George Thomas Kwong, 19121992 (aged 80 years)

george kwong.jpg
Name
George Thomas /Kwong/
Given names
George Thomas
Surname
Kwong
Name
George /Murphy/
Given names
George
Surname
Murphy
Name
/Kwong/ Sing On
Given names
Sing On
Surname
Kwong
Birth
Note: A 1906 date of birth is not supported by any conclusive data. George himself did not feel he was that old. The origin of this date is uncertain.
Birth
Address: Allen Street
South Townsville
Trip
Extended absence
from May 29, 1917 to January 21, 1930 (aged 17 years)
Guardian: Mayzie Kwong (aged 32 years) — aunt
Birth of a half-sister
Death of a paternal grandmother
1924 (aged 11 years)
Death of a paternal grandfather
Note: Queensland BDM Index: 1929/C1156
Death of a maternal grandmother
Burial of a maternal grandmother
Cemetery: Martyn Street Cemetery
Address: Section: Monumental
Row: V1
Plot: 2051
Monumental East Side
Note: At Cairns Family History - check against their card catalogue doesn't show this inscription. This suggests the plaque was installed after 1983-4. Cairns council's "new" system is about 18 months old. Previous data location unknown. (May need to FUP Brisbane archives)

At Cairns Family History - check against their card catalogue doesn't show this inscription. This suggests the plaque was installed after 1983-4. Cairns council's "new" system is about 18 months old. Previous data location unknown. (May need to FUP Brisbane archives)

Council records (microfiche at Cairns Family History) show she was an Old Age Pensioner and that the plot cost £5.

Discussion with Aileen suggests that the info on the death certificate would be the sort of details that would have been supplied to the hospital on admission.

Death of a mother
after 1930 (aged 17 years)
Note: Recollection from Uncle Ken: Stories recounted to him by George suggest he was taken into care by police due to the death of his birth mother. This would suggest Mona would have died in 1916. This was about the time care of George reverted to Kwong Sue Duk. Specific knowledge about George's birth mother is unclear during George's lifetime.

Recollection from Uncle Ken: Stories recounted to him by George suggest he was taken into care by police due to the death of his birth mother. This would suggest Mona would have died in 1916. This was about the time care of George reverted to Kwong Sue Duk. Specific knowledge about George's birth mother is unclear during George's lifetime.

Subsequent electoral roll data suggests Mona was still alive at least in 1918, and was not listed as deceased on her mother death certificate in 1930.

Occupation
Carrier
1934 (aged 21 years)
Death of a father
Address: Lister Private Hospital,
Townsville
Informant: May Ah Foo (aged 50 years) — wife
Burial of a father
Cemetery: Townsville Cemetery
Witness: Sidney George Ozanne (aged 22 years) — daughter’s partner
Note: Also notes E.H Hang Gong as witness to burial.
Death of a half-sister
1976 (aged 63 years)
Death of a mother
Death
Address: Prince Henry Hospital,
Little Bay
Cremation
Address: Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Military Rd,
Matraville
Research task
[QSA] Inspector's letter book - Police Station Townsville
November 25, 2015
User: kerryc
Note: Queensland State Archive:

Queensland State Archive:
Item ID 315996
Previous System Location A/73362; RSI13213/1/1
Parent Item
This item does not have a parent item.
Transfer ID 1096
Record Type Letterbook - police
Item Format Volumes
Description Inspector's letter book - Police Station, Townsville
Departmental Numbers
Preferred Citation Queensland State Archives Item ID315996, Letterbook - police
Start Date 14/9/1913
End Date 4/6/1914

Research task
[ANA] Brisbane. J2773, 89/1930
October 19, 2017
User: kerryc
Note: Brisbane National Archive: Description suggests a passenger list. Did someone travel with George on this trip?

Brisbane National Archive: Description suggests a passenger list. Did someone travel with George on this trip?

Certificate for exemption from dictation test list - Kwong George Murphy, Wong See, Jan Some, Sam Lee, Willie Jan Kum, Wee Hang, See Hing, Jotare Nakanishi, Masagoro Hamanishi - Passenger list 'St Albans' 21/1/30 - Whish, Thomson, Gutteridge, Dowling, Kennedy, Nuzum, Mackay Sim, Aslet, Dixon, Morey-Lawrence, Migney, Frice, Friee, Cadzow, Rie, Hervey, Fell, Nelson, Thomas, Oliver, Shin Yocklum, Lee Su, Young Yet, Choy, Young Tsuen Bun, Wong Tse Hsiang, Liang Tai Chieh, Liang Lou Tien, Liang Hou Tien, Kwong George Murphy, Hamanishi, Nakanishi

Family with parents
mother
QldPoliceGazette1912Murphy.jpg
18921930
Birth: July 15, 1892 43 25 Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia
Death: after 1930
himself
george kwong.jpg
19121992
Birth: June 5, 1912 19 Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Death: July 11, 1992Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Family with parents
father
8aced6475d362ce8cafd5d1b3fb3c9812dcdb7c1.jpeg
光錦
18901950
Birth: 1890 36 22 Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Death: June 27, 1950Townsville, Queensland, Australia
mother
Marriage MarriageChina
himself
george kwong.jpg
19121992
Birth: June 5, 1912 19 Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Death: July 11, 1992Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
brother
brother
Mother’s family with Edmond O'Connor
mother’s partner
18791959
Birth: February 1879 35 Gatton, Queensland, Australia
Death: September 10, 1959Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
mother
QldPoliceGazette1912Murphy.jpg
18921930
Birth: July 15, 1892 43 25 Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia
Death: after 1930
Not married Not marriedfrom September 1910 to May 1911Townsville, Queensland, Australia
8 months
half-sister
half-sister
19111993
Birth: May 10, 1911 32 18 Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Death: July 6, 1993Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Father’s family with May Ah Foo
father
8aced6475d362ce8cafd5d1b3fb3c9812dcdb7c1.jpeg
光錦
18901950
Birth: 1890 36 22 Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Death: June 27, 1950Townsville, Queensland, Australia
stepmother
May Ah Foo
19001971
Birth: 1900 Croydon, Queensland, Australia
Death: 1971Townsville, Queensland, Australia
half-sister
19221976
Birth: 1922 32 22 Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Death: 1976
half-brother
Private
half-sister
Private
Father’s family with Mary Tim So
father
8aced6475d362ce8cafd5d1b3fb3c9812dcdb7c1.jpeg
光錦
18901950
Birth: 1890 36 22 Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Death: June 27, 1950Townsville, Queensland, Australia
father’s partner
half-sister
Private
Family with Ellen Que Woo
himself
george kwong.jpg
19121992
Birth: June 5, 1912 19 Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Death: July 11, 1992Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
wife
Ellen Kwong (circa 1964)
金妹
19042004
Birth: December 9, 1904 42 20 Cumberland, Queensland, Australia
Death: September 6, 2004Wyong, New South Wales, Australia
daughter
Private
daughter
Private
daughter
Private
son
Private

Finding a "private" Murphy

During his life, George was unable to find his own birth certificate. He was aware that in some way he may have been adopted but details were hazy. As a toddler, the young George was sent by his "father" Thomas Kwong to China. There he was raised by Thomas' first wife who was unable to come to Australia. George returned as a teenager. There were attempts made during post war years to find a birth certificate in order to prove an entitlement to a rice ration but the Queensland Registry could find no birth records matching "George Kwong". All his life he thought his name was "George Thomas Kwong". 

Some years after George died the CEDTs 1 held by the Australian National Archive were indexed. While searching for "George Kwong", a researcher found a CEDT which seemed match the years that young George was in China. Except that it was in the name of "Kwong George Murphy". 2

This unlocked a whole new line of research. A birth certificate for "George Murphy" was found. No father was given but the mother George never knew was identified as Mona Annie Murphy. This connection was later confirmed by a DNA test which matched some of George's descendants with another, previously unknown descendant of Mona through one of her other children.

 


1 Certificate Exempting from Dictation Test. 

2 Full public access to Geroge's CEDT is available at the Australian Archive site https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ 
 

Birth
Birth
Trip
Occupation
Name
Birth

A 1906 date of birth is not supported by any conclusive data. George himself did not feel he was that old. The origin of this date is uncertain.

Trip

Mayzie travelled with George to Hong Kong in 1917. She returned in 1918.

Shared note

Who was George Murphy?


During his life, George was unable to find his own birth certificate. He was aware that in some way he may have been adopted but details were hazy. As a toddler, the young George was sent by his "father" Thomas Kwong to China. There he was raised by Thomas' first wife who was unable to come to Australia. George returned as a teenager. There were attempts made during post war years to find a birth certificate in order to prove an entitlement to a rice ration but the Queensland Registry could find no birth records matching "George Kwong". All his life he thought his name was "George Thomas Kwong". 

Some years after George died the CEDTs 1 held by the Australian National Archive were indexed. While searching for "George Kwong", a researcher found a CEDT which seemed match the years that young George was in China. Except that it was in the name of "Kwong George Murphy". 2

This unlocked a whole new line of research. A birth certificate for "George Murphy" was found. No father was given but the mother George never knew was identified as Mona Annie Murphy. This connection was later confirmed by a DNA test which matched some of George's descendants with another, previously unknown descendant of Mona through one of her other children.

1 Certificate Exempting from Dictation Test. 

2 Full public access to Geroge's CEDT is available at the Australian Archive site https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ 

Research task

Queensland State Archive:
Item ID 315996
Previous System Location A/73362; RSI13213/1/1
Parent Item
This item does not have a parent item.
Transfer ID 1096
Record Type Letterbook - police
Item Format Volumes
Description Inspector's letter book - Police Station, Townsville
Departmental Numbers
Preferred Citation Queensland State Archives Item ID315996, Letterbook - police
Start Date 14/9/1913
End Date 4/6/1914

Research task

Brisbane National Archive: Description suggests a passenger list. Did someone travel with George on this trip?

Certificate for exemption from dictation test list - Kwong George Murphy, Wong See, Jan Some, Sam Lee, Willie Jan Kum, Wee Hang, See Hing, Jotare Nakanishi, Masagoro Hamanishi - Passenger list 'St Albans' 21/1/30 - Whish, Thomson, Gutteridge, Dowling, Kennedy, Nuzum, Mackay Sim, Aslet, Dixon, Morey-Lawrence, Migney, Frice, Friee, Cadzow, Rie, Hervey, Fell, Nelson, Thomas, Oliver, Shin Yocklum, Lee Su, Young Yet, Choy, Young Tsuen Bun, Wong Tse Hsiang, Liang Tai Chieh, Liang Lou Tien, Liang Hou Tien, Kwong George Murphy, Hamanishi, Nakanishi

Cremation
Media object
george kwong.jpg
george kwong.jpg