Merchants
Date Published
The category of merchant can be a somewhat vague one, yet it remains a highly significant aspect of Chinese trade history. From the outset, many of the men who arrived in Australia from the Pearl River Delta were not merely gold seekers, but individuals who already possessed some capital. They established stores in both the goldmining districts and the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne, supplying goods to Chinese communities as well as importing and selling products to the wider Australian population.
These relatively prosperous men often became leaders within their communities, contributing to the establishment of district associations and other forms of mutual support. Their stores also served multiple purposes: they facilitated remittances back to China and provided essential services for fellow migrants within the same dialect group. For instance, people from Zhongshan would typically patronise a store run by a Zhongshan merchant, and the same pattern applied to those from Taishan. The main exception to this rule occurred in rural areas, where smaller populations encouraged more interaction across dialect lines.
Some merchants rose to considerable prominence. A few went on to found large, well-established businesses—most notably the Big Four department stores that later became famous in Shanghai. Others, such as Low Kong Meng in Melbourne or Philip Lee Chung, who ran the Kwang War Chong store in Dixon Street, Sydney, were widely known and respected figures within both the Chinese and broader Australian commercial worlds.
Merchants celebrate Lee Chun's 51st birthday
