NSW Chinese restrictions certificate

NSW Chinese restriction certificate - NAA: SP115/10 800

Image Courtesy of: National Archives of Australia

The Colony of NSW reintroduced immigration restrictions in 1881 (those of the 1860s having been rescinded). These new restrictions required those wishing to leave NSW and return to pay £10 for a certificate to be shown on return. This example made out to a man named Ah See also contained some information in Chinese on the back. If Ah See was not comfortable in English he and many others would have relied on a Chinese run business to act as his agent and the Chinese notations on the back indicate this.

A basic description tells us that Ah See was a gardener, Hunter River, 41 years of age and that he was 5ft tall.

NAA: SP115/10 800

Chinese notation

Image Courtesy of: National Archives Australia

The notation in Chinese reflects the information in English but adds the location 洛倫 [Lok-lun ](Lorn?) on the Hunter River.

Transcription

光緒十年十一月十四日在雪梨埠畈四頭紙一張，名亞四四，四十五在洛倫種菜園。

Note on character variants:

雪梨埠 is the historical Cantonese transliteration for the port of Sydney.

畈四頭紙一張 refers colloquially to an exemption certificate or customs paper related to working the fields/plots (an early precursor or equivalent to later exemption documents).

洛倫 is a phonetic transliteration of a local Australian place name, likely Lorn (a town on the Hunter River in New South Wales).

Literal Translation

Guangxu 10th year, 11th month, 14th day. One piece of "field-head paper" [exemption certificate] from the port of Sydney. Name: Ah See [Ya Si]. Age 45, market gardening in Lorn.

Polished Translation

Date: December 30, 1884 (Guangxu 10th Year, 11th Month, 14th Day)

One exemption certificate ("field-head paper") issued at the Port of Sydney for a man named Ah See (aged 45), who is currently working a market garden in Lorn [Hunter River region, New South Wales].