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Wong Kan on Jackie Mitchell`s Harley at Cronadun.1925.
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DescriptionWong Kan on Jackie Mitchell`s Harley at Cronadun.1925.
Bryce John Mitchell.."It was Jackie mitchells bike Wong had a ride on it someone took a photo then photos got to paper then it got of control."PhotographerJ WillsDate of Photo1925Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
Bryce John Mitchell.."It was Jackie mitchells bike Wong had a ride on it someone took a photo then photos got to paper then it got of control."PhotographerJ WillsDate of Photo1925Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
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Location (city or town)CronadunPersonWong KanJackie MitchellEventWong Kan on his Harley at Cronadun.1925.
From Facebook
Date Created5th July 2020CommentsBen McCabe Kan then threw his cellphone into a skip, blocked his family on facebook and proceeded on a 6 month road trip with his new motorbike. He then went on to become the founder of the Mongols bikie club and retired early with several concubines. Or so legend has it.
Heather Newby ha ha ha...He threw caution to the winds!
Bronwyn Daisy Scott I wish my Dad was still alive as I remember him talking about him. In fact he had that photo. I wish I could remember the stories he told of these characters.
Michael Joseph Spillane What a great photo.
AnnetteandNick Harrison We agree with Ben.funny
Dorothy Wills His family must have been grasping money buggers, why shouldn’t he have bought a motor bike he was the one enduring the hardship to earn the money
Nina Townsend Dorothy Wills most are aren't they the Filipinos send all there's hme none of the Asian type workers spend their money here in nz it all gets sent hme to family
Libby Stevens Like my cousin Bronwyn I also remember stories Mum told us and yes I still have the photos in Mum's Cronadun Album
Tania Hawkey Fab photo
Marg Iacoppi I retired a year ago but was frequently dealing with patients who were struggling financially as a large sum of their money went to their family in the Pacific islands. I think handing wages to family is a custom in more cultures than we know, and speaks more of the awful poverty of those in the homeland than greed. For insight into the horror of life in China early 19th century read Wild Swans or Joy Luck Club.
Also my mother born in Greymouth 1919, had to leave school at the end of her 7th year, she was 13, to work in the hospital laundry and hand her wages to my grandparents.
Geoffrey King Marg it is rife today with migrant workers who send money home some weekly via Western Union etc. Not good for our economy they dont spend their money in this country.
Peter O'Sullivan Photo take in Mitchells yard at Cronadun I think
Allan Archer It is Peter. The Harley actually belonged to your relation Jack Mitchell. Hence the Chinese community getting upset with the possibility that Wong Kan was spending his hard earned cash on himself. And how cool is Jack in this pic
Kay Walsh This is such a great photo!
The Mitchells and Murcotts were my grandmother's cousins. Think he worked on those farms and on a visit to one of the farms Gran watched Wong Kan cook his tea. From then on Wong Kan's chow food became a family staple which is still frequently cooked today.
So cool to put a face to Wong Kan.Roger O'Regan
What was the outcome? Did the Harley stay in the area? Jack Mitchell senior ( the senior from the fifties !)
John Mitchell
Roger O'Regan the bike is fully restored now in the north Island. Ive got a photo of it will see if I can post it up
Roger O'Regan
John Mitchell
Great news John. Such a good outcome. One owner for so many years, and then shared.
Phil Wright
Good on him,that was a pretty flash bike back then..
Rodney Burns
I went to school in Cronadon.
Roger O'Regan
Rodney Burns
Hi there Rodney. So did I.
Rob Lunn
I believe that it was expected of all the Chinese miners to send any wealth that they accumulated back home
Greg Hine
Gotta spend money to make money!
Dennis Thompson
Wow! That's awesome!
Frankie Hound
Eric Waghorn your Dad would have remembered him as your Grandad would have still had the farm at Cronadun at this time.
Bryce John Mitchell
It was Jackie mitchells bike Wong had a ride on it someone took a photo then photos got to paper then it got of control
Ian Borlase
Bryce John Mitchell Wong bike , Wong owner and Wong wider.......
Hertzin Dak
Rob Lunn to this day almost all immigrants do it earn money and send it home,
John Flattery-donohoe
aman with a mind of his own
Rangi Bowen
My DAD told me stories about how they would transport 44 gallon droms of petrol into Indians motorcycles around that era SId Bowen
Noel Murchie
A rebel of his day an culture
Chris Bensemann
Cronadum was a thriving settlement. Had its own school hall etc. Many people don't know that it ever existed across the river .
Aaron Mitchell
That bike is fully restored in the north island
Brayden Parkinson
Aaron Mitchell do you know where .
Mark Robertson
Aaron Mitchell That's Awesome Aaron any chance you have a photo of it mate, Would love to see it in 2023
Keith Messenger
Nothing changes. Guys are still being pressured into selling their Harley so the family can have the money
Alex Pohatu
What's wong with Wong owning a Harley
Ben Mitchell
Wong never owned the bike
Punga Wheki
Family be like" that purchase was very Wong kan you sell bike for your families sake"
Kay Walsh
My grandmother, Rene Betts, used to speak of Wong Kan. I think he worked on the Murcott's farm. