This small Chinese church is tucked away in Queensberry Street, Carlton, between the campus’ of RMIT University and the University of Melbourne. It is surrounded by warehouses and student accommodation and at the end of the street is the grand Royal Exhibition Buildings. It is easy to miss. It has recently come to my attention that this charming and historically significant Church of Christ Chinese Mission hall is up for sale. In all likelihood it will be demolished.
It was built c1905 specifically for the Chinese Mission by the Church of Christ on vacant land and still operates. Early converts were Harry Louey Pang (an influential leader in the Melbourne KMT) and Samuel Wong (influential in Melbourne and then in Sydney, also in the KMT). When Samuel left Melbourne for Sydney he was gifted an engraved silver scuttle and scoop by the Church of Christ congregation. These two men along with William Hing and Arthur Lee Mow were members of the Chinese Christian Union which lobbied for the rights of Chinese Australian in the early twentieth century.
The Chen Ah Kew family have had links with the church that span generations. Chen Ah Kew’s eldest daughter, Mary Yeung (nee Chen who was also married in the Wong Yen family), converted to Christianity after attending school at the church. After seeing a vision of the Holy Ghost and Jesus in 1910s she became a passionate Pentecostal. She established a mission and girls school in the Chen family Wangchong village, gave lectures around Australia to raise funds to support the mission and was involved in mission work in Hong Kong. Mary’s niece, Mabel Wang (nee Chen) remembered playing the organ that is still in the building – ‘It was always out of tune!’ Her son, Mark, remembers running down the side lane to go to Sunday school. The Hing Yee and Louey Gung families also have memories of attending classes there.
I’d love to learn more about any other family and community connections to the hall. Do any early photographs of it survive? I’d like to write a short history about it. A small group have been in some discussions to try and find some ways to save it. You can private message or email me if you would like to discuss.
Further reading
- Judith Brett and Mei-Fen Kuo, Unlocking the History of the Australasian Kuo Min Tang 1911-2013, Australian Scholarly Press, 2013.
- Mei-fen Kuo, Making Chinese Australia: Urban Elites, Newspapers and the Formation of Chinese-Australian Identity, 1892-1912, Monash University Press, 2013.
- C.F. Yong, The New Gold Mountain: The Chinese in Australia 1901-1921, Raphael Arts Pty Ltd, 1977.
- Denise Austin, ‘Mary Yeung: The Ordinary Life of An Extraordinary Australian Chinese Pentecostal – Part I and Part II’, Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, 2013, vol.16, pp.99-137.
Sophie Couchman 
My grandfather was a minister there.
Would love to chat further with you Julie.
William Chin Jame my grandfather and cousin Julie’s was the Minister at Queensberry St I can give you some further details including his grave
Hi Julie,
The Chinese Museum is having a reunion of past families who attended the Church this Sunday 21/06/24 at 2.00pm at the Church. Sorry for the late notice. It was my oversight not to include you in the invitation list.
Hope you or any interested members of your family can make it. For further information, please contact me on 0409 388813 or by email on ceo@chinesemuseum.com.au
If you would like to receive an invitation, please request one to your email address.
Best regards
Mark Wang, CEO Chinese Museum
Pity Developers will pull this building down my great grandfather was the architect that designed the building in 1904 FJ Brearley
The Chinese Museum is having a reunion of past families who attended the Church this Sunday 21.06/24 at 2.00pm at the Church. Sorry for the late notice. It was my oversight not to include you in the invitation list.
Hope you or any interested members of you family can make it. For further information, please contact me on 0409 388813 or by email on ceo@chinesemuseum.com.au
If you would like an invitation, please request one to your email address.
Best regards
Mark Wang, CEO Chinese Museum
It saddens me to think of the church’s future. My father was a minister there too & we spent much of our childhood there.
The Chinese Museum is having a reunion of past families who attended the Church this Sunday 21.06/24 at 2.00pm at the Church. Sorry for the late notice. It was my oversight not to include you in the invitation list.
Hope you or any interested members of you family can make it. For further information, please contact me on 0409 388813 or by email on ceo@chinesemuseum.com.au
If you would like an invitation, please request one to your email address.
Best regards
Mark Wang, CEO Chinese Museum
Gee, I wonder if that was one of Barry Pang’s relatives…
Barry Pang of the eponymus Kung Fu School…
The Chinese Museum is having a reunion of past families who attended the Church this Sunday 21.06/24 at 2.00pm at the Church. Sorry for the late notice. It was my oversight not to include you in the invitation list.
Hope you or any interested members of you family can make it. For further information, please contact me on 0409 388813 or by email on ceo@chinesemuseum.com.au
If you would like an invitation, please request one to your email address.
Best regards
Mark Wang, CEO Chinese Museum
On the Facebook site The Lost History of Melbourne, they have posted the sale and I have posted a link to your article. Hopefully it will give more support.
Dear Carol,
The Chinese Museum is having a reunion of past families who attended the Church this Sunday 21.06/24 at 2.00pm at the Church. Sorry for the late notice. It was my oversight not to include you in the invitation list.
Hope you or any interested members of you family can make it. For further information, please contact me on 0409 388813 or by email on ceo@chinesemuseum.com.au
If you would like an invitation, please request one to your email address.
Best regards
Mark Wang, CEO Chinese Museum
My grandmother Emma Simmonds who was a member of the Lygon Street Church of Christ played the piano at the church when it first opened. I believe it was started by that church and know the name of the person who was involved. My grandfather Henry Louey (not his actual Chinese name) was walking past the church and being lonely at the time and seeing the Chinese writing came into the church. He met Emma and they married in 1907. Very controversial because of White Australia legislation under the new Federal Government. Emma had her British citizenship removed and Henry was never allowed to vote until he was finally given Australian Citizenship at the Hawthorn Town hall in 1959. We all attended. Emma destroyed her citizenship when returned and died that year. They celebrated their 50th anniversary when we were living in North Carlton and we were members of the Lygon Street Church of Christ. When I was 11 he took me to a service in the church. Henry died in 1961.
Thanks so much for sharing this information Lance. I would be interested in talking with you further!
I’d be interested to talk anytime. My brother and I have many memories of our grandparents and their extraordinary lives, well embedded in that church.
Hi Sophie
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div>I’d be happy to talk anytime. My brother and I have many memories of our grandparents connecti
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful family story Lance. These are the kinds of accounts that are hard to find in the archives.
Dear Lance,
The Chinese Museum is having a reunion of past families who attended the Church this Sunday 21.06/24 at 2.00pm at the Church. Sorry for the late notice. It was my oversight not to include you in the invitation list.
Hope you or any interested members of you family can make it. For further information, please contact me on 0409 388813 or by email on ceo@chinesemuseum.com.au
If you would like an invitation, please request one to your email address.
Best regards
Mark Wang, CEO Chinese Museum