- Born
- 1831
Penang, Malaysia - Died
- 1888
Malvern, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- community leader, merchant and mining manager
Details
Lowe Kong Meng was born a British subject in Penang. He was educated there and in Mauritius and spoke English and French fluently. Before coming to Australia he traded goods between Mauritius, Calcutta and Singapore. He arrived in Australia after hearing of the gold rushes in 1853 and a year later had established an importing business in Little Bourke Street.
Lowe Kong Meng was a very successful businessman with interests in a wide range of activities both in the Australian colonies and abroad. He owned a fleet of six ships some of which were engaged in procuring beche-de-mer from the Torres Straits. In 1864 he was one of the first merchants to attempt trade between Melbourne and Port Darwin. He bought a gold mine at Majorca, Victoria and speculated in many other mining ventures in the colony. He was also connected with banking and insurance. With Louis Ah Mouy he served on the provisional committee of the new Commercial Bank of Australia in 1866 and they were amongst its most important shareholders. He represented the Chinese insurance companies, On Tai and Man On. He had large interests in Hong Kong, Cairns and Queensland. He was probably the wealthiest Chinese resident in Melbourne and was well-known across Australia.
Within the Chinese community he was a popular leader and supervised various Chinese organisations, settled disputes and helped Chinese to find work. He encouraged the Chinese community to respect the British flag, law and justice. He actively protested against immigration restrictions against Chinese. In 1879 with Cheok Hong Cheong and Louis Ah Mouy he wrote the pamphlet, The Chinese Question in Australia, 1878-1879 and in 1887 with other leading Chinese he organised a petition to the two visiting Chinese Commissioners, General Wong Yung Ho and U Tsing. For his leadership within the Victorian Chinese community he was awarded in 1863 the title of mandarin of the blue button, civil order by the Chinese Emperor.
Lowe Kong Meng was also well respected outside the Chinese community. He gave generously to a wide range of church and public charities. In 1860 he married Mary Ann Prussia of Tasmania and they had twelve children. He died on 22 October 1888 at his home in Malvern.
Sources used to compile this entry: Macgregor, Paul, 'Dreams of Jade and Gold', in Epstein, Anna (ed.), The Australian Family: Images and Essays, Scribe Publications, Melbourne, 1998, pp. 25-35; Yong, Ching Fatt, Meng, Lowe Kong (1831-1888), Australian Dictionary of Biography, D. Pike, vol. 5, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1974, 106-107 pp, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050126b.htm.
Prepared by: Sophie Couchman, La Trobe University
Related Subjects
Associated with
Related Concepts
Related Events
Related People
Related Places
Published Resources
Book Sections
- Leavitt, J. H. H., 'Lowe Kong Meng', in Jubilee History of Victoria and Melbourne, vol. 1, Melbourne, 1888, pp. 96-98. [ Details... ]
- Macgregor, Paul, 'Dreams of Jade and Gold', in Epstein, Anna (ed.), The Australian Family: Images and Essays, Scribe Publications, Melbourne, 1998, pp. 25-35. [ Details... ]
Edited Books
- Lowe Kong Meng, Cheok Hong Cheong, Louis Ah Mouy (ed.), The Chinese Question In Australia, 1878-79, F. F. Bailliere, Melbourne, 1879. [ Details... ]
Journal articles
- Oddie, G, 'The lower class Chinese and the merchant elite in Victoria, 1870-1890', Historical Studies, vol. 10, 1961, pp. 65-69. [ Details... ]
Newspaper Articles
- 'Mr Kong Meng [illustration]', Australian News for Home Readers, 27 September. [ Details... ]
- ''Mr Lowe Kong Meng - [From a Photograph by Frith]' [etching]', Illustrated Australian News, 20 September. [ Details... ]
Theses
- Oddie, G., 'The Chinese in Victoria, 1870-1890', MA thesis, University of Melbourne, 1959. [ Details... ]
Online Resources
- Yong, Ching Fatt, Meng, Lowe Kong (1831-1888), Australian Dictionary of Biography, D. Pike, vol. 5, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1974, 106-107 pp, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050126b.htm. [ Details... ]
See also
- Rule, Pauline, Chun Yut, http://www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/chun_yut.htm. [ Details... ]
Images
-
-
- Title
- Lowe Kong Meng
- Type
- Illustration
- Date
- c. 20 September 1866
- Place
- Australia - Victoria
- Details
-
-
- Title
- Lowe Kong Meng (1888)
- Type
- Illustration
- Date
- c. 29 November 1888
- Place
- Australia - Victoria
- Details
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-
- Title
- Lowe Kong Meng holding Chinese book
- Type
- Illustration
- Date
- c. 1863
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne
- Details
See also
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-
- Title
- Kong Meng's building at 210 Little Bourke Street
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1934
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Little Bourke Street
- Details
Created: 11 July 2001, Last modified: 4 November 2005
