Cooktown Joss House
Date Published
: Temples / Joss House
: Far North (Qld)
: Cooktown
: 1933
Cooktown Joss House
"The closing ceremony in connection with the opening of the new Chinese Joss house in Adelaide-street took place yesterday, and was celebrated by a banquet, at which the Mayor of Cooktown, the Police Magistrate, and other prominent citizens attended."
Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser, 30 June 1892, p.4.
"Chinese at Cooktown. Dedication of New Temple. The Chinese of Cooktown dedicated their new temple in Adelaide street to the worship of Joss, on June 24, 25, and 26, says the Independent. The building, which is ornamented with barbaric splendour, was decorated with dragon and swallow tailed banners of various colours, and the front wall and porch were nearly covered with tinselled texts from Confucius, while each day there was a continuous din of crackers and Mongol music, a succession of gorgeous processions, and a profuse hospitality, shared in by many Europeans. The "sacred" demonstration reached its climax and close on Sunday afternoon at a banquet, attended by Mandarin Ti Chak, the heathen priests, acolytes, and the chief Mongol merchants and worshippers, which was honoured by the presence of a paid magistrate and two other prominent civil servants, an honorary magistrate, a commission agent, and a banker."
The Telegraph, 9 July 1892, p.5.
"COOKTOWN CHINESE. Their Joss-house Defiled. Cooktown. Saturdav. Summonses have been issued against several well-known young men in Cooktown for entering a Chinese Joss-house and defling it. The Chinese residents of Cooktown are very proud of their structure, which is fitted up in a very costly manner. One of the offenders yesterday was fined £10, or three months. The others are yet to be dealt with."
The Australian Star, 26 September 1891, p.5.
"Chinese In Cooktown Have No Temple Now COOKTOWN, Wednesday. — The joss-house at Cooktown has been sold at public auction for £25. Sixty years ago thousands of Chinese arrived at Cooktown from the Canton and Kowloon provinces, on their way to the goldfields, or to open stores in the town, and a joss-house was built in Adelaide Street. Since then the number of Orientals in Cooktown has dwindled, until only a dozen remain, and when Ah Gum, the guardian of the joss, died two years ago, the house was closed. Following a visit by a party of toursits one of the idols was reported to be missing, and the building was locked until. a few weeks ago when the remaining furniture— that in the community room was bought some lime ago by Mr. M. Came — was stored in the home of one of the Chinese ln the town."
The Courier-Mail, 18 August 1938, p.3.
"A Chinese Joss-House. One of the few remaining Joss houses in the Far North has been sold at public auction for £25. This is the famous old Cooktown (Qld.) joss-house, which for 60 years was the largest and finest Chinese tem- ple in the Commonwealth."
Burra Record, 10 January 1939, p.4.
Images:
Chinaman Life in the North, Australian Town and Country Journal, 2 August 1884, p.27,
Kellaway Collection, Cooktown Historical Society, Ah Sam, final caretaker of Joss House with Russell West, AWA radio operator, Grassy Hill.
[Kellaway was manager of the NSW bank. Ah Gam and Russell West were identified by the son of Mr Kellaway, aged 93. Email, Majoire Scully, 12/12/23.]
Kellaway collection Ah Gam
Cooktown Joss Hse drawing
Cooktown Joss Hse altar
