POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Collection of photographs relating to the Wong family

Object No. 97/92/12-1

This group of photographs are part of a collection of personal effects and shop stock relating to the Wong family who operated a general store on a sheep farm at Bolong, north of Crookwell, NSW, between 1880 and 1916. Amateur photography was a popular pastime by the end of the 1800s. Dry emulsion glass plate negatives gave photographers greater freedom to travel without cumbersome developing kits. Sat and Amelia Wong's son, Henry, was a keen photographer who developed and made hundreds of prints from glass-plate negatives. He was also in demand as a local portrait photographer. Wong Sat and Amelia Wong were married in 1864. Seven of their 10 children were born there. Both Amelia and Sat had migrated to Australia in the 1850s. Amelia arrived with her family from Manchester where they had a drapery business. Like many other Chinese men Sat made his way to Australia alone and in search of gold. He too made his way to the Bathurst area. Again like many other Chinese migrants, Sat moved from mining into trade - possibly as a butcher, shopkeeper or carrier. Sat and Amelia were selling supplies to Chinese and European customers in the gold mining town of Tuena from 1864 to 1875. In that year the family moved south to the Fullerton/Bolong area near Crookwell where they continued to trade and farm on a rented property. In 1879 Sat was naturalised which allowed him to purchase land. Several hundred acres were bought in 1880 and a small wooden store was built on the property. Built on a sheep farm well away from link roads, the rudimentary wooden building was a 'convenience store' supplying local families on the properties and occasional travellers with a vast array of goods from foodstuffs to clothing, school needs to farm supplies. Where city and large country department stores were utilising sophisticated display techniques the Wong store had a functional set of shelves. Most goods were stored in boxes or cupboards to be brought out upon request. Like other general stores, the Wongs' business also served an important economic function as a provider of credit for families waiting for returns on their wool clip or harvest. The Wongs became highly respected members of the local community. The store traded until Sat's death in 1916.