Geoffrey Jue Sue interviewed by Diana Giese for the Post-war Chinese Australians oral history project [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 1840943
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Jue Sue, Geoffrey, 1941-, interviewee
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research; written permission required for personal copies and public use during the lifetime of the interviewee.
- Description:
-
- 1994
- 1 digital audio tape (ca. 43 min.)
- Series:
- Post-war Chinese Australians oral history project.
- Summary:
-
Jue Sue, an architect and activist for the Townsville Chinese community, speaks of being born into a prominent family which ran the Jue Sue Company in Main Street, Atherton, for 50 years, and owned two maize farms in the district; how his grandfather, Mow Jue Sue, was one of the pioneers of the Atherton Tableland; how his father, James Jue Sue (Mew Kwok Bing) ran an import/export business and his mother, Waichun Jue Sue, ran a mixed business at Ingham Road, Townsville West, from 1954-63, after her husband died; how the shop was used as a meeting place for older generation Chinese speaking the family's dialect; his primary and secondary education in Townsville graduating in architecture from the University of Queensland; the contrasts between Western and Chinese lifestyles and cultures, in the Chinese tradition the family came first and education was the next most important thing; he was one of the few from his Townsville class to go on to university; how he has been organising high school reunion, and found one-third of class still in Townsville, one-third in Brisbane and the final third elsewhere with three-quarters becoming teachers; how he returned to Townsville on graduation to be near his widowed mother because in Chinese tradition it is the son who looks after the family and that the older you get the more respected you become.
Jue Sue discusses how his children started Mandarin classes arranged through the Townsville Chinese Club but dropped out; his mother carrying on the Chinese traditional religion; thinks Christianity and Chinese religions are different interpretations working towards the same goal; his need to call on his religious beliefs in the stressful stages of marriage and divorce; discussion of professional occupations for Chinese; racism at his son's school; Chinese like his grandfather influential in the development of north Queensland: shopkeepers, market gardeners, telling their stories; how the current Townsville Chinese Club formed in 1970 but there was also one before WWII; how the Club organises Chinese New Year celebrations, those for August Moon festival and a Christmas party; one of the Club's aims is to help the Chinese integrate better with the Australian community; the aim of the festival events was open so 'an opportune way of getting the Australian community to learn about the Chinese cultural heritage'; how he has served on Club committees since the beginning; giving his children the opportunity to learn about their cultural heritage; son currently very interested: helped organise film showing; how his children were the first generation born here making them more Westernised; his belief in the potential of North Queensland in relation to commercial opportunities in Asia
- Notes:
-
- Recorded on May 8, 1994 in Townsville, Qld.
- Digital master available National Library of Australia;
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Summary (1 p.) and uncorrected transcript (typescript, 26 leaves) available.
- Subject:
- Occupation:
- Architects
- Other authors/contributors:
- Giese, Diana, 1947-, interviewer
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the Post-war Chinese Australians oral history project.
This collection contains 61 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
Contact us for information about copying. For access conditions return to the record display above.
- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2064 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 1994
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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