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One hundred and two Northern Territory Chinese were naturalised up to 1885 and after that period,
South Australia did not approve any further naturalisations. The fact that Yet Loong held mining leases suggests
that he must have been naturalised though no record to date has been found. The Immigration Restriction Act
allowed naturalised Chinese to either take out or to buy mining leases.
Yet Loong commenced his businesses in Palmerston (now Darwin) prior to 1888 as records show that he was
already operating a store and restaurant when he leased a number of blocks in that part of Cavenagh Street known
as Chinatown. These leases were for 10-year periods at a time. He used these premises to conduct his own retail
business, rent out others and used another as a home. On 26 October 1894, Yet Loong applied to replace one old
building with a ‘fine two-storey building to serve as shops and dwelling in place of his old unpretentious premises’.
These buildings consisted of four storage houses, one dwelling and eight or nine smaller premises at the rear with
all occupied. As a landowner, he was also a ratepayer and on one occasion, he appealed against the rate assessment
on lot 399. He was successful and the assessment was reduced.
His retail business extended to the gold fields where he traded with all the Chinese coolies. He also had another
shop in the Chinatown section of Pine Creek. On 20 July 1893 it was burnt to the ground by a fire started in an
adjoining humpy when a Chinese, on striking a match set fire to his mosquito net, which then quickly spread to
the adjoining building, In addition to the store Yet Loong lost all stock and livestock consisting of pigs, ducks and
fowls. The total loss was estimated at 2 000 Pounds. Yet Loong operated under many business names: Yet Loong
& Co. at Port Darwin; Yet Loong Chan & Co. at Pine Creek; Yet Sing Chan & Co. at Yam Creek.
He was also involved in tendering to the Council for various contracts, such as cementing culverts under
Cavenagh Street, fencing, and the removal of house refuse and night soil. He won a tender for fencing Gulnare
Jetty Road on 24 December 1901 for 140 panels at one Shilling and three Pence per yard. He also sold horses,
drays, wagons and accessories that he had obtained from the Union. He was perhaps the first Chinese to have a
horse and buggy in Darwin and was able to take his wife and family for Sunday rides. The result of one such ride
ended in a buggy accident where he received injuries to his face.
He often appeared before the courts, on one occasion because pearlers wrecked his restaurant and store on
New Year’s Day 1888. He was eventually compensated for the damage. Another incident saw two Europeans
kicking at one of his shop doors creating a scuffle in which a Chinese was hurt and property damaged when the
Europeans entered Yet Loong’s store and started smashing it with a big stick. On another occasion while Yet Loong
was kneeling in prayer a person from behind attacked him with a large knife. It was a coolie who was subject to
temporary fits of mania. The weapon passed between Yet Loong’s arm and body, cutting his robes only. The first
suitable steamer eventually deported the assailant.
In 1905 Yet Loong and Yam Yan, as secretaries of the Chinese society, presented to His Excellency
Sir George Le Hunte, Governor of South Australia, a banner of Chinese art measuring ten feet by five feet, made
of red satin and lined with pure silk. The banner, beautifully embroidered and bearing the names of all the Chinese
merchants involved was to be displayed at the Palmerston (Darwin) Town Hall. His interest in community affairs
led him and other Chinese traders to reply to a letter sent to the Northern Territory Times and Gazette anonymously
with certain allegations against the Chinese. The Chinese were outraged and in a protest to the Editor offered to
hand over 100 Pounds to the Government Resident on disclosure of the name of the anonymous writer and for
him to repeat his allegations. Another incident that saw Yet Loong and other Chinese storekeepers of Palmerston
write to the editor of the local paper concerned the subject of opium. It was suggested that the Chinese were still
trafficking in the drug, so a letter of protest from the Chinese was written saying that they recognised the dangers
and problems regarding opium.
Yet Loong’s involvement in the community and his many years of trading in the Northern Territory as a
shopkeeper, landlord and on the gold fields, made him a prominent member of the community. He travelled back
to China on a few occasions and at one such time was bestowed with the rank of the Officer of the Court denoting
him a senior minister. His mandarin gown with the square patch in front and hat was an indication of this.
Yet Loong died suddenly on Friday morning 20 October 1916 in Darwin. He was described in the Northern
Territory Times and Gazette as a ‘notable personality’ and was buried in the Darwin cemetery but, as was the
custom in the early days, his remains were eventually returned to China. His memory will live on in his village
in Zhongshan Province. In 1984, The Yuen Yet Hing High School, catering for 350 students was dedicated in his
memory. Funds for the three-storey building of this school was donated by Yuen descendants throughout Australia,
Hong Kong and Macau. His only surviving son, Robert, donated 45 000 Dollars towards the cost of the building.
It was then one of the few schools in China holding English classes. Many members of the Yuen family returned to
China for the opening of the school and the ceremonies included a Lion Dance, a Civic reception, fireworks and a
Banquet. Yuen Place, a small street behind Yet Loong’s original Cavenagh Street premises also remembers him.
In the century after the arrival of Yuen Yet Hing to Darwin, four generations of the Yuen family were all born
in Darwin and continued the precedent set by him in contributing to community affairs, business and property
development, and in the professional fields. In 1995, one son and two daughters of Yet Loong still survived.
His youngest daughter was Lilyan Chan, wife of the late Harry Chan who was well known as President of the
Legislative Council in 1965 and Mayor of Darwin in 1966.
I S Balfour, ‘Mining News’ from Northern Territory Times & Gazette 1890–1899, ‘Government Resident’s Reports—The Top End Goldfields
(Agicondi, Waggaman), Daly River and Katherine 1870–1910, ‘Mining Tenement holders—prior to 1940; V Dixon (ed), Looking Back,
1988; family information; C B Inglis, ‘The Darwin Chinese’, MA Thesis, Australian National University, 1967; T G Jones, The Chinese in the
Northern Territory, 1990; D Lockwood, The Front Door, 1969; Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 1888–1916; A Powell, Far Country,
1982; H J Wilson, ‘The Historic Heart of Darwin’, 1994.
GLENICE YEE, Vol 3.