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'joss houses' | festivals | christianity

'Joss houses'

In localities where there were reasonable numbers of Chinese residents, temples were constructed often by adapting existing buildings. The temples were commonly referred to as 'joss houses'. The term is colloquial and has derogatory undertones. It is, however, the term most familiar to local communities and to the descendants of Chinese immigrants in regional New South Wales.

Joss houses served a variety of purposes. They were places of worship and the focal point for the celebration of traditional festivals. They were also meeting places and could provide temporary accommodation for members of the community. They were places where followers felt free to call in, seek advice, give thanks, talk with each other, worship their village or district deity, and take time out from their labours. They were places which drew on the mixture of Taoist, Confucian, Buddhist, folklore traditions and ancestral worship which constituted the religious beliefs and practices common among immigrants from the various districts of the Guangdong region in China. Each joss house was usually created and used by Chinese from the one village or district of origin.

Building identified as the joss house at Tambaroora, 1870s. (Holtermann Collection, State Library of NSW)

Local building materials and styles were used for joss houses. This mud and slab building was located in the Chinese quarter of the town and has been identified as the joss house which was eventually demolished by an alluvial mining company.

Front entrance to Emmaville joss house, 1899. (Private collection).

The entrance to a temple was usually framed by panels inscribed with auspicious sayings, and steps were built to make it difficult for evil spirits to gain entry.

In this photograph, the sign above the entrance tells us that this is the palace or residence of the saints. The panel on the right is a couplet which states 'we enjoy and appreciate the blessings and kindness bestowed on us by the saints'.

The Emmaville joss house with its pig oven at the back and Tai Him as its last caretaker survived into the 1930s, when it was burnt down.

Interior of the Rocky River joss house, about 1908. (Private collection).

The main hall of a Chinese temple was usually elaborately and brightly furnished. This view of the Rocky River joss house shows a carved altar table with a variety of objects including an urn and two candlesticks. This was the third joss house built on the same site.

Fortune stick container from one of the Tingha joss houses. (Inverell Pioneer Village)

Every joss house would have at least one fortune stick container. Ernest Sue Fong remembered his father, George Sue Fong, visiting the joss house in Emmaville in the 1920:

I can still see it now - the big idol and Dad kneeling in front of it, asking the old priest about his trip to Sydney. The old priest would shake the bottle of sticks and one would fall out with writing on it which would tell him what his luck would be like.

Printing block for fortune papers. (Inverell Pioneer Village)

This is a printing block for the interpretations associated with fortune sticks. Each section has a number. The numbers correspond to the numbers on the fortune sticks. There are three levels of fortune: least favourable, favourable and most favourable. If your number is one that is most favourable then it indicates it is auspicious to do whatever you are seeking advice about.

Longevity figure. (Wing Hing Long Store and Museum)

A joss house was usually dedicated to one main deity and had a number of secondary deities. This carved wooden figure is possibly a secondary deity from one of the Tingha joss houses. Doris Yau-Chong Jones explained:

Possibly carved from the branch of a tree, the figure represents longevity and what the old man is holding is a peach. The peach is a symbol of long life. When people have birthdays (people who have achieved a number of years), the sweets are usually made in the shape of peaches.

Standards from one of the joss houses at Tingha. (McCrossins Mill Museum)

The museum records note that the standards were previously owned by Mr E. Walker of Tingha who acquired them from a temple at Tingha. It is likely that they were brought out to Australia by the men whose names are on the front of the standards. The standards were probably carried as a guard of honour in front of the deity.

The museum information panel states:

These religious artefacts have proved to be the most historically valuable. The large painted characters are religious formulae such as 'Be silent and respectful', 'The saint's palace' and 'The crystal palace'. They pertain to the Taoist or Buddhist religions. The smaller characters are the names of the maker and of the donors, in this case four related men.

Bell from one of the joss houses at Tingha. (St Andrews Anglican Church, Tingha).

The plaque at the base of the bell states that its restoration was a part of the Australian Bicentenary and St Andrews Church Centenary Restoration Project in 1988.The explanation reads:

The prayer bell from a local joss house was restored and placed in its present position. The bell was purchased in the 1930s by the late Mr James Symes and dedicated for use at St Andrews at that time. The bell's restoration commemorates the church centenary and the Chinese contribution to Tingha's cultural history.