Weldborough Joss House

Weldborough Joss House

Image Courtesy of: Sydney Mail, 27 November 1935, p.41.

"Almost the first dray load of merchandise brought directly on to the plains consisted of a costly set of religious funishments ..." "Whatever may appear the architectural frailties of our Chinese dwelling places, which may be said to consist for the most part of palings, poles, and rice-bags, they have spared no expense in embellishing and decorating their Joss House, which may be said to glitter with adornments. The altar pieces, and symbolical carvings, and gilding, and painting on glass, show much artistic skill and cleverness ..."

The Mercury, 6 Feburary 1884, p.3.

"The Joss consists of a painting of an immense personage, and two much smaller figures, one on each side."

Tasmanian News, 6 Feburary 1884, p.3.

"... a new joss house had just been erected and was being inaugurated." "The two josshouses are consecrated, the old one to the patron saint, and embodiment of bravery, a saint corresponding with the Sir Galahad of Saxon legendary, the new one to the saint of longevity and health; this saint has a hundred sons, each of whom has a hundred sons. The old josshouse is a room richly papered with dark red velvety hangings, opposite the door
a table covered with cloth embroidered with gold, green, and purple silk, and garnished with pieces of silver and glass ; this was the altar, on it stood a small lamp extemporised out of a tumbler containing the oil with a bit of cork supporting the wick ; also several vases, some containing joss sticks, which when burnt emit the odour of pastilles others thin slips of wood with Chinese writing on them."

The Mercury, 16 February 1889, p.1

""Chinese Donation to General Hospital -The board of management ot.the General Hospital acknowledges £14 7s as a donation to the Ionds from 'Ma Mon Chin of Weldborough, made up of the following contributlons:-Chinese Joss House, £10; :Maa Mon Chin and Hee Jarm. £1 1s each; Guee Kwong, Ah Ling, Harm Gwong, Harm Him, Harm Chin, Louay Fan, Jook Moon, and Jack Ah Goon. 5s each; Lew Ching, 3s; and Woo Shook, 2s.

Examiner, 31 January 1920, p.6.

"Chinese Joss House at Weldborough. Our correspondent at Weldborough writes: An object of interest in the town is a small Chinese Joss house, which is a relic of the days when Weldborough is said to have supported some three hundred Celestials. Many of the tourists who pass through make a point of being shown around the building. Among other objects of interest are a score or more of remarkable doll-like effigies, said to be those of great people in China. Anyone travelling through Welborough would be well repaid by a glimpse into this unusual interpolation from the East."

North-Eastern Advertiser, 19 February 1929, p.2.

"Most elaborate carvings, equivalent to an altar-piece, and gaily dressed doll-like figures form part of the formula at this little bush joss-house, while, music playing an important part in the ritual, there are a number of white records and an instrument for reproducing their melodies." "For a number of years now there has remained but one Celestial as a shadow of the race that once inhabited the wild country of the Weld, a sole guardian of the treasured relics of a past prosperity stored away down a little bush track in the paling-built joss-house of Weldborough, in north-eastern Tasmania."

Sydney Mail, 27 November 1935, p.41.

Opera figurines

Image Courtesy of: QVMAG, Launceston

Weldborough Joss House

Image Courtesy of: School House Museum, Derby