Celebrating New Zealand Chinese Language Week
As part of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week we’re reflecting on New Zealand’s first Chinese immigrant whose tale is both courageous and awe-inspiring.
APPO HOCTON, CIRCA 1920. NELSON PROVINCIAL MUSEUM, TYREE STUDIO COLLECTION: 91263
職位升遷
黃鶴廷，又名Wong Ah Poo Hoc Ting，后改名阿波·霍克顿，出生於中國南方廣東省的一個小村莊—衛節村，阿波的具體出生年代不詳，有1817年、1819年、1822年8月18日等幾種記載。阿波9歲時只身離家到英國，在一艘英國輪船上當侍者，阿波在海上工作時學會了英語，隨船周遊了世界，職務逐級攀升，到1842年他已升為駛往尼爾森方向的一艘名為托馬斯·哈里森輪船上的服務員。
Climbing through the Ranks
Huang Hoc Ting, known as Wong Ah Poo Hoc Ting and later Appo Hocton was born in Wie Jie Cun, a small village in the Guangdong province, Southern China. Appo’s exact year of birth is not known but has been variously identified as 18 August, 1817, 1819 or 1822. Aged nine Appo left his family and went to England as a cabin boy aboard an English sailing ship. Appo learnt English while at sea and travelled vastly. He rose through the ranks and by 1842 was ship’s steward aboard Thomas Harrison bound for Nelson.
离开輪船
托馬斯·哈里森移民船于1842年5月26日駛離英國的格雷夫森德，船上的外科醫生. 托馬斯·任維克在航行期间一直记醫療日誌，其中一部份日誌留至今日。1842年10月25日，船停泊在尼爾森，船上包括任維克醫生在內的所有移民都下了船，開始了他們在尼爾森的新生活，幾個船員也同時離開了帆船，這其中就有阿波·霍克顿。阿波以棄逃罪被捕，并被判處30天監禁。然而阿波選擇留在尼爾森，因此他成為紐西蘭的第一位中國移民。據說任維克醫生曾替阿波支付了一筆罰金，幫他免去了牢獄之苦，1843至1845年間還雇阿波做他的管家。
Jumping Ship
The emigrant ship Thomas Harrison left Gravesend, England on 26th May 1842. The ship’s surgeon Dr Thomas Renwick kept a medical journal throughout the trip, part of which we have today.
On 25th October 1842 the ship docked in Nelson and the emigrants disembarked to start their new lives in Nelson, including Dr Renwick. A number of crew also ‘jumped ship’, including Appo Hocton.
Appo was caught, charged with desertion and sentenced to 30-days imprisonment. Nevertheless, Appo chose to stay in Nelson, thus becoming New Zealand’s first Chinese immigrant.
It is rumored that Dr. Renwick assisted Appo, allegedly paying a fine on his behalf, he also employed Appo as his housekeeper between 1843 and 1845.
運輸生意
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NELSON BOARD OF WORKS. 1859. WAIMEA ROAD GRAVELLING TENDER 27 MAY, 1859. NELSON PROVINCIAL MUSEUM: NP6599.3.
阿波用在任維克醫生家做工時攢的工資購買了一輛貨車和一頭牛，開始了貨物運輸生意。1849年的尼爾森人口普查把阿波登記為運貨馬車夫，擁有10頭牛。
阿波的生意極為成功，這些文件便是當時提交給阿波的生意競標樣本。
阿波工作的非常賣力，攢夠錢后，買下了第一個房產。由於他被劃爲“外國人”，也就是說，他不是英國人，所以也就不能合法購買土地，阿波只好成為一個公民。
The business of bullocks
With wages saved during his employment with Dr. Renwick, Appo purchased a dray and bullock and set up a cartage business. In 1849 the Nelson census recorded Appo as working as a carter and owning 10 cattle.
Appo’s business was extremely successful. These documents are examples of tenders awarded to Appo.
Appo worked hard and saved enough money to purchase his own property. However, official classification as an ‘alien’, that is, not a British subject, meant Appo was unable to legally purchase land. Appo had to become a citizen.
NELSON BOARD OF WORKS. 1859. WAIMEA ROAD GRAVELLING TENDER 27 MAY, 1859. NELSON PROVINCIAL MUSEUM: NP6599.3.
一位新公民
成為公民的唯一方法就是通過歸化。1852年阿波遞交了他的申請，申請順利獲批。1853年1月3日阿波成為第一個華裔新西蘭公民。
阿波成為公民后，他在華盛頓山谷Washington Valley上面購買了第一塊建地，他還在赫斯廷斯街Hastings Street上買的地上蓋了四間小屋，并出租出去。他在華盛頓路上給自己另蓋了一幢小屋。
早年在赫斯廷斯街上和華盛頓路上蓋的幾間房子至今依然存在！
APPO HOCTON HOUSES, HASTINGS STREET, LOWER WASHINGTON VALLEY. NELSON PROVINCIAL MUSEUM, TYREE STUDIO COLLECTION: 31724
A New Citizen
The only way to become a citizen was through naturalisation. In 1852 Appo submitted his application which was successful. On January 3, 1853, Appo became the first New Zealand citizen of Chinese descent.
With his new classification as citizen, Appo made his first land purchase above Washington Valley. He also built these four cottages on land he purchased on Hastings Street which he let out. He had another cottage which he built for himself on Washington Road.
Some of these early houses built on Hastings Street and Washington Road are still standing today!
