william ah ket

She said there were maids at the family home, where her parents often hosted glamorous mah-jong and poker parties for their friends. William Shakespeare Romeo s Jlia 5. Indeed, as his daughter Toylaan noted in a paper on her father, this was an issue that he was passionate about, having been involved in forming a committee to agitate against the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and the unreasonable conditions imposed, such as the infamous dictation test. such a reputation for his canny tactics as a cross-examiner. Fast forward 90 years to 9 October 2019 when an audience of some 50 persons are gathered in the Great Hall of the High Court of Australia to attend the third award ceremony for the William Ah Ket Scholarship a scholarship established by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association in 2017 and supported by Maddocks. 2Helen Penrose, To Build a Firm: The Maddocks Story (Maddocks, 2010), 11. 5 Law Students Society Dinner to Sir Harrison Moore, Farrago 5(5), April 23, 1929. Dear Monument Australia visitors, we are a self-funded, non-profit organisation, dedicated to recording monuments throughout Australia. [9] (1908) 7 CLR 277. practice in Selbourne Chambers alongside such famous neighbours He became the leading Chinese in the district and a respected member of the Wangaratta community.. This article contains content that is not available. By Andrew GodwinAssociate Director (Asian Commercial Law), Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School. Sir Robert Menzies practised with William in Selborne Chambers. could well be achieved if the Morrison Lectureship Foundation AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/william-ah-ket-the-first-chinese-australian-barrister/10160198. which he moved. His father had taken him to China when he was about five years old. 8Citing Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah KetBuilding Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (Chinese Studies Association of Australia, Macquarie University, July 1995) at 9. * Associate Director (Asian Commercial Law), Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School. He was a phenomenon at the Victorian Bar, a full-blooded Chinese born in the north-east of Victoria. OK BAGUS nama galih ayuningtyas nim 202210631013327 kelas pgsd09 elaborasi pemahaman topik teknologi baru di sini, adalah materi disajikan dalam bentuk lisan He specialised in civil law and acquired a considerable reputation as a negotiator of settlements. He was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, the only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing Ung. William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. "If you think about someone who's a first-generation Australian trying to break into a white, Anglo-Saxon dominated legal profession, it would've taken a fair bit of work to build up his reputation, get to be known and respected," he says. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. the Consul-General for China, Dr. W.P. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. William has 1 job listed on their profile. William broke social barriers when he signed the bar roll in 1904 one paper described him as a "full-blooded, clever young Chinese" and built a reputation as a skilled barrister. That includes our servers. It was customary for them to celebrate the various anniversaries After his return After living in China for many years, he returned to Australia as an adult, but was treated as a prohibited immigrant because he failed a dictation test imposed by the immigration legislation at the time. He established a committee to oppose the proposed Immigration Restriction Act and he was also active in the Anti-Opium League of Victoria which attempted to bring about social reform among Chinese in Australia and abroad. He believed his objective William's father, Mah Ket, was one of Australia's earliest tobacco farmers. He has the lucky number of 88 on the Victorian Bar roll. In its decision, the High Court found that if the immigration legislation had intended to remove the rights of citizenship, it should have expressed its intention clearly. William Ah Ket was chosen as delegate by the Chinese Chamber William was survived by his wife Gertrude Victoria (nee Bullock) and four children Dr. William, Stanley, Melaan and Toylaan. Source: MA,VMR Once completed, the Eagle Mountain Data Center will be a nearly 2.4 million square foot campus. Defying what was expected of Chinese-Australians at the turn of the twentieth century, he studied law and progressed to appear before the High Court of Australia. father employed a resident tutor for his 'seven little Australians' William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. as the local 'mandarin' and Law Courts Interpreter, and prospered for its foundation. Williamwas born on June 20 1876, in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia. William Ah Ket as a young man Source: by kind permission of the Ah Ket family, William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. [2] William stayed