Golden Prospects:Chinese On The West Coast Of Nz

Description

Golden Prospects is the moving story of the Chinese who came to the West Coast of New Zealand during the gold-rush days of the late 1860's and afterwards. It is a record of their experiences and the unique contribution they made as gold-miners, merchants, cooks, market gardeners, and even missionaries, to the West Coast's history and development.

Author description

Julia Bradshaw has been writing about Otago and West Coast history for more than ten years and this is her fifth book. Her interest in the Chinese began when she employed as a researcher at the Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown. When Julia began working at Shantytown she discovered that the story of the Chinese on the West Coast was virtually untold. Her research led her through a maze of official sources, contemporary records and personal interviews with descendents, and this book is the result.

Table of contents

Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- An Anglo-Chinese province? - Arrival on the West Coast -- Labouring early and late - Living on the goldfields -- No small potatoes - Merchants, storekeepers and tradesmen --Ourelestial friends - Market gardeners on the West Coast -- A splendid assortment of fruit - Chinese fruiterers -- Converting the heathens at our doors - The Chinese missionaries -- Formalities customary to the occasion - The Chinese community -- The bride could speak no English - Chinese women on the West Coast -- An unusual event - Chinese-European marriages -- Liberal and ready to give - Chinese in the community -- Intelligence and application - Prominent West Coast Chinese -- The line must be drawn at Chinamen - The West Coast's anti-Chinese politicians -- The robber is supposed to be a Chinaman - In trouble with the law -- On his way rejoicing - Leaving the Greenstone Coast -- The passing of a fine old Chinese gentleman - The end of an era -- Glossary -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.