Tommy Delong

A NONAGENARIAN CHINAMAN.

Chinamen so venerable looking as the subject of our portrait are rarely to be found in Queensland. The native of the Flowery Land usually regards his residence here as temporary, and looks forward to spending the evening of his days in the land of his birth. Unlike the great majority of his countrymen, however, Tommy Delong has found the attractions of life in Queensland stronger than those of "home," and he is still, at the age of 91, a resident of this country. Tommy Delong was born 25th December, 1808, in China. At the age of 20 he took a wife, and two children were the result of the marriage, a son and daughter, both of whom are still living, the son being now 71 years old. Having reached the age of 33, Tommy resolved to seek fortune in the Southern El Dorado, and accordingly took a ship for Sydney, where he landed in 1842. Like most of his countrymen, when he arrived in Australia he could not speak a word of English, and suffered the usual consequences of such ignorance. When he left the ship the sailors, by way of a "lark," induced him to sit on a wheelbarrow; they then wheeled him off and tipped him into Port Jackson. As Tommy weighed 14st. 11lb. at the time he made a considerable splash, but fortunately he could swim, and, possibly to the disappointment of his tormentors, he managed to make his way to the shore, not much the worse. The "new-chum Chinaman" began his career as a colonist by acting as cook on Boolling station, where he worked for five years at the munificent wage of 3s. per week and found. Chinese immigration in those days was in its infancy, and the "Johns" were not so wide awake to the full value of their labour as they are nowadays. Tommy's next venture, however, made up for the small return for his first five years' work, for he "rushed" to the Rocky River goldfields and fossicked and panned off to such good purpose that in three years he accumulated over £1000. The year 1850 saw him landing in Brisbane from the barque Emma, with his capital safely in hand. He started business at Little Ipswich, and removed later on to Waghorn Street, where he continued until the Government resumed his "stand" for railway purposes. Soon after his arrival in Ipswich he married his second wife, by whom he had two children, one of whom, a daughter, is still alive. When he left Waghorn Street he "gave business best" for a time, and worked for seven years as cook on the steamers Emu, Ipswich, and Brisbane, running between Brisbane and Ipswich. The seventh year saw him again in business in Ipswich, but he filled in his time by acting as shearers' cook at Fassifern, Lowood, and Normanby station. His wife dying, he married again, and has a daughter still living as the issue of this third marriage. Tommy has continued in his dual occupation of shopkeeper and generally useful man until the present time. He still does odd jobs, but is too old for constant work, though he is remarkably active and upright in spite of his four score and eleven years. He is of genial temperament, ever ready to laugh at a joke, and being quite an institution in Ipswich every one has a pleasant greeting for him when passing. The portrait which we reproduce was specially taken in Ipswich a few weeks ago by Mr. B. Taylor. It shows a remarkably intelligent-looking Chinaman, as good and useful a citizen of Queensland, in spite of his nationality, as many a white Australian who professes to despise his race.

The Queenslander, Saturday 26 August 1899, p.432.