The Leong Family - Frankton, Hamilton, New Zealand
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The Leong family tree, beginning with Cheong and Wong Leong, and including spouses, currently numbers close to 100 individuals, the youngest born just this year.
Leong Family Photo. The Leong family tree, beginning with Cheong and Wong Leong, and including spouses, currently numbers close to 100 individuals, the youngest born just this year. This brief introduction to the Leong family history begins with Henry and Low Foon Leong, who are the first ancestors who came to New Zealand.
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Transcript of :The Leong family - Kete interview
Interviewed by Smita Biswas on Tuesday 14th September at 55 Tawa Street, Melville. Hamilton.
The Leong family are long time residents of Chinese descent - they had a fruit shop in Frankton.
Florence (Flo) Lilias Lim (Nee Leong): Got her name from the Private nursing home called the "Garth Owen" in Frankton. Her mother did not speak much English and had not thought of a name. When asked if she had a name Florence's mother asked the nursing sister if she had a daughter and she had. "Florence". The nurse agreed that she could use that name. Her father mispronounced her middle name to the registrar of births "Lily" became "Lilias"!
Went to Whitiora School and then onto Hamilton Technical College. Never had to work very hard in those days at school. Left school - had to choose between two jobs - fruit market or a job in a lawyer' office. Felt that didn't want to go to the fruit market as didn't want to be polite to her Chinese friends and relatives. Florence was only the third Chinese person to go out and work - not usual for girls to work. Got married and raised children in Hamilton. Loves living in Hamilton. Used to work and live in Frankton.
"In early days Chinese people were not permitted to buy a house to live in"
Raised four children. The social functions were mainly for the men to start with. They would gather together every Sunday and have drinks, play cards and socialise. When the children had grown up, the women had more time to get together.
Father was prominent in Chinese Association. Florence did not speak much Chinese - parents would speak to them in Chinese and they would answer in English. Did go back to China for three years and learned some Chinese there. Lost a lot of Chinese language when came back to New Zealand.
Remembers Hamilton as being a sleepy town - ladies wore hats and gloves, hi-heeled shoes - they were real ‘ladies'.
Recalls her two brothers and husband going to war but was too young to remember much. Had rationing but also managed to get Chinese food. In those days Chinese people would buy large amounts of food and store it. There were no expiry dates then.
Florence recommends getting a good education, getting into the work force and raising lots of kids!
Arthur William Leong - father's name was Huan Quang (Henry), mother was Lo fun, known as "Mrs Leong". Arthur is the only sibling to be born in China. (1931)
Arthur also went to Whitiora School and Hamilton Technical College. Used to go home from school and help with the fruit shop in Frankton. Dad later had a log transporting business near Rotorua. Arthur followed a lot of sport.
Never subjected to any racist problems at school - very well accepted by the community.
Had a very sympathetic headmaster called Wompo Fraser "Womp" named after a river in China. Older siblings had a good reputation before Arthur at school and Arthur was good at sports - soccer, cricket and athletics. School champion - held Waikato Secondary High School record for long jump for 17 years.
"Social world was based around sport"
Would play sport on Saturday evening - girls not part of scene.
Hamilton was two parts in the early days - Frankton and Hamilton. Not really interested in Hamilton. Frankton was a one street town, it was safe and quiet. Friends lived in the area so never had to travel far. Dad had to go to market which was in Hamilton and they would get a ride to Whitiora School on the truck. Could give their friends lifts and that made Arthur popular.
The fruit market was a central market where shop keepers went to bid. One was in Rostrevor Street - E. C. Days / Shoemakers and one in Victoria Street - Turner & Growers, originally Turners & Fow.
Arthur went to university. Didn't know what he wanted to do when was in the sixth form. Headmaster suggested he go down to Dunedin University. Arthur had not travelled in New Zealand before. Took train down to Wellington and did a night trip to Lyttleton and then another train journey to Dunedin. Spent a year at Auckland Training College and was posted to Te Awamutu Training College where spent six or seven years. In 1962/63 was transferred to Fairfield College where he spent 27 years. There were only about 600 pupils when started and 1100 when he left. Kids were great and he enjoyed teaching there.
"If you treated them right they thought you were great too"
Lived with mum & dad in Hamilton. When Kelly his brother bought a house they all moved in with him. Arthur married Maureen.
Clarence (Kelly) Leong - Born in New Zealand but not sure where. Tells people he was born on a Friday night so was probably born in the shop! Possibly born in Garth Owen Maternity Hospital - they bought fruit from them. Went to same school as others. They did have a choice of Frankton or Whitiora. To get to Frankton - had to cross "Frankton Junction" -
"At that time it was the busiest railway junction in New Zealand- there was a train going past every eight minutes" Mother decided it was too dangerous so sent them to Whitiora.
Whitiora was the best school at the time and they promoted sport.
Living accommodation was part of shop and later on they built a house at Dinsdale. Lived there for about 50 years. Bought another house later on - Kelly worked in the shop. His other brothers had already left so ended up looking after the shop.
Sold the shop in about 1980 - it was badly damaged in the Frankton Tornado in 1948. It was the day of the New Zealand All Black trials in Hamilton. Walls were moved slightly but building next door held the shop up. The next door shop decided to pull their shop down and rebuild. Also the supermarkets were beginning to take over and small shops lost their turnover. Kelly decided to retire and take up golf!
Played a lot of sport at school - that was the main socialising. These days' young people tend to ignore older ones.
Recalls having the day off for the Winter Show which was held in Ward Street. On Queen's Birthday Hamilton would play Auckland at rugby.
"As far as the people in Frankton were concerned - we weren't Hamilton". Father thought that Frankton was the town that would go ahead. That was a mistake. Only "Mr. Forlongs" there now!
End of interviews.
Leongs in 2010 at their Hamilton residence
ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info/memories_of_hamilton/topics/show/393-the-leong-family-frankton-hamilton-new-zealand 
