Henry Chow

Henry Chow relates how 300 young men were recruited from the Sze Yap Clan in Guangdong Province to go to Rabaul in the 1870s, including his great grandfather who was recruited to work for a German officer in Kokopo. He relates how his grandfather at 19 years set out to find his granduncle in 1895, travelling to Macau and Singapore where he worked in a small boat yard waiting for seven months while waiting for a boat to go to Kokopo.

Henry Chow recalls the Australian soldiers during World War II, and the naming of 2/22nd Street after the Australian battalion.

Henry Chow relates that his family had a trade store in Rabaul, and how his grandfather built a boat with a Japanese boat builder to run copra from the plantation to Rabaul.

Henry Chow discusses his mother's education by German nuns at the Catholic mission in Kokopo and how his grandfather had converted to Catholicism and started the building of the Chinese Catholic School in Rabaul. He discusses his own education prior to World War II.

Henry Chow discusses how his schooling was interupted by World War II, and the placement of Chinese in concentration camps. He describes how all citizens and their animals were registered by the Japanese and males required to report to Namatanai every month.

Henry Chow recalls the end of World War II, the liberation of the concentration camp, and the provision of food by the Australian Red Cross.

Henry Chow describes how his father re-established his trade store and plantation and purchased a boat and began to trade copra. He describes how he and his older brother were sent to school in Australia, flying on a DC3 via Finch Hatton, Lae, Port Moresby, Townsville and Brisbane before arriving in Sydney. He describes spending 1948 at De La Salle College before being transferred the next year to St Joseph's College.

Henry Chow states that after finishing high school he went straight to Brisbane to take up an apprenticeship at the Crowley shipyards in Bulimba. He relates how he moved into a hostel in Bulimba, and how he excelled by learning all he could from the shipyard owner.

Henry Chow relates how his well known reputation as a boat builder led to his nomination to join the Rabaul Chamber of Commerce and becoming Vice-President. He describes how he and his wife fundraised for charities, raising money for the Cathedral in Rabaul. He relates how he was nominated for the Rabaul Town Council, later becoming chair of the combined council of East New Britain from 1967-73.

Henry Chow discusses his relationship with Julius Chan, going back to his Brisbane days, and their involvement in shipyards. He discusses discrimination against Chinese, their status as second class citizens and his determination to gain respect.

Henry Chow discusses the first election in 1972, his role with independent Matthias Toliman and his strategy to gather votes in remote villages

Henry Chow describes self government as a foregone conclusion at the time and the steps necessary to prepare the constitution.

Henry Chow discusses Julius Chan's strategy to buy out foreigners who were leaving and the training program for indigenous PNGs.

Henry Chow relates that after 1982 his business grew to include the Lae Biscuit company and his growing success with the removal of preferences.

Henry Chow quantifies the growth in his business interests over 40 years.

Henry Chow is thanked for his time and contribution.