Say hi to Elizabeth Jorgensen (nee Ty You).
Elizabeth was born to Chan & Jane Ty You (nee Smith) at Golden Point, Blackwood in 1898.
Chan (or possibly Chun) is buried with his fellow countrymen at the rear of our cemetery. We don't know exactly where, as the Chinese burials weren't adequately recorded. We do know an application was made for a simple wooden fence to surround his grave a few months after burial.
Although marriages between the Chinese miners and western women weren't totally unheard of, it was certainly a rarity. Generally, it was only the men who travelled thousands of miles here, wishing to strike it lucky and return home as a good "prospect". Unfortunately many didn't and now lie unknown without monuments in cemeteries just like ours.
By all reports, the Blackwood goldfield was generally tolerant of these Chinese "intruders" — many fields weren't! Jane (Elizabeth's mum) would almost certainly have been shunned by a section of the community who would have seen her as a heathen for marrying a Chinese man.
History has shown us that no single race or nationality has a "mortgage" on being persecuted!
Elizabeth died in 1967, having made her contribution to the diverse and eclectic melting pot that Australia has become, from humble beginnings in our own Golden Point!
When visiting the cemetery, spare a thought for the 40-plus Chinese souls that are buried there. Most of them have never had a flower placed upon their grave — unknown and thousands of miles from those they had every intention of returning to. Many here died in abject poverty.
Many thanks to Joy Jorgensen for the family info.
Ray Castellin — President, Blackwood and District Historical Society