MR WILLIAM ROWLING HOCTON, DATE UNKNOWN. NELSON PROVINCIAL MUSEUM, TYREE STUDIO COLLECTION: 317199
下一步
1856 年7 月17 日，阿波娶了他的鄰居詹妮弗·羅琳，在這之前羅琳已守寡兩年，帶著一個5歲的兒子威廉姆。
不過有理由相信威廉姆實際上是阿波的親生兒子。有幾個證據可以證明這種說法，他們不僅家庭傳統一樣，而且威廉姆的身體特徵也非常像阿波，威廉姆的死亡證上父親一欄寫著阿波·霍克顿。
1865年3月10 日詹妮弗死於結核病，離開了阿波和她15歲的兒子威廉姆。此時阿波的生意興隆，威廉姆和他一起工作，他們經營著3輛運輸貨車。
The next step
On July 17th 1856, Appo married Jennifer Rowling. Jennifer, Appo’s neighbour, had been widowed two years earlier and had a five-year-old son, William.
However, there is reason to believe that William was in fact Appo’s natural son. There is some evidence to support this theory, not only family tradition but William’s striking physical resemblance to Appo. William’s death certificate records his father as Appo Hocton.
On March 10, 1865 Jennifer Hocton died from tuberculosis, leaving behind Appo and 15-year old William. At this time, Appo’s business was thriving, William was working with him and they operated three bullock drays.
供不應求—優質乾淨的真菌
1865年9月12日，阿波娶了艾倫·斯努克為妻，他們倆共同育有3個孩子：阿波·路易斯（人稱路易斯，或路），阿爾伯特·阿·立鈉和艾蕾娜·簡。1886年夫婦倆開始照顧奧麗芙·克拉拉·石如德，後來他們正式收養了她。
阿波的家庭和生意都在擴大，1872年到1873年報紙上的廣告顯示，阿波將生意拓展到干蘑菇真菌類食材以及廢鐵市場，他將這些商品收集起來并航運至中國。
WANTED – Good, clean, dry FUNGUS
On 12th September 1865, Appo married Ellen Snook. Together they had three children; Appo Louis [known as Louis or Lou], Albert Ah Lina and Eirena Jane (known as Rene). Later in life, in 1886 the couple took into their care Olive Clara Schroder, who they would later formally adopt.
Appo’s family was growing and so was his business. Newspaper advertisements from 1872 and 1873 show that Appo was expanding into the dried fungus and scrap iron markets, commodities which he collected and shipped to China.
Appo’s Second Wife. Mrs Ellen Hocton, October 1876. Nelson Provincial Museum, W E Brown Collection: 13044
在前院空地上種茶
1876年威廉姆接手了父親的運貨生意，阿波出售了他在尼爾森的大部份房產，舉家遷往英國的多夫多拉Dovedale。他在妻弟托馬斯家馬路對面的布蘭迪小溪附近買了485英畝農地。
阿波又當起了建築工人，他先蓋了一個小木屋給家人住，後來全家人搬入阿波蓋的新房子里。阿波隨後在多夫多拉又蓋了7間住房，其中一間就是圖片中的房子。
阿波很喜歡鄉村生活，他不僅是首批種植啤酒花中的一個人，還曾經嘗試在自家前院的空地上種植茶葉。
Hocton House in Dovedale, circa 1901. Nelson Provincial Museum, Daroux Collection: 76428
Growing tea in the front paddock
In 1876, William Hocton took over his father’s cartage business. Appo sold most of his property in Nelson and moved his family to Dovedale. He purchased 485-acres of farmland near Brandy Creek across the road from Ellen’s brother, Thomas.
Appo again turned builder, constructing a small wooden whare for the family until he completed their new family home. He would go on to build another seven family homes in Dovedale, one of which is pictured here.
Appo enjoyed country life. Not only was he one of the first to start growing hops in the area but also apparently attempted to grow tea in his front paddock.
活到一百歲了嗎?
阿波·霍克顿身體一直很健康，在他有生之年看到了自己的子女結婚成家，還見到了他的全部22個孫子孫女。
1920年9月26日阿波去世，去世時他究竟是幾歲？這是一封祝賀阿波一百歲壽辰的賀信，他的死亡證上也寫著100歲。然而，阿波于1852年記錄自己的年齡為29歲，那麼在他去世時應該是98歲。
不管阿波是否活到了100歲，人們會永遠記住他是紐西蘭的第一個中國移民，而且還是一位備受尊敬的早期尼爾森歷史的先驅者。
A Centenarian or not?
Appo Hocton enjoyed a healthy life. He lived to see all of his children marry and meet all of his 22 grandchildren.
On 26th September 1920, Appo Hocton died but how old was he? This letter congratulates Appo on reaching his 100th year, and similarly his death certificate gives his age as 100. However, Appo himself recorded his age as 29 in 1852, which would make him 98 at the time of his death.
Centenarian or not, Appo Hocton is remembered not only as the first Chinese immigrant in New Zealand, but a well-regarded pioneer of early Nelson’s history.
阿波·霍克顿身體一直很健康，在他有生之年看到了自己的子女結婚成家，還見到了他的全部22個孫子孫女。
Appo Hocton enjoyed a healthy life. He lived to see all of his children marry and meet all of his 22 grandchildren.
Thomas, G. 1920. Letter from the Private Secretary, Godfrey Thomas, Government House, to A. Hocton Esq, Dovedale, Nelson. Nelson Provincial Museum: NPM2005.3.
For more information, we’ve created a ‘Highlight’ in our Collections Online to acknowledge Appo Hocton and the other Chinese who feature in the collection.
🔗https://collection.nelsonmuseum.co.nz/highlights/14/objects
New Zealand Chinese Language Week runs from the 26 September to 2 October.
