.
Hawkers of useful and fancy articles-none.
6 unemployed Chinese.
No hospital at this place. 1 Chinese patient was sent to Geelong hospital.
Subscription of Chinese to hospital last year, £1 1s.
2 lepers. One of them was sent to the hospital at Amherst, twelve miles distant, and one is able to work.
2 gambling-houses. Evils of gambling: If the gambler happens to be unfortunate, he turns to stealing.
50 Chinese out of 100 are gamblers.
2 opium-shops. Evils of opium smoking: A man comes to get an intolerable craving for it. If the Government were to impose a heavy duty on opium, the number of opium smokers would be lessened by one-half.
50 Chinese out of 100 are opium smokers.
From 11s. to 12s. are spent by rich Chinese on opium per week; 6s. to 7s. by men in middling circumstances; 2s. 6d. to 3s. a week by poor men.
In order to prevent gambling, make the laws regarding it more severe, especially for prohibiting lottery gambling.
To stop opium smoking: A man who sees the evils that spring from it, will of himself cease using the drug.
18 Chinese were imprisoned last year. The prisoners were employed in sweeping, sawing wood, and weeding. The crimes for which they were imprisoned, and the sentences passed upon them, are as below :-
Number Chinese
Crime
Sentence
1
vagrancy
1 month’s imprisonment
1
stealing
3 months’ imprisonment
1
obscene language
24 hours’ imprisonment
1
Stealing fowls
1 month’s imprisonment
1
fighting
48 hours’ imprisonment
1
stealing
7 months’ imprisonment
1
vagrancy
3 months’ imprisonment
1
stealing from shop
3 months’ imprisonment
1
stealing fowls
3 months’ imprisonment
1
vagrancy and stealing
6 months’ imprisonment
1
vagrancy
3 months’ imprisonment
1
gambling
2 months’, and fined £20
1
destitute
3 months’ imprisonment
1
stealing
4 days’ imprisonment
1
perjury
3 years’ imprisonment
1
petty theft
4 months’ imprisonment
1
destitute
3 months’ imprisonment
1
destitute
1 months’ imprisonment
To prevent the manufacture of spurious gold, you must make the laws more severe.
4 Chinese baptized.
1 Chinese naturalized.
2 returned to China last year.
If schools are established for teaching the English language, the Chinese would attend them.