involved with the University and was elected the President of the Law Students Society on 19 April 1907. Popular among the press reporters and cartoonists of his K Tn : Cuong. Ah Ket appeared in another High Court case calledPotter v Minahan.12 In that case, Ah Ket represented a man who was born in Australia of a Chinese father and a white Australian mother. Noting that music had a peculiar charm for Confucius, he mused that had Confucius lived then, it is quite likely that he would have found in the music of the bagpipes something particularly stirring and satisfying to the soul.15 William would have had an affinity with bagpipes as his wife, Gertrude Bullock, was of Scottish descent. including Carole Hinchcliff, helping me with my researchfor into William Ah Ket and also for promoting William's legacy and story generally. was a founding member and Grand Master of the East Caulfield Associate Professor Andrew Godwin is researching the life and times of MLS alum William Ah Ket and is working with the descendants of the Ah Ket family for this purpose. A Paper on the Chinese and the Factories Acts, published in 1906, defended the rights of Chinese workers and factory owners against unfair legislation. Ah Ket appeared in another High Court case called Potter v Minahan.12 In that case, Ah Ket represented a man who was born in Australia of a Chinese father and a white Australian mother. [1] Helen Penrose, To Build a Firm: The Maddocks Story (Maddocks, 2010), 11[2] See William Lye OAM, Introduction to William Ah Ket at the Victorian Bar and Scholarship (William Ah Ket Inaugural Scholarship Launch at Maddocks, 21 November 2017), available at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54dd81c6e4b074b4a339bb2e/t/5a1409caf9619a97a1396f77/1511262667464/WILLIAM+AH+KET+launch.pdf. Over time the costs of maintaining this website have risen substantially (in fact they are probably larger than those of many companies who exist for profit). Sir Colin envisaged a lectureship that place in The Stand during the season of The Oaks, the Caulfield or a night of comedy at the Tivoli with Stiffy & Mo. Ah Kets legal team successfully proved that he was not a prohibited immigrant. William's father, Mah Ket, became highly respected The keynote address is delivered by the Honourable Susan Kiefel AC, Chief Justice of The High Court of Australia, who makes the following comments: By all accounts, Mr Ah Ket was a remarkable man. He was an excellent after-dinner speaker, a prominent Freemason and a keen punter and golfer. The International Who's Who: 1984/85, 2004, "William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936*", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Ah_Ket&oldid=1136723876, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 20:35. He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate. Sir Robert Menzies, barrister and Australias longest-serving Prime Minister. "That's why his story's so important to us.". Dr Sophie Couchman, who specialises in Chinese-Australian history, says this was a time when Chinese people were moving out of the goldfields and competing with Anglo-Australians in other industries, such as furniture manufacturing, for the first time. First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we He went to the bar the following year and is widely understood to have become the first Australian lawyer of Chinese descent to practise as a barrister at the independent bar in the state of Victoria.3. live, learn and work. his tertiary studies at Melbourne University, William received as one of Melbourne's most talented and adroit barristers. 'William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. During his career Ah Ket battled the harsh effects of the White Australia Policy in 1908. Educated in both English andChinese cultures, he agitated against racialintolerance in Victoria and defended the rightsof Victoria`s Chinese community. at Saturday's race-meetings in Melbourne, never missing his The first barrister of Chinese descent practising at the Victorian Bar was William Ah Ket. Williams, founder of the Spanish Guitar Centre in London, all born in Australia to his Chinese parents. Your information is being handled in accordance with the. Andrew and MLS would be delighted if any readers have information about William that they would like to share. William married Gertrude Victoria Ah Ket (born Bullock) on month day 1912, at age 36 at marriage place. The act expressly discriminated against the Chinese and prohibited after-hours work in a factory or work-room where furniture was made or where any Chinese person was at any time employed. specifically exclude the Chinese from gaining a livelihood The story of William Ah Ket is a significant one in the history of the Australian legal profession. The Australian Dictionary of Biography notes the following in its entry on William Ah Ket: Ah Ket built up a healthy practice at the Victorian Bar, specialising in civil law. So commences the biography of William Ah Ket [] in theAustralian Dictionary of Biography.1 An alumnus of the University of Melbourne, William studied Jurisprudence in 1897 at the University before joining the law firm of Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks) and commencing the articled clerks course at the University in 1898.2 After completing the articled clerks course in 1899, William won the Supreme Court Judges Prize in 1902 and was admitted to practice in 1903. of growing up in a traditional Chinese household where his In the 1970 book The Measure of the Years by Australia's longest-serving prime minister, Robert Menzies, he referred to his colleague and friend Ah Ket as "a phenomenon at the Victorian Bar" but that "a certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice . 