光達 (梅) Quong Tart (1850 - 1903)

Born 1850 in 大清廣東新寧縣部的端芬鎮山底村

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Scarlett) Tart — married 30 Aug 1886 in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 26 Jul 1903 at about age 53 in Gallop House, Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Moi (梅) Quong Tart has Chinese Roots.

Moi (梅) Quong Tart came free to the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Moi Quong Tart (梅光達) was born in 1850^[1] in 大清廣東新寧縣部的端芬鎮山底村: Shandi Village in Duanfen, Hsin-ning in Guangdong, China (also anglicised to Taishan). He was the son of 擴遠 梅 (~1825 - ) and Unknown 譚 (~1825 - 1899).

His father, according to an article on the Chinese Australian Historical Society website (now archived), was Mei Kuoyuan. His father was a well-to-do dealer in ornamental wares in Hsin-ning, a country town 65 miles from Canton.^[2]

Moi Quong Tart was an entrepreneur, philanthropist and tea merchant. In 1859 at age nine he came to Australia with an uncle to settle in the Braidwood district of New South Wales. After being taken into the home of Robert "Percy" Simpson (1826-1887) and Alice (Want) Simpson (1837-1892), he learned English and joined their church. He remained in contact with them even after they moved to Sydney and he went on to make his fortune on the goldfields.^{[3] [2]}

Quong Tart was naturalized in New South Wales on 11 July 1871. At the time he was a gold miner residing at Bell's Creek, Braidwood, age 22 (born about 1849), born Canton, arrived New South Wales in 1859. He wished to purchase land.^[4] Shortly afterwards he became a member of the Araluen Lodge of Oddfellows:

A CHINESE ODDFELLOW.-At the regular meeting of the Araluen Lodge of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity, held last Thursday evening, Quong Tart, of Bell's Creek, was duly initiated a member of the order. At the conclusion of the meeting, the newly-initiated brother invited the whole of the fraternity present to a supper, which was done ample justice to; after which songs, &c., were given by several members, and the meeting broke up at an early hour next morning.-Braidwood Monitor.^[5]

In the 1880s, Quong Tart established a network of tea shops and dining rooms, Quong Tart and Company, around Sydney. The most well-known tea rooms being situated in the Queen Victoria Market (now the Queen Victoria Building). It was during this time that Quong Tart built his home Gallop House in Ashfield.^[3]

Quong was a freemason. He joined the Tranquillity Lodge in Sydney on 8 October 1885 at the age of 35. His occupation was merchant.^[6]

Quong Tart (~36) married Margaret Scarlett (~21) (~1865 - 1916) on 30 Aug 1886 in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.^[7] From the Sydney Morning Herald 2 October 1886:

QUONG TART—SCARLETT.—August 30, at the residence of the Hon. J. H. Want, Darlinghurst, by the Rev. Dr. Steel, Quong Tart, Huntingtower, Waverley, to M. Scarlett, of Sydney.^[8]

Their children were:

1. Ann Alice Vine Tart (1887^[9] - 1946)
2. Margaret Henrietta Isabella Tart (1890^[10] - 1942)
3. Arthur Malcolm Quong Tart (~1892^[11] - 1927)
4. Maggie Quong Tart (1897^[12] - 1917^[13])
5. Florence G. E. Quong Tart (1898^[14] - 1949^[15])
6. George Henry Quong Tart (1903^[16] - 1970^[17]).

1890: Age 40 - made mandarin 5th degree by emperor of China. In 1894 advanced in rank to a mandarin of the fourth degree. Note: A mandarin was a bureaucrat scholar in the government of imperial China. In the West, the term mandarin is associated with the concept of the scholar-official, who immersed himself in poetry, literature, and Confucian learning in addition to performing civil service duties.

Quong Tart died on 26 Jul 1903 at his residence, Gallop House, Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia aged 53.^[18][19][20] He had been attacked in his office by a thief in August 1902 and battered by an iron bar. He did not recover from this assault.^[2]

Mei Quong Tart was mentioned on a memorial in Rookwood General Cemetery, Rookwood, Cumberland Council, New South Wales, Australia with a death date of 26 July 1903.^[21][22]

1998 Ashfield, NSW, Australia; bronze statue erected in his memory.^[23]

2023 commemorated with a Blue plaque award ^[24]

Research Notes

Research by a historian of the Mei family in Toishan, Mei Weiqiang, and information gathered within the family, also suggests that Quong Tart was married (in absentia) to a Chinese woman and that one, perhaps, two sons were adopted in his name. (Source: Kate Bagnall, ‘The transational Chinese family in Australia’ ‘New migration histories’—Australian in the World seminar series University of Melbourne 18 September 2013 )

Naming Conventions

As a Chinese name, the family name 梅 traditionally goes before the given name 光達, though this is reversed in the naming fields due to WikiTree's current limitations. Furthermore, as described on the subject's Wikipedia page, contemporary Australians referred to the subject as "Quong Tart," assuming incorrectly that it was his surname (which was then treated as a surname in full by his descendants), hence why the current & other name fields contain a mix of both given & family names. Also worth noting is the fact that the subject was Taishanese, & although some present-day sources refer to him by the Mandarin "Mei," contemporary sources seem to use the more accurate "Moi" or "Moy" as transcriptions of the family name.

