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 Historic Photograph, Hop Sing and Co

Exhibition themes    Work | Leaving & staying | Leisure | Beliefs | Dress | Food

Trevor and Mary Jack in Sydney at the time of their engagement in 1943. (Private collection)
Leaving & staying

Subthemes: 
intermarriage | new arrivals | visits to China | families | staying alone | in the armed forces | citizenship

Citizenship

A small number of Chinese sought naturalisation in the mid nineteenth century. However, by the late 1880s the right of naturalisation was denied to Chinese in New South Wales and, in 1903, with the passing of the Commonwealth Naturalisation Act naturalisation was denied to all Asians and other non-Europeans. It was not until the late 1950s that Chinese resident in Australia were again able to apply for citizenship.

Peter Go Say in 
              his grocery store, West Armidale, 1961. (Private collection)Peter Go Say in his grocery store, West Armidale, 1961. (Private collection).

Peter Go Say came to Australia in 1901. He was sponsored by a brother in a furniture business in Sydney. In 1919 he moved to West Armidale where he opened his store and provided an extensive delivery service throughout the town. This photograph was taken on the day he became an Australian citizen. Peter Go Say's son, George, took over the store from his father.

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