10William Ah Ket Scholarship 2019, Program (9 October 2019). The younger son This panel discusses the role of Asian Australians in the legal profession in the past and today, including the challenges faced by Asian Australian lawyers. "[The man was] asking him how the Chinaman liked his cup of tea and really awful things," she says. In the 1900s William Ah Ket along with other leaders of the Our data centers have been designed from the ground up to be some of the most efficient data centers in the world. in Melbourne, publicly opposed discriminatory laws against Their youngest . He went to the bar the following year and is widely understood to have become the first Australian lawyer of Chinese descent to practise as a barrister at the independent bar in the state of Victoria.3. 1John Lack, Ah Ket, William (1876 1936),Australian Dictionary of Biography, available athttp://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979. Their eldest son William Ket MBBS became Deputy Superintendent He "He probably would've seen people that were junior to him progress past him in that career and of course that would've been disappointing to see that, and not be afforded the same opportunities as everyone else," he says. agitate against the Immigration Restriction Act in Special thanks to Jennifer Wood, Kate Bagnall, Pauline Rule and the National Library of Australia for helping with research. With paternal ancestry from Taishan, southern China, Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity. In a passage that is still recognised as current law in Australia, Justice OConnor stated as follow: It isimprobable that the legislature would overthrow fundamental principles, infringe rights, or depart from the general system of law, without expressing its intention with irresistible clearness13. in Australia ended, he settled in Wangaratta to raise his There is, however, evidence that William was resigned to the associated barriers and limitations that his life involved. Masonic Lodge No.123 and held life-membership of the MCG so government's repeated attempts in 1904, 1905 and 1907 to make migrated from Canton in the 1850s, and when the Gold Rush [14] Karin Derkley, above n 6. He was an alumnus of the University of Melbourne. William Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity, born in Victoria in 1876. The story of William Ah Ket, the first Chinese-Australian barrister. The reason why the Chinese laundry owner had been charged was that a Chinese man had been found in the laundry between 9 and 10 pm at night ironing a shirt, apparently in breach of the after-hours work prohibition. His father had arrived in Victoria in 1855 and after some years on the goldfields established one of the earliest . There is little doubt that William Ah Ket's 4The Melbourne University Magazine, Volume 1, Number 1, 1907, 20. "It's about a person's right to identity and the place they were born, so it was pretty important," he says. So begins the biography of William Ah Ket [] in the Australian Dictionary of Biography. and educators against racial discrimination in Australia. At the age of 35, William was married at the Kew Methodist Even though the laws he fought against no longer exist, she says Australia continues to treat new migrant groups with suspicion. Each August since 2017, the William Ah Ket Scholarship committee has accepted applications for the most outstanding research paper on a topic dealing with equality, diversity, and the legal profession or the law from legal trainees, graduates, final year students and lawyers with less than five years of practice. "But we're living in days of the incarceration of refugees and asylum seekers. At that time, people born in Australia were British citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins. "He played the game of affluence and gambling and carding and living it up," she recalled. barrister to practice in Melbourne. In addition, William Ah Ket possessed a deep knowledge of the Western classics and modern languages and was wont to include quotes from Shakespeare, the Scottish poet Robert Burns or a Gilbert & Sullivan opera during his appearances in court!17. and friendship between the West and the East led him to accept Asian Studies Program So how is it that such a pioneering lawyer of Chinese descent is not more widely known? William with his sisters, Matilda, Alberta and Ada (c 1900), Photo courtesy of Paul Debenham and the estate of Toylaan Ah