DUNEDIN

Rare surviving Chinese warehouse given Category 1 heritage status

Dunedin’s Sew Hoy building has recently been recognised as a Category 1 place on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero confirming the outstanding significance of the building to the history of Chinese in Otago.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga listing advisor, Sarah Gallagher, co-authored the listing report. “This is a really important building to add to our list. I have had so much support in researching this report from the Chinese community and heritage community. Everyone was really keen to see the Sew Hoy building’s amazing social and cultural history recognised”.

In the mid-1890s, Choie (Charles) Sew Hoy commissioned a warehouse for his business at 29 Stafford Street. The Otago Daily Times published a detailed description of the building in June 1894, describing the “imposing stone and brick warehouse” with “a very handsome and pleasing appearance.”

Sew Hoy was a notable New Zealand merchant, entrepreneur, innovator and gold-dredger. Born in Guangdong Province, China, he immigrated to New Zealand via Australia in 1869. Through his business interests, philanthropic endeavours and social connections, he became a leader in the Chinese community.

“Publications by Dr James Ng, and a recent biography of Choie Sew Hoy by Jenny Sew Hoy Agnew and Trevor Agnew, proved incredibly helpful for the listing research,” says Sarah Gallagher.

Sew Hoy was part of an established community of Chinese merchants. By 1871, there were 96 Chinese merchants and storekeepers in Dunedin, inland Otago towns and in the goldfields, serving a population of more than 4,000 Chinese locals.

Seān Brosnahan, curator at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and co-author of the listing report, comments: “This building is the last survivor in Dunedin of a series of Chinese stores and merchants that made it possible for Chinese gold-seekers to maintain a substantially Chinese lifestyle in the remote southern goldfields. They also acted as a conduit for information and funds to and from their home villages in China. This system of communication and supply was one the most remarkable features of the first phase of Chinese settlement in New Zealand.”

Sew Hoy and his son, Kum Poy, were also successful goldminers. Their building at 29 Stafford Street was the registered office for their Nokomai Sluicing Company, established in 1894. For a long time, their company was the most successful sluicing operation in New Zealand. When it closed in 1943, it was the last Chinese gold-seeker operation in New Zealand.

The building was also connected to the Chinese cultural practice of organised repatriation of the remains of sojourner Chinese. Sew Hoy was President of the Cheong Shing Tong burial society. In a devastating turn of events, the last ship chartered to return remains to China out of 29 Stafford Street, SS Ventnor, sank off the Hokianga in 1901.

The Sew Hoy family operated a store, as well as a clothing and food manufacturing business, from the building through until the 1980s. Today, the building continues as a grocery business maintaining the Sew Hoy name, and still stocks traditional Chinese foods.

Choie Sew Hoy’s great-great grandson, Peter Sew Hoy made the application for recognition with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. “The listing is an endorsement of the ongoing contribution of my family to Otago’s history. The Sew Hoy family is very grateful to Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga for recognising and helping preserve our family’s very long history. We hope the building at 29 Stafford Street can be protected for our future generations to enjoy.” n

Sew Hoy Building today.

CREDIT: HERITAGE NEW ZEALAND POUHERE TAONGA

Writer: Rosemary Baird