Leong-Lim Family History Project
Donation protected
The money we wish to raise for this Leong Lim Family project will be to pay for the historical and writing expertise of Dr. Sophie Couchman, former curator of the Chinese History Museum in Melbourne. Sophie is very familiar with our family;'s story and has given us a proposal to complete a book that describes the origins of both the Leong and Lim arms of the family with its rich stories of journeys connecting our roots in Southern China, Hong Kong to North Qld and Melbourne.
As this book will be a legacy to our family's ancestral history, we would like all of the major branches of the family to contribute what they can to help us complete this fascinating project. From it, we will finally all have a wonderful coherent historical record in the form of a treasured book, which will contain many wonderful inspiring family photos and stories. This will be particularly important for the newer generations of our family to enjoy and learn from our ancestor's hard toils, adventures, and endeavours.
See Project proposal from Dr. Sophie Couchaman below
Leong Family History Brief
General thoughts
Focus of the book is the movement of different generations of the family from the village in southern China out into the world and then the ongoing movement of people, base and forth to the village as well as elsewhere. With information about the work they did and how the family grew as it moved.
Break up family tree so that there is a small one at the start of each section (possibly a large and cut down version at start, no dates, no husbands/wives just family members) to help orient people.
Use consistent names for everyone and include birth and death year in brackets after their name.
Chapters on family members start with some text that tells the story of these people but weaves in some of the history of the time as well and then is followed by photographs in chronological order, with detailed captions. Rather than being woven into the text some of the historical context could be set up as boxed text.
Photographs to have detailed captions that identify everyone and where and when they were taken but also perhaps provide some other piece of information about the photograph that is of interest.
Book will have chunks of text at the start of chapters (not too long) but mainly be a photograph book. This will draw readers in, the detailed captions on the photographs will give people a taste for the family story and hopefully get them reading the rest of the book.
Chapters/Sections
Preface
Something that discusses motivation for bringing the book together and why you think it is important to understand family and your roots. This should be very personal.
Introduction
Introduces family and broad story are of the family, overarching material. Locate and the discuss the villages in Zhongshan and Xinhui that family members come from. Any historical context which applies to both sets of families – eg. why leave China for overseas (Australia) in 1890s (push and pull factors), immigration restrictions in Australia, perhaps some broad China, Hong Kong, Australia context.
Illustrate with photographs that are not necessarily family ones.
Yip Wing George LEONG and Din Ching LEE story
Based on information from Richard Wai Chung’s account and translation from Chinese family tree
Illustrate with images of them and also their family when they were children and also any documentation.
Kee Tey LIM and Eva Mary ANDREWS story
Based on information written up by John Leckey and Joyce Lim’s memories
Illustrate with images of them and also their family when they were children and also any documentation.
Richard Thomas LEONG and Jean Mary LIM
Based on his own account. Need to include information about her story too
Illustrate with photographs of them and their family when they were children and also any documentation.
Richard Thomas LEONG’s brothers and sisters
These could be groups of photographs of each of the families associated with each of the brothers and sisters. If text available this could be incorporated in. Include any documentation there might be.
Jean Mary LIM’s brothers and sisters
These could be groups of photographs of each of the families associated with each of the brothers and sisters. If text available this could be incorporated in.
Conclusion: Leong-Lim Family reunions and the younger generations
This could be at the start or at the end of the book
List reunion details, the for each reunion describe or list activities, who attended (if you have it) and any memories there might be, illustrate with photographs from reunions and some of reunion correspondence.
Tasks Required for Book
This is a breakdown of the kinds of task and work that will be needed to create the book.
Research
Research historical context of family’s story
(eg. southern China mid-late nineteenth century, Australia 1890s and its attitude to Chinese including immigration restrictions, Hong Kong in the 1930s, educating children in Australia and in China, Chinese history of Ingham, attitudes towards mixed race in Hong Kong and Australia, furniture making in Melbourne, Chinese general stores in rural Australia (partic. Qld), women’s history (China, Hong Kong and Australia)
Additional archival research into family story (optional)
Additional written accounts from family members about their lives of those of their parents (optional)
Text and content
Write Preface
Write Introduction (around 3,000 words) and introductory text for each chapter (around 1,500 words)
Write detailed captions for each photograph, document used (may involve some research or clarification with family members)
Liaising with family members for clarification or additional information
Final content of book for approval from family
Proofreading and copyediting of text
Select photographs and documents for use
Preparation of index (optional)
Preparation of preamble text (cover, title pages, table of contents etc)
Design and printing
Select designer and printer
Decide on size of book, quality of paper, full colour or black and white, pricing of book
High resolution scans of selected family photographs and documents
Copyright permissions on any visual or textual material
Obtain high resolution copies of any additional images used
Design and creation of family trees, including checking accuracy of information (minimum 6 possibly more)
Design and create maps, including researching content to put on them (southern China, Hong Kong, Australia, Melbourne)
Design and layout text and images
Cover design
As this book will be a legacy to our family's ancestral history, we would like all of the major branches of the family to contribute what they can to help us complete this fascinating project. From it, we will finally all have a wonderful coherent historical record in the form of a treasured book, which will contain many wonderful inspiring family photos and stories. This will be particularly important for the newer generations of our family to enjoy and learn from our ancestor's hard toils, adventures, and endeavours.