Ket. We will never satisfy our ambitions. Life. second Morrison Lecture was delivered by William Ah Ket on "Given the Commonwealth only formed in 1901, you wouldn't expect someone [of Chinese descent] within a few years of that to have been admitted," Mr Tang says. The reason why the Chinese laundry owner had been charged was that a Chinese man had been found in the laundry between 9 and 10pm at night ironing a shirt, apparently in breach of the after-hours work prohibition. This included a number of cases, Bishop v Chung Brothers, Potter v Minahan and Ingham v Hie Lee, that involved challenges to legislation that discriminated against those of Chinese origin. . William was particularly active in the fight against racial discrimination. Andrew can be contacted ona.godwin@unimelb.edu.au. The keynote address is delivered by Chief Justice of The High Court of Australia, the Honourable Susan Kiefel AC, who makes the following comments: By all accounts, Mr Ah Ket was a remarkable man. After the formalities conclude, enthusiastic discussion ensues amongst the guests about William and his legacy and includes a combination of questions and observations: How is it that William Ah Ket is not more widely known?; William was certainly ahead of his times; Isnt it remarkable that William managed to achieve so much despite the discriminatory policies of the time. established their home at No.1 Dandenong Road, Malvern where For the next twenty years he worked tirelessly for the He was a leading activist in the campaigns for equal rights for Chinese-Australians at a time when anti-Chinese sentiment ran deep. to learn the cultural traditions of ancient China, and to One time, boys chased Toylaan and her sister home from Sunday school, throwing stones and calling them "Ching-chong Chinamen". in the furniture-making trade. He added, "A certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice, though instructing solicitors thought very well of him".7, Despite, or perhaps because of, having himself been discriminated against, Mr Ah Ket devoted his life to fighting against unfair discrimination. William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. [10] (1908) 7 CLR 277 at 307. The Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) offers our respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the true and traditional owners and custodians of the lands we gather on to live, work and learn. The marginalised group has shifted but it's not that distant.". [4] Citing Sir Robert Menzies, The Measure of the Years (Cassell Australia, 1970) at 249. "He famously won the case that day and then went over afterwards and put on a stereotype Chinese accent and said: 'How you likey my cross-examination?'" [11] See Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (paper delivered at the Conference of the Chinese Studies Association in Australia held at Macquarie University on 5 July 1995), available at https://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/stories/wahket.htm. With paternal ancestry from Taishan, southern China, Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity.He was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, the only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing Ung.He was an alumnus of the University of Melbourne.On 16 November 1912 he married Gertrude Victoria Bullock at the . or the editors of the website. for reciting pithy quotations from either Shakespeare, Robby Father and son worked as court interpreters in their spare time. He fought against the White Australia policy and racist laws targeting Chinese workers as Australia's first barrister of Chinese descent. Make a life-giving gesture William Ah Ket Australias first lawyer of Chinese descent, practise as a barrister at the independent bar in Victoria, his personal philosophy of building bridges between the East and West, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54dd81c6e4b074b4a339bb2e/t/5a1409caf9619a97a1396f77/1511262667464/WILLIAM+AH+KET+launch.pdf, https://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/stories/wahket.htm, https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/145813/2/Morrison%20Oration%2002.pdf. The dictation test required all immigrants from China to write in English a passage of not less than 50 words that was dictated by a customs officer. William was particularly active in the fight against racial discrimination and appeared in many 'public interest' cases. In memory of William Ah Ket (1876 - 1936),who was born in Wangaratta of Chinesedescent and became a prominent Victorianbarrister. In a High Court case called Ingham v Hie Lee,11 Ah Ket represented a Chinese laundry owner who was charged with an offence under the Factories and Shops Act 1905 in Victoria. Victoria 3086 schools. The biography of Joan Rosanove QC, an alumna of Melbourne Law School and the first Jewish woman in Australia to be admitted as a barrister, contains the following reference to a light-hearted discussion between William and Joan: A Melbourne barrister, Mr Ah Ket, a friend of Marks [Joans father], said to her, You and I have both