Lion Creek Rd Joss House, Rockhampton
Date Published
: Temples / Joss House
: Central (Qld)
: Rockhampton
: 1903 to 1930
Lion Creek Rd Joss House. Joss House altar now located at back of Rockhampton Chinese Association.
Rockhampton, Joss Hse
A number of Joss Houses seem to have existed in various locations around Rockhampton. In 1930 it was at Lion Creek Road in what was described as a "neat little cottage". The current Joss House altar is at the back of the Chinese Association and seems to date from the 1970s. While the altar pieces themselves date from 1903.
The deity worshipped in this Joss House can be identified as Chen Zhongzhen aka Chen Laoguan - 敇封绥靖伯仲真陈老官之神位 - who as many dieties were was a real person from the Song Dynasty who became popular in 19th century Taishan as helpful in dealing with plague.
Rockhampton Temple, Su Mingxian
"Mr. Smith : They have their joss house on it- — Mr. Iredale said that when the joss house was in full swing as many as a dozen cabs went out there and made use of the roads."
The Capricornian, 12 September 1908, p.36.
"The Joss House is situated in the slaughtering paddock on the Lion Creek road occupied by Dwyer Bros., butchers, of Wandal, and is about 150 yards from the Pink Lily road."
The Evening News, 20 March 1930, p.1.
"THE JOSS HOUSE. AT ROCKHAMPTON. A Chinese Sanctuary. IMAGES LOCKED UP. The Rockhampton police are at present investigating a case of robbery from a Chinese joss-house on the Lion Creek road." "I found the joss-house without much difficulty. It is something over a mile from the Wandal tram terminus, and is situated on a field near the Lion Creek road. My first impression was that there was a neat little cottage with a tumble down shed close at hand. It turned out that the neat little cottage was the temple and that the tumble down shed was the residence of the man in charge." "There was an elaborately carved text on the wall— a fine piece of workmanship. This I was informed was a mural tablet, which had been erected by a local Chinese before he returned to his ancestral land. There was a table on which were numerous vases full of joss-sticks. I suppose a devotee could come in and light one if he felt the impulse. Behind the table there was a most elaborate altar ornamented with splendid work in hammered brass. There was no image visible."
Morning Bulletin, 22 March 1930, p.11.
"Chinese Joss House.-The Chinese temple of worship is situated in the Lion Creek area, but outwardly it appears to have been forsaken by the faithful. One of the main verandah posts is missing, and a charred stump tells its own story. The Chinese characters on each side of fhe door are interpreted to mean "good bye" and "good luck."" The one over the door is the name-plate of the particular deity housed inside."
Morning Bulletin, 26 March 1930, p.7.
Shrine of the Holy Palace
Chen Laoguan
