Chinese Australian Whispers

Ep 4: Peter and William on bananas

Listen Later
Sophie Couchman and Peter Liefman, 2024
William Sang Fong, 2010 (MCAH)
Sang Goon & Co stencil (Coffs Harbour Regional Museum)
Tim Young & Co stencil (Coffs Harbour Regional Museum)

Bananas are, and were, big business but also dangerous. They were integral to the family fortunes of Peter and William.

In this episode Sophie speaks with family historian Peter Liefman, whose grandfather was a large wholesale banana merchant with connections to lawyer William Ah Ket. We discuss an oral history recording with William Sang Fong who worked in the fruit and vegetable wholesaling business with his father.

Tim Young & Co banana stores 247-249 Franklin Street Melbourne (copyright held by Leong family)
William ‘Bill’ Fong, Wholesale Fruit Merchants’ Association, 1934 (Melbourne Markets)
Sang Goon & Co letterhead, 1934 (NAA)
William and Ivy Fong, 1913 (Courtesy P. Liefman)

Further reading:

  • ‘Chinatown’s moving day’, The Herald, 1 November 1930: 2.
  • ‘The orange outlook: A chat with a Melbourne agent’, Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record, 20 May 1927: 3.
  • Newspaper articles about exploding banana ripen rooms (various years), Trove newspapers.
  • ‘The story of William Ah Ket, the first Chinese-Australian barrister‘, ABC RN, 2018.
  • ‘Banana industry‘, Chinese Australian Historical Images in Australia website (archived), further resources about Chinese and the banana industry.
  • ‘Fruit and vegetable industry‘, Chinese Australian Historical Images in Australia website (archived), further resources about Chinese Australians and the fruit and vegetable industry.
  • Oral history recordings with Chinese Australian in Australian public collections, compiled 2023, hosted by CAFHOV

    • Featuring:

    • Dr Sophie Couchman, Professional Historian and Curator
    • Peter Liefman, Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria
    • William Sang Fong (1928-2017) interviewed by Sophie Couchman for the Museum of Chinese Australian History in 2010.
    • Music composed and performed for the podcast by Dr Wang Zheng-Ting.
    • Final audio mastering by Nat Grant.
      • Full Transcript

      Transcript in progress. Available soon.

      This episode was created with in-kind support from the Museum of Chinese Australian History, the Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria, Dr Sophie Couchman and Nikolaus Yee.

      This project gratefully acknowledges the Local History Grants Program and Public Record Office Victoria, supported by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund.

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      Chinese Australian WhispersBy Dr Sophie Couchman