1857 temple Entrance of the 1887 temple at Emmaville. Photograph by Robert Newby Kirk in 1899, reproduced from Golden Threads, p. 84. Interior of the 1887 temple at Emmaville. Photograph by Robert Newby Kirk in 1899, reproduced from Golden Threads, p. 88. Main altar of the 1887 temple at Emmaville. Photograph dated early 1900s, reproduced from Golden Threads, p. 88.Read More
The main temple at Tingha, photographed possibly in 1890. Photograph reproduced from Elizabeth Weidemann’s 1981 book World of Its Own: Inverell’s Early Years 1827-1920, p. 180.Read More
Two photographs taken in 1899, which feature many inscriptions on plaques of the 1887 Emmaville temple. LOCATION Britain Album, private collection Entrance of the 1887 temple at Emmaville. Photograph by Robert Newby Kirk in 1899, reproduced from Golden Threads, p. 84. Emmaville temple interior, Britain album 1899. TRANSCRIPTIONS AND TRANSLATIONS 1. Centre of the fascia board 聖壽無疆 Eternal Life Be Thine/Yours 2a, 2b, 2c. Above-door plaque 光緒十二年季冬穀旦 列聖宮 沐 恩庇下李☐敬送 順德黎☐☐敬書 House(s) of Saints [or] House(s) of Holy Ones Respectfully given by Thy/Your favoured follower Lee … on an auspicious day in the last Winter month of the twelfth year of Kuang Hsü Era. Respectfully written by Lai … of Shun Tak. 3. Horizontal ceiling plaque visible immediately within the doorway in the photograph of the façade ☐德群生 … Providence to All Living Things 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b. Door-side couplet boards (right then left) 光緒歲次丙戌年季冬吉旦 列聖普仁慈同欣福蔭 群生沾德澤共仰恩㴠 沐 恩弟子李澤☐合記號仝敬送 Spread wide Your kindness and benevolence, O Holy Ones, that we may delight in Your propitious providence; Bathe in...Read More
Dated 1908, the temple pictured is presumably the 1880 Rocky River temple, which reportedly burnt down in 1912. LOCATION Private collection Main altar in what is believed to be a 1908 photograph of the Rocky River temple: from private collection, reproduced in Golden Threads, p. 87. NOTES Textual content: This photograph contains a number of texts: a pillar inscription, a censer inscription, and at least two altar inscriptions. None of these, however, is legible in the low-resolution photograph above. The most important of the texts is presumably the censer inscription, which probably provides the name of the temple: a high-resolution scan of the original image might facilitate its determination. Identity of the temple: Given the date of the photograph, the temple pictured is presumably the last of the Rocky River temples, which opened in 1880, and reportedly burnt down in 1912. For a newspaper report on its opening, see: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82894786 This is a continually evolving website, and more information about this photograph...Read More
There were at least nine different temples in the New England North West region. Local histories state that the goldfields of Rocky River (modern-day Uralla) had a series of three Chinese temples built sequentially in 1857, 1866 and 1877. The tin-mining town of Tingha is also recorded as having “three joss houses” by 1885, with two of these opening in 1874 and 1883, and a fourth opening in 1901. The tinfield of Emmaville (originally called Vegetable Creek), had two temples, opened in 1878 and 1887. The main temple at Tingha, photographed possibly in 1890. Photograph reproduced from Elizabeth Weidemann’s 1981 book World of Its Own: Inverell’s Early Years 1827-1920, p. 180. Here are some historical images of the interiors and exteriors of some of these temples. As our research progresses, we hope to find out more details on these temples and their history, as well as provide detailed translations of the Chinese inscriptions in these photographs. For more information about the...Read More
