Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria

23/08/2026

It is always sad to hear of the passing of an elder in our Chinese community. We will note the loss of their precious memories and experiences as well as their presence.
A State Funeral Service to honour the life of Russell Goldfield Jack AM 雷陽名, a most respected elder in the Bendigo community, will be held at 11am on Saturday, 29 August at Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo.

A State Funeral Service to honour the life of Russell Goldfield Jack AM 雷陽名 will be held at 11am on Saturday, 29 August at Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo.

17/08/2026

Herstory – Another successful CAFHOV Family History Day this Sunday where families and friends gathered at the Chinese Museum Melbourne to share stories about Chinese Australian family history. And such a variety of stories! With a special presentation from Jun Bin Lee and his brilliant "Gold Mountain Wives" performers to finish the event.
It was an enjoyable day, made possible by team effort from members of CAFHOV as well as the staff and management from the Chinese Museum.

07/08/2026

CAFHOV Family History Day is on Sunday 16 August at the Chinese Museum Melbourne. Seats are limited!
For full program details and bookings: trybooking.com/DOEBE

22/07/2026

CAFHOV Family History Day
Sunday 16 August | 10.30am–3pm
HERSTORY
Our theme this year is about the women in our Chinese Australian Family History.
The challenges they faced and the sacrifices they made for their families.
Bookings: trybooking.com/DOEBE

15/07/2026

Cantonese Growers: In and Out of Parramatta
– Dr Christopher Cheng presented this fascinating talk at a recent CAFHOV online meeting.
https://youtu.be/uDwm7YVUNto

For generations, Cantonese market gardeners fed Parramatta, yet their true stories remain hidden just beneath the surface of official history. This talk honours their legacy by moving past bureaucratic archives to listen directly to the voices of Cantonese growers and their descendants. Drawing on multi-generational family memories, oral histories, and field visits to active and long-forgotten garden sites, this project goes beyond the soil to explore how these families laid down foundations for future generations. This presentation invites you to reconnect with Parramatta’s past through the lived experiences of our elders.

About the Speaker
Dr Christopher Cheng is a plurilingual oral historian who records the long-silenced stories of Cantonese market gardeners. His recordings are held at the State Library of New South Wales and the National Library of Australia. His publications include "Growing Against the Grain" (2025) and "Nurturing Gardens of Opportunity" (2026), which appeared in the Australian Garden History magazine. By looking closely into language, culture, and memory, Dr Cheng bridges archival gaps to ensure our community's ancestral roots continue to bear fruit. His research was part of a cultural grant, “Listening to Cantonese Growers: Re-telling Parramatta’s Past”, supported by the City of Parramatta’s 2025 History, Culture and Stories Fund and administered by the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia (CHAA).

28/04/2026

Here lies "Ah Teock", in the Melbourne General Cemetery, in Compartment B, in the area for "Other Denominations" near the Chinese Communal Memorial. For most people passing by, all they will be informed with is the name "Ah Teock", the rest is in Chinese.
If you are curious, with a little bit of effort and ingenuity, the Find a Grave website will give you a bit more information, but only if you knew the plot location, and played around with the name as their records have this person as "Ah Tock". Find a Grave will tell you that Ah Tock died on 12 June 1882, aged 51–52.
However, if you knew a bit about the format of a Chinese gravestone, and can read Chinese or have an app that could help you, this stone will tell you more about "Ah Teock".
Ah Teock's actual name in Chinese is 黄爵 – Wong Zoek. This is written down the centre. So his family name is Wong. You can guess how he got the "Teock". Ah Teock was what he was known as to the community. The Chinese use "Ah" like a prefix to a name, a more casual form of "Mr". So we learn this person is a man and he belonged to the Wong family or clan.
Other characters tell us he was from southern China. The writing also tells us the name of his ancestral village.
Also written is the date Ah Teock died. It references the Chinese lunar calendar, and converting the date, Ah Teock died in June 1852 in the Gregorian calendar. So Find a Grave was incorrect.
Now if this has been interesting to you, you might like to join us on a tour of the Melbourne General Cemetery. As part of the Australian Heritage Festival, “Unearthing Melbourne Chinese History” – Saturday, 9 May 2026 – will introduce you to some of our Chinese ancestors and their impact on the local community.
https://www.chinesemuseum.com.au/Event/unearthing-melbourne-chinese-history

31/03/2026

Unearthing Melbourne Chinese History
– Saturday, 9 May 2026

Join us for a 2-hour guided tour exploring the Chinese graves within this historic cemetery in Carlton.
Through the stories behind selected graves, you’ll gain insight into the history of Chinese migration to Melbourne and the lasting impact of the Chinese community on local culture and society.
Participants will be guided to prominent and lesser-known gravesites, learning how to interpret traditional headstone inscriptions and understand Chinese burial customs. This tour is especially valuable for researchers and family historians.

Be quick, this tour was sold out fast last year!
https://www.chinesemuseum.com.au/Event/unearthing-melbourne-chinese-history