Details
George Lew Ton is believed to have arrived in Melbourne in 1895. Although his birth date is listed on official records as 8 August 1888, members of the family believe the date was made up and chosen for its association with the auspicious number eight. George Lew Ton, a French polisher in the Little Bourke Street area married Joyce May Leong Tock who was born and grew up in Little Bourke Street. Tock family descendants were told that Joyce’s father, Leong Chuey Tock set George Lew Ton up in business to ensure his eldest daughter’s security when he and the rest of her family moved to Hong Kong in 1920.
George and Joyce Lew Ton had seven children: Frances (1916-1988), Cecil (1918-1978), Lawrence (1920-2001), Roy (1923-), Reginald (1925-1972), Mervyn (1926-1964) and Shirley (1934-). Frances married Harold Alexander Napier (1918-1998). Lawrence married Gloria Gee. Both couples had no children. Roy married Norma Nelson (1948-1985) and they had three children. Shirley married Ronald James Millard and they had three children. Cecil, Reginald and Mervyn did not marry.
Joyce and George Lew Ton’s Alien Registration forms completed during WWI indicate the family was living at 25 Latrobe Street, Melbourne in 1916. In 1921 they moved to Emerald for a couple of weeks before settling at Yarra Junction. The birth places of her last two children suggest the family moved to Bayswater some time between the births of Reginald and Mervyn in 1925-1926. They were still living in Bayswater, in Canterbury Road in 1939.
In 1926 a Lew Ton cabinetmaker in Little Leichardt Street wanted to bring his nephew out to Australia. It is not clear if the applicant is George Lew Ton or not. The file states Lew Ton was 61 years old and been in Australia 40 years. This does not immediately match George’s profile, however if a mistake was made and his date of birth was incorrectly assumed to be his date of arrival then this might be George Lew Ton.
Sources used to compile this entry: Personal communication with Shirley Millard; Bendigo Golden Dragon Museum collection; NAA(Vic), B13, 1926/2171; NAA(Vic), MT269/1, VIC/CHINA/TON JOYCE; NAA(Vic), MT269/1, VIC/CHINA/TON GEORGE; NAA(Vic), B6531, DECEASED/1939-1945/LEW-TON JOYCE. Further information is held at the Bendigo Golden Dragon Museum about this family.
Prepared by: Sophie Couchman, La Trobe University
Related Subjects
Associated with
Family member
Archival Collections
S. Millard (private hands)
- Shirley Millard private collection, 1890s; S. Millard (private hands). Details
- Shirley Millard private collection, 1890s; S. Millard (private hands). Details
Images
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- Title
- George and Joyce May Lew Ton and their children (left to right) Reg, Laurence, Frances, Roy, Cecil, Shirley (baby), Mervyn.
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1934
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Bayswater
- Details
Created: 13 October 2004, Last modified: 26 October 2005