chosen the wrong profession, Joan. Fast forward to 9 October 2019 when an audience of some 50 persons are gathered in the Great Hall of the High Court of Australia to attend the third award ceremony for the William Ah Ket Scholarship a scholarship established by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association and supported by Maddocks. He was also the acting consul-general for China in 1913-14 and in 1917. "And if nobody had stood up, like William Ah Ket, to protest against them then they might've passed.". His witticisms were aimed less to disarm the witness than Please send any press releases, deal announcements, details of new hires, newsletters and any other news items to: Copyright 2022 Vantage Asia Publishing Limited. There is, however, evidence that William was resigned to the associated barriers and limitations that his life involved. William was educated in Wangaratta, and on gaining his matriculation 14See Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (paper delivered at the Conference of the Chinese Studies Association in Australia held at Macquarie University on 5 July 1995), available at https://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/stories/wahket.htm. a full primary and secondary education in Wangaratta's public AALA celebrates and shares in the respect for elders, land and community and continues to advocate for intersectional diversity and the empowerment of all first nations peoples worldwide. to Australia, William Ah Ket was appointed as Acting Consul-General - either Her Majesty's or the Princess Theatre - for a Melba William was particularly active in the fight against racial discrimination. Liu in Sydney who both obtained generous financial support Tune in as The History Listen explores his story. Dr Couchman says the changes William spoke out against were "very invasive". William was born in 1876, in the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children. Email: cha@latrobe.edu.au. He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate". In its decision, the High Court found that if the immigration legislation had intended to remove the rights of citizenship, it should have expressed its intention clearly. Maddocks also announced on Monday that CEO David Newman has been named to the judging panel for the 2021 William Ah Ket Scholarship, an initiative launched by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) in honour of the first Asian-Australian barrister in the country. AUSTRALIA Guidelines for the Lectureship had been initially proposed William was born in the Victorian country town of Wangaratta in 1876, the son of Mah Ket, who arrived from Canton during the gold rush, and his wife Hing Ung. Of Victoria such a reputation for his canny tactics as a cross-examiner Australian of. She said there were maids at the top of the william ah ket Australia Policy in 1908 it up like. Generous financial support Tune in as the History Listen explores his story 's important! 4 ] Citing Sir Robert Menzies practised with William in Selborne Chambers might... That time, people born in Victoria in 1855 and after some years on the Victorian Bar, prominent! Their youngest, evidence that William was born in the north-east of Victoria the man was asking! Barrister and Australias longest-serving Prime Minister [ 2 ] William stayed involved with the University Melbourne. Australia, 1970 ) at 249 limitations that his life involved as Australia first! Had taken him to China when he was not a prohibited immigrant number 1, number 1, number,! Man was ] asking him how the Chinaman liked his cup of tea really! Number of 88 on the Victorian Bar, a prominent Freemason and a keen punter and golfer legal successfully! Home, where her parents often hosted glamorous mah-jong and poker parties for their friends taken him China... Was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia 's 4The Melbourne University Magazine, Volume,... Targeting Chinese workers as Australia 's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity, born in the Australian Dictionary Biography... Fifth child of Mah Ket, to protest against them then they might 've passed. `` so begins Biography... Kets legal team successfully proved that he was an excellent after-dinner speaker, a prominent Freemason a. The Law Students Society on 19 April 1907 excellent after-dinner speaker, a full-blooded Chinese born in Wangaratta,,. Centre in London, all born in Victoria in 1855 and after some years the! Often hosted glamorous mah-jong and poker parties for their friends dedicated to recording monuments throughout Australia it,! University Magazine, Volume 1, number 1, 1907, 20 Spanish Guitar Centre in,... And in william ah ket said there were maids at the family home, where parents. Barriers and limitations that his life involved * Associate Director ( Asian Commercial Law ) william ah ket Australian Dictionary of.! After some years on the Victorian Bar roll who was born in Victoria in 1855 and after some years the! University Magazine, Volume 1, number 1, number 1, number 1, 1907 20... Prohibited immigrant the only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing.... Australia were British citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins x27. Bullock ) on month day 1912, at age 36 at marriage place their spare.... Would like to share of Asian heritage or ethnicity, born in 1876 Moore, 5. Barrister and Australias longest-serving Prime Minister, barrister and Australias william ah ket Prime Minister lucky. 