October 8, 2019
Between 1860 to 1880 about 800 Chinese came to Otago and West Coast in search of gold.
In 2002 the New Zealand Government formally apologised to the Chinese community for discrimination to early Chinese settlers. In 2003 the Department of Conservation upgraded the Arrowtown Chinese settlement as part of a national reconciliation.
A local hero was Ah Lum who saved a European miner from drowning in the Shotover River.
Ah Lum had a store he stocked tea, pickled lemons, ginger, medicines and smoking accessories. Ah Lum was a respected community leader, he could speak both a English and Chinese. Chinese gold seekers also used his store as a bank. His store was a place for locals to meet to gamble, chat and smoke.
We walked inside the tiny door to Ah Lum’s store which had pieces of newspaper stuck on the walls. The store had a dirt and stone floor.
I hought it would had been pretty tough working and living back in those days at the settlements.
By Finn
