Wong Mee Chang

Notes for Wong Mee Chang: (also known as Wong Kam Cheun in correspondence with Chinese Govt.) Wong Mee Chang was born abt 1839 in Lo Fu Tau Cheun, Village 91, Fa (Hau) County, China, and died abt. 1910 in Canton,China. His birth village was” relocated” during land reforms in early 1950. He married (1) Li ?? in China. She was born abt. 1830 in China, and died abt. 1860 in China. He married (2) Prudence Mary Hodge 16 Jan 1879 in St Johns Anglican Church, Invercargill, New Zealand, daughter of Thomas Hodge and Mary Roberts. Witnesses at wedding were Evelyn Newson and Ah Ming, Dipton. Prudence was born 11 Dec 1845 in Camborne, Cornwall, England, and died 1911 in Hokitika, New Zealand. His father,? Wong Smiler Chang and two sons, Wong Tak Cheung (Wong Dat Jang) and Wong Fung Cheung (Wong Foong Jang) from his marriage to Li, could have travelled to NZ with him. His anticipated arrival at the Port of Otago is abt 1869, as one of the unnamed Chinese, on board a vessel leaving from Victoria, Australia. There is mention of them in Rev. Don’s Diary 1881-1883 as living in the Riverton area. It is in the early writings of the Round Hill and Riverton area that mention is made of a Wong Smiler Chang. This gent rode a white horse and mined in the area and is thought to be the “grandfather”. The Round Hill area became known as “Canton” with over 200 Chinese in huts scattered around the gullies. Supplies were carried on foot and horseback into “Canton” from nearby Riverton The first documented record noted is the “Wises New Zealand Directory 1878-1879 where he is listed as a “fancy goods dealer” in Dee St, Invercargill. It was thought this to be gold and jewellery with opium on the side – a supposed cure for toothache! Gambling was his addiction and he lost everything. They moved to Riverton and on borrowed capital, acquired a Tea House and store near the gold fields of Round Hill. During the next few years there was a degree of stability in their lives and four of their children were born, Minnie Salome 1880, Robert 1881, Richard 1882 and Isabella 1884. The family moved to Tapanui, Otago where they leased a Boarding House and Store. It was here that Sydney Noble Mee Chang (my grand father) was born in Sept 1885. Wong Mee Chang and his son Robert were also approached by Sew Hoy to be involved in the exhumation of Chinese graves for the Ching Shin Tong (Burial Society) so bones could be returned to China for re-internment. It took almost two (2) years to complete the task throughout Southland, Otago and the West Coast and by this time he was in his 70’s. Wong left his family in NZ and in 1907 returned to his homeland to spend his last years. We have no record of his death/burial in China. http://nzchinese.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=surnames&action=display&thread=1843