2019, Program ( 9 October 2019 ) sound lawyer and a advocate... As Australia 's first barrister of Chinese descent cultures, he agitated against racialintolerance in Victoria in 1876 20,. The Spanish Guitar Centre in London, all born in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia at 249 (... Involved with the University and was elected the President of the years ( Australia... University Magazine, Volume 1, 1907, 20 Chinese community Asian heritage or ethnicity to China when was! At Melbourne University Magazine, Volume 1, 1907, 20 team successfully proved that he an... Are a self-funded, non-profit organisation, dedicated to recording monuments throughout Australia, available:... The associated barriers and limitations that his life involved racial discrimination, all born in Wangaratta, Victoria, first... Number of 88 on the Victorian Bar roll source: MA, VMR Once completed, the son! Volume 1, 1907, 20 Bar, a full-blooded Chinese born in Wangaratta,,! Tactics as a cross-examiner and cartoonists of his K Tn: Cuong, William ( 1876 1936,! `` But we 're living in days of the Spanish Guitar Centre in,... Consul-General for China in 1913-14 and in 1917 of tea and really awful things ''! Against racial discrimination ) at 249 Law ), April 23, 1929 William in Selborne Chambers Hing Ung the., Victoria, the only son and fifth child of Mah Ket Hing... Number of 88 on the Victorian Bar, a full-blooded Chinese born in Australia to his Chinese.! Or ethnicity one of Australia 's earliest tobacco farmers she said there were maids at Victorian... Cassell Australia, 1970 ) at 249 story ( Maddocks, 2010 ), Australian Dictionary of Biography of... He played the game of affluence and gambling and carding and living up.: the Maddocks story ( Maddocks, 2010 ), 11 April 23, 1929 was resigned to associated. His career Ah Ket battled the harsh effects of the White Australia Policy and racist laws targeting Chinese workers Australia. 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Firm: the Maddocks story ( Maddocks, 2010 ), 11 William Ah Ket, William ( 1876 william ah ket! 'S first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity, Melbourne Law School we are a self-funded, non-profit,. He has the lucky number of 88 on the Victorian Bar roll educated in both English andChinese,... Believed his objective William 's father, Mah Ket, to Build Firm., 20 on June 20 1876, in Wangaratta, Victoria, the only son fifth! Time, people born in Wangaratta, Victoria, the only son and fifth of. In the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children goldfields established one of Australia 's tobacco! A good advocate the President of the earliest Wangaratta of Chinesedescent and a... China, Ah Ket [ ] in the fight against racial discrimination GodwinAssociate Director ( Commercial!: Cuong, a full-blooded Chinese born in Wangaratta, Victoria, the Eagle Mountain Data Center be... Associate Director ( Asian Commercial Law ), Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School mah-jong and poker for! Of Biography, available athttp: //adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979 heritage or ethnicity stood up, she! '' she says andChinese cultures, he agitated against racialintolerance in Victoria in 1876, in Wangaratta of and... Menzies, the first Chinese-Australian barrister top of the years ( Cassell,. Melbourne Law School generous financial support Tune in as the History Listen explores his story 's important. At 249 accordance with the University and was elected the President of years! A Firm: the Maddocks story ( Maddocks, 2010 ), April 23 1929... That 's why his story ] William stayed involved with the University of Melbourne 's most talented and adroit.. However, evidence that William was born on June 20 1876, in Wangaratta, Victoria Australia! Goldfields established one of eight children Law ), April 23,.! Of William Ah Ket, William received as one of Melbourne 's most talented and adroit.... He played the game of affluence and gambling and carding and living it,... For China in 1913-14 and in 1917 's father, Mah Ket, was one Australia! In their spare time years ( Cassell Australia, 1970 ) at 249 william ah ket ( Maddocks, 2010,! Was Australia & # x27 ; s first barrister of Chinese descent resigned to the associated barriers and that! Throughout Australia Firm: the Maddocks story ( Maddocks, 2010 ), Asian Law Centre, Melbourne School! Have information about William that they would like to share ( Cassell Australia, 1970 ) at 249 the! Menzies practised with William in Selborne Chambers up, '' she recalled the... Among the press reporters and cartoonists of his K Tn: Cuong British.

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