Sources

1. ↑ Tart, Margaret. (2003). The Life of Quong Tart, or, How a foreigner succeeded in a British community. [Sydney] : State Library of New South Wales, https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2429052821
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Robert Travers. (1981-03-30). QUONG TART – AUSTRALIAN MANDARIN (30 March 1981). In Hemisphere. 25 (5), 36. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3129750469
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Hawkins, Ralph and Murray, Lisa, ‘Short guide to the Tart McEvoy Papers’, 2004, www.sag.org.au/Tart-McEvoy-Papers
4. ↑ Naturalization: "New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Naturalization, 1849-1903"
   State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia; Series: Certificates of Naturalization, 1849-1874; Series Number: NRS 1039; Roll: 2698
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 1549 #7985 (accessed 20 January 2023)
   Name: Quong Tart; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1849; Age: 22; Gender: Male; Birth Place: Canton China; Date Arrived: 1859; Naturalization Date: 11 Jul 1871.
5. ↑ (1871, September 9). The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle (NSW : 1864 - 1881), p. 3. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101093755
6. ↑ Freemason Membership: "England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921"
   Library and Museum of Freemasonry; London, England; Freemasonry Membership Registers; Description: Register of Contributions: Country and Foreign Lodges, 1536-1710
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 60620 #1453612 (accessed 20 January 2023)
   Name: Quong Tart; Gender: Male; Initiation Age: 35; Birth Year: abt 1850; Initiation Date: 8 Oct 1885; Year range: 1863-1887; Profession: Merchant; Lodge: Tranquillity; Lodge Location: Sydney N. S. W.; Lodge Number: 1552; Folio Number: 297.
7. ↑ NSW Registry Births Deaths and Marriages, marriage Quong Tart and Margaret Scarlett, 1886/1636
8. ↑ Family Notices (1886, October 2). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28351154
9. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART ANN A V; Parents: QUONG & MARGARET; District: WAVERLEY; Registration Number: 10604/1887
10. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART MARGARET H I; Parents: QUONG & MARGARET; District: ASHFIELD; Registration Number: 4787/1890
11. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART ARTHUR M; Parents: QUONG & MARGARET; District: ASHFIELD; Registration Number: 4883/1892
12. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART MAGGIE W G; Parents: QUONG & MARGARET; District: ASHFIELD; Registration Number: 9874/1897
13. ↑ Death Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART MAGGIE W G QUONG; Parents: QUONG TART & MARGARET; District: REDFERN; Registration Number: 5193/1917
14. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART FLORENCE G E; Parents: QUONG & MARGARET; District: ASHFIELD; Registration Number: 28398/1898
15. ↑ Death Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART FLORENCE GERTRUDE E; Parents: QUONG & MARGARET; District: SUTHERLAND; Registration Number: 1481/1949
16. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART GEORGE H B QUONG; Parents: QUONG TART & MARGARET; District: ASHFIELD; Registration Number: 9872/1903
17. ↑ Death Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 20 Jan 2023), Index entry for TART GEORGE HENRY B; Parents: QUONG & MARGARET; District: MANLY; Registration Number: 43111/1970
18. ↑ NSW Registry Births Deaths and Marriages, death Quong Tart, 9178/1903
19. ↑ Family Notices (1903, July 27). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14567215

    TART.-July 26, at his residence, Gallop House, Arthur- street, Ashfield, Quong Tart, aged 53 years.

20. ↑ 1903 'Death of Quong Tart.', Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1867 - 1904), 28 July, p. 3. , viewed 22 Oct 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31095031 Transcription: Death of Quong Tart.

    The popular Chinese merchant, Mr. Quong Tart, has joined the great majority. No more genuine or widespread regret, probably could be occasioned by the news of the death of a foreigner than is the case in this instance. Mr. Tart died at his residence at Ashfield on Sunday evening after suffering for about a week with an attack of pleurisy.

    He was 53 years of age, and leaves a widow and six children. He was a native of Canton, China, and immigrated to Sydney 39 years ago. Shortly after his arrival in Sydney, he came to Braidwood, where he spent his youth and early manhood. Being desirous of securing a wider field for his energies he removed to Sydney, where he achieved considerable success. Quong was was being banqueted after he was the victim of a murderous assault a short time ago.

    "He left a white mark wherever he went."

21. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #87514676 (accessed 20 January 2023)
    Memorial page for Mei Quong Tart (1850-26 Jul 1903), citing Rookwood General Cemetery, Rookwood, Cumberland Council, New South Wales, Australia (plot: Anglican sect 2 grave 310); Maintained by elizabeth (contributor 47692192).
22. ↑ Burial:"Sydney, Australia, Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions, 1837-2003"
    Sydney Metropolitan Cemetery Records. Society of Australian Genealogists, Sydney, Australia
    Ancestry au Record 61153 #91497 (accessed 20 January 2023)
    Quong Tart burial (died on 26 Jul 1903 at age 53) in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
23. ↑ "Mei Quong Tart" as viewed on Wikipedia.org 29 January 2023.
24. ↑ Quong Tart

• Quong Tart, biography
  • Tart, Margaret. (2003). The Life of Quong Tart, or, How a foreigner succeeded in a British community. [Sydney] : State Library of New South Wales, digitised copy through https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2429052821
  • E. J. Lea-Scarlett, 'Mei Quong Tart (1850–1903)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mei-quong-tart-4181/text6719, published first in hardcopy 1974, accessed online 20 January 2023.

