Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Sun Tong Lee's Sydney Branch Store, Gulgong

Sun Tong Lee's Sydney Branch Store, Gulgong

1872
Glass photonegative

Many goldfield stores were notorious for price gouging, but not all. The D70, 26 July 1873, observed:

It is astonishing to many how low prices are in the drapery and grocery lines, as many articles are sold only a shade over Sydney prices, and this can only be accounted for by the Iarge stocks kept by the two Chinese firms, On Hing and Company, and Sun Tong, Lee, and Company …

Sun Tong Lee and Company, Gulgong, 1872 - by Margaret Bradstock.

"a Chinaman with strange and delicious sweets that melted in our mouths, and rum toys

and Chinese dolls for the children"  −  Henry Lawson, Christmas in the Goldfields.

Sun Tong Lee, Storekeeper and Importer

has large shipments to arrive

from China and Sydney:

Tea, Rice, Sugar, Gentlemen's Clothing,

boots, first-class English Calfskins, rope, tin ware,

plants in pots ('very nice presents to those young ladies

who have a taste for floral beauty'), at such low prices

as will enable everyone to patronise him.

'Any person requiring Chinese workmen

− Labourers, Carpenters, Painters or other

artisans − by applying to the above will be

  supplied with reliable men.'

Herbert Street was busy,

especially on Sundays.

Chinese gods frowned on

wasting a good day of the week.

 

-  after Chinese store, Gulgong 1872 − a2822392