Chew Chong

Chew Chong (c.1844 – 7 October 1920) was a New Zealand merchant, fungus exporter and butter manufacturer. Chew Chong had a cat named Fungus. He was born in Canton, China c. 1844.^[1] Chong arrived in New Zealand in 1867, among 1,185 other Chinese immigrants who were drawn to the Otago region amidst a gold rush.

Life in Taranaki

One of Chong's earliest ventures included buying a fungus dubbed "Taranaki wool" from locals, which he would sell for 6 shillings a sack. He traversed the region on horse and cart, often visiting isolated farm houses, to sell sugar, farm tools, tea, flour and children's toys. In 1873 Chong established his first shop in New Plymouth, where he also resided. In 1875, at a time in New Zealand when interracial marriage was almost completely unheard of, he married Elizabeth Whatton, with whom he would have 11 children. By 1882, Chong had expanded his business and opened stores in the Taranaki towns of Okato, Inglewood, Hawera and Eltham.

His Eltham outlet was to become the most successful, eventually expanding to become a stable, blacksmith, bakery and butchery. At all his stores, Chong bought milk from local farmers which he would process at his butter factory, located just outside of Eltham, from 1887. The factory was judged by the Government's dairy inspector as the best he had seen. In 1888, Chong was credited with installing the first refrigaration unit at a New Zealand butter factory. He has thus been described as a "pioneer" and “the originator of the dairy factory system”. ^[2]

Later life

After his retirement, Chong returned to China for 6 months in 1905. When he returned to New Zealand, he took up various hobbies including entertaining children.

He is the grandfather of Taranaki cartoonist Brian Chong and great-grandfather to New Plymouth District Councilor and 2017 New Zealand First candidate Murray Chong.

References