This stamp belonged to one or both of Tingha’s Chinese Masonic society buildings. The “Yee Hing Society” was an earlier name for this organisation.
LOCATION
Inverell Pioneer Village
TRANSCRIPTIONS AND TRANSLATONS
Recto
天架義興公司拜
Compliments of the Yee Hing Society, Tingha
Top end of the verso
上
Top
WHERE WAS THIS OBJECT USED?
In the light of the unambiguous inscription, it appears probable that this stamp belonged to one or both of Tingha’s Chinese masonic buildings. The first of these would appear to have been otherwise known as the “masonic shack”, and to have been located at the northern end of Tingha, opposite Chen Ah Song’s store and adjacent to a wooden bridge over Cope’s Creek. The more recent Chinese masonic building, referred to as the “New Masonic Temple”, is given in Tin at Tingha to have been located on the high side of Amethyst Street, a short distance from the Buffalo Hall site (now Merv Burdekin Hall).
NOTES
“Top”: The inscription “Top” was clearly intended to assist a person using the stamp to orientate it in the correct direction.
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