Georgetown Joss House

Georgetown Joss House

Image Courtesy of: State Library of Queensland, Negative 933

"By 1880, Chinatown had the first of three temples constructed.The first was located on the corner of North and High Streets; the second was relocated around the corner in Low Street by 1892, and the third opened with fanfare in 1905. Following the pattern set by many Chinese men across north Queensland, it was prominent community men Tom Tip, Yee Tong and Lim Kin who worked to gather funds and secure the erection of the temple, furnishing it with imported altars and furniture."

Sandi Robb, North Queensland's Chinese family landscape: 1860-1920. PhD Thesis, James Cook University, pp.291-2.

" "John" is keeping the high festival of the new year, and wakes the silent watches of the night by crackers and uncouth devices of fire. Here he has a Joss-house, with a gaudy standard floating in front."

The Queenslander, 20 March 1880, p.372. 

“GEORGETOWN January 20.  Extensive preparations are being made by the Chinese residents for the opening of the Joss House. Lim Chee, an ancient Chinese priest, conducts the ceremony known as "Yosshima." "

The North Queensland Register, 23 January 1905, p.6. 

Only the bell and a small section of gilded frieze (probably from the altar) remain in Georgetown. However a number of artifacts from the Georgetown Temple were purchased from a private collector and are on desplay in the Hill End National Park Museum in NSW.

Georgetown Joss House

Image Courtesy of: State Library of Queensland_ Negative 119763

Georgetown Photographs Jan 1958 - Joss House

Image Courtesy of: State Library of Queensland

1958 - possibly another image or the same

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