Despite improvements in our understandings of Australia’s Chinese history and heritage there remain many aspects of the lives, culture and community of Chinese immigrants and their descendants about which we know frustratingly little. This can be daunting for those researching their Chinese ancestry. What members of the Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria (CAFHOV) want to demonstrate through our work is that these challenges are not insurmountable and you don’t have to face them alone. The first half of this book illustrates the diverse paths CAFHOV members have travelled in order to understand more about their families. Each journey starts with a different set of circumstances and challenges. The second half of the book focusses on historical
sources and skills which might prove valuable to those researching their Chinese ancestry.

Journeys into Chinese Australian Family History has been shortlisted for the Victoria Community History Awards in 2020. Results to be announced during Family History Week in October 2020.

Copies of the book can be purchased via:

• Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria website
• Blurb online bookshop (preview available)
• National Library of Australia bookshop

Table of Contents

• Introduction – Sophie Couchman
• Family history and pioneering project in academia – Mei-fen Kuo

Part I: Family History Journeys

• Harm Goong and Leung Mang Yee: Sally Keam
• Finding Dong Low and our ancestral village: Alan To and Terry Young
• Who is Chin Loong? A Chinese grandfather discovered: Mei-Ling and John Griffiths
• Henry Lamson (Lim Son) of Cheshunt, King Valley: Wayne Brown
• We are all connected…: Irene Poon

Part II: Journeys into the Archives

• Working with Chinese language when you don’t speak Chinese; Sophie Couchman
• Researching Chinese Australian ancestry in Hong Kong: Pauline Rule
• How to use Certificates of Title to track down your family history: Brian Tseng
• Understanding Sands & McDougall directories and local government rate books: Sophie Couchman and Barbara Nichol
• Using DNA in your search for Chinese ancestors: Sally Keam
• DNA for beginners: What’s in it for me?: Wayne Brown