See Project proposal from Dr. Sophie Couchaman below
Leong Family History Brief
General thoughts
Focus of the book is the movement of different generations of the family from the village in southern China out into the world and then the ongoing movement of people, base and forth to the village as well as elsewhere. With information about the work they did and how the family grew as it moved.
Break up family tree so that there is a small one at the start of each section (possibly a large and cut down version at start, no dates, no husbands/wives just family members) to help orient people.
Use consistent names for everyone and include birth and death year in brackets after their name.
Chapters on family members start with some text that tells the story of these people but weaves in some of the history of the time as well and then is followed by photographs in chronological order, with detailed captions. Rather than being woven into the text some of the historical context could be set up as boxed text.
Photographs to have detailed captions that identify everyone and where and when they were taken but also perhaps provide some other piece of information about the photograph that is of interest.
Book will have chunks of text at the start of chapters (not too long) but mainly be a photograph book. This will draw readers in, the detailed captions on the photographs will give people a taste for the family story and hopefully get them reading the rest of the book.
Chapters/Sections
Preface
Something that discusses motivation for bringing the book together and why you think it is important to understand family and your roots. This should be very personal.
Introduction
Introduces family and broad story are of the family, overarching material. Locate and the discuss the villages in Zhongshan and Xinhui that family members come from. Any historical context which applies to both sets of families – eg. why leave China for overseas (Australia) in 1890s (push and pull factors), immigration restrictions in Australia, perhaps some broad China, Hong Kong, Australia context.
Illustrate with photographs that are not necessarily family ones.
Yip Wing George LEONG and Din Ching LEE story
Based on information from Richard Wai Chung’s account and translation from Chinese family tree
Illustrate with images of them and also their family when they were children and also any documentation.
Kee Tey LIM and Eva Mary ANDREWS story
Based on information written up by John Leckey and Joyce Lim’s memories
Illustrate with images of them and also their family when they were children and also any documentation.
Richard Thomas LEONG and Jean Mary LIM
Based on his own account. Need to include information about her story too
Illustrate with photographs of them and their family when they were children and also any documentation.
Richard Thomas LEONG’s brothers and sisters
These could be groups of photographs of each of the families associated with each of the brothers and sisters. If text available this could be incorporated in. Include any documentation there might be.
Jean Mary LIM’s brothers and sisters
These could be groups of photographs of each of the families associated with each of the brothers and sisters. If text available this could be incorporated in.
Conclusion: Leong-Lim Family reunions and the younger generations
This could be at the start or at the end of the book
List reunion details, the for each reunion describe or list activities, who attended (if you have it) and any memories there might be, illustrate with photographs from reunions and some of reunion correspondence.
Tasks Required for Book
This is a breakdown of the kinds of task and work that will be needed to create the book.
Research
Research historical context of family’s story
(eg. southern China mid-late nineteenth century, Australia 1890s and its attitude to Chinese including immigration restrictions, Hong Kong in the 1930s, educating children in Australia and in China, Chinese history of Ingham, attitudes towards mixed race in Hong Kong and Australia, furniture making in Melbourne, Chinese general stores in rural Australia (partic. Qld), women’s history (China, Hong Kong and Australia)
Additional archival research into family story (optional)
Additional written accounts from family members about their lives of those of their parents (optional)
Text and content
Write Preface
Write Introduction (around 3,000 words) and introductory text for each chapter (around 1,500 words)
Write detailed captions for each photograph, document used (may involve some research or clarification with family members)
Liaising with family members for clarification or additional information
Final content of book for approval from family
Proofreading and copyediting of text
Select photographs and documents for use
Preparation of index (optional)
Preparation of preamble text (cover, title pages, table of contents etc)
Design and printing
Select designer and printer
Decide on size of book, quality of paper, full colour or black and white, pricing of book
High resolution scans of selected family photographs and documents
Copyright permissions on any visual or textual material
Obtain high resolution copies of any additional images used
Design and creation of family trees, including checking accuracy of information (minimum 6 possibly more)
Design and create maps, including researching content to put on them (southern China, Hong Kong, Australia, Melbourne)
Design and layout text and images
Cover design
Organizer
Gary M Leong
Organizer
St Pauls NSW