• 1881 'Mr. Quong Tart.', Southern Argus (Goulburn, NSW : 1881 - 1885), 21 September, p. 2. , viewed 22 Oct 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102060114

• 1912 'Quong Tart's Story.', The Richmond River Express and Casino Kyogle Advertiser (NSW : 1904 - 1929), 13 February, p. 4. , viewed 22 Oct 2021, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124213181 transcription:

Quong Tart's Story.

A quarter of a century ago there were probably few better known or more successful business men in the city of Sydney than Quong Tart. From the pen of his widow now comes a little book entitled "The Life of Quong Tart; or How a Foreigner Succeeded in a British Community," in which the author presents the deceased as a small Chinese boy of Canton, prospector on the Australian goldfields, Government interpreter, tea and silk merchant, restaurant-keeper, Mandarin, philanthropist, anti-opium reformer, military officer, cricketer, and all-round sport.

Born in Canton in 1850, the history narrates, Quong began at a precociously early age to make inquiries about those lands which were to be found in the "centre of the earth." The belief that every Englishman was red-headed, and that as a race the Britishers were a terribly ferocious, man-eating, and boy-murdering lot, instead of filling Quong with overwhelming fear, served to whet his curiosity. He resolved to see the outer world, and at the age of nine, when he heard of the fabulous wealth of the Australian goldfields, he pleaded so earnestly, with his uncle, who was setting out for the Sunny South, that he was allowed to go. Little Quong became attached to a mining party under the direction of Mr. Percy Simpson (brother of the present Chief Judge in Equity), by whom he was later given a large interest in a valuable claim. As a young man Quong employed 200 Chinese and Europeans, and in a few years became affluent. Then he built a fine villa residence at Bell's Creek, erected a school and a church, become a member of the school board, was made patron of cricket clubs, racing clubs, and every other sport, and was in truth the most notable resident of the Braidwood goldfields.

Quong could sing Scotch songs, recite Burns with the proper accent, play Scotch airs on the piano. He was naturalised in 1871, and was the first Chinese to join an Oddfellows' Lodge in New South Wales. Later he became a Forester and a Freemason.

In 1874 Mr. Tart left the Braidwood district and established himself in Sydney as a tea and silk merchant. He went to China to make his business arrangements complete, and was there entertained by distinguished Mandarins, who made him suitable presents and introduced him to several Chinese ladies, at their special request. His mother also selected several ladies who would willingly have accepted him, but Quong said if he married it would be to a European, as a Chinese woman in Australia would be but of little help to him in carrying out the good works he intended doing. Returning to Sydney, Quong opened several restaurants, and for years on various occasions he entertained in a princely fashion, free of charge, large numbers of clergymen and representative gentlemen visiting Sydney on synods and conferences. He acted most liberally in matters affecting the social well-being of the poorer classes, regardless of creed or country, He obtained the patronage of Lord and Lady Carrington, and the cordial support of Chief Justice Darley, Supreme Court judges, Ministers of the Crown, and the heads of religious denominations. He acted on the principle in the sentence, "I expect to pass through the world but once; if, therefore, there can be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow-human being, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again." Mr. Tart's reports on the disorderly proceedings in Chinese camps in 1883, when he was appointed a commissioner to inquire into the matter, justified in a special manner the wisdom of his appointment.

He married Miss Margaret Scarlett in 1886, and was very happy in his married life, his two sons and four daughters combining all the cleverness and good qualities of their parents. The following year he was made a fifth-class Mandarin, and three years later advanced to the fourth class, with the extra degree of the peacock's feather—a distinction equal to K.C.M.G. On August 19, 1902, Mr. Tart was the subject of a murderous attack at his business place in the Queen Victoria Markets, and, though his injuries did not immediately prove fatal, it was really the beginning of the end. He died on July 26, 1903, from pleurisy.

Quong encouraged all kinds of sport; no social gathering was considered complete unless he was there to sing 'Annie Laurie.' With very little persuasion, his biographer believes, he would have been induced to don the kilts and dance the 'Gillie Callum.' His life was a series of good deeds. His aspirations tended to the realisation of the line "When man to man o'er a' the world Shall brothers be for a' that."

• 1912 'Quong Tart.', The Shoalhaven News and South Coast Districts Advertiser (NSW : 1891 - 1937), 27 January, p. 8. , viewed 22 Oct 2021, https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111949545

• 1988 'MIDWEEK MAGAZINE The immigration debate in 1888', The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), 9 November, p. 35. , viewed 22 Oct 2021, https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110612365