New South Wales Chinese Women's Relief Fund records, 1937-1941

MLMSS 10277/Box 1X

fonds

1937-1941

Textual Records, Ephemera

9639989

0.30 metres of textual material (1 outsize box) - manuscript, typescript

The second Sino-Japanese War was fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan from July 7, 1937, to September 2, 1945. While the Australian Government did not provide aid to China, the war was covered in great detail by local newspapers and there was a great deal of unofficial support from a broad range of communities in Australia to provide aid shipments to China. The Chinese Women’s Relief Fund was set up in Sydney in 1937 to collect donations for Chinese refugees affected by the war. It folded in 1941 when America entered the war against Japan, after the bombing of Pearl Harbour.
The President of The New South Wales Chinese Women's Relief Fund was Mrs Chuey who was also President of the Sydney Chinese Club. This group collected supplies of medical equipment, clothing and blankets which were then shipped to China. Support for the aid shipments was much broader than just the Chinese-Australian community. For example Elliott’s & Australian Drug Pty. Limited donated £10 of medical supplies and The Eastern & Australian Steamship Company Ltd. and Australian-Oriental Line Ltd., shipped supplies to China for the Chinese Women's Relief Fund "freight free". In addition the names and addresses of donors of clothing include many non-Chinese names from suburbs in Sydney and from rural NSW.
Reference: Library correspondence file

Located in a filing cabinet in the office of the Australia-China Friendship Society New South Wales Inc., Sussex Street, Sydney in 2019.

The New South Wales Chinese Women’s Relief Fund records, 1937-1941. Includes letters, bills of lading, balance sheets, receipts and details of fund raising events including programs. The records also include correspondence (in English) between the President of the Relief Fund and Mrs J. A. Chuey and Soong Mei-Ling (Madame Chiang Kai-Shek) which outlines the Australian Chinese community’s support during the earliest years of the second Sino-Japanese War. Soong Mei-Ling was a primary supporter of the Relief Fund and travelled the world inspiring others to give clothing, money, and medical supplies. The material also details some of the groups fundraising events in Sydney.

Copyright status:: In copyright – life of author(s) plus 70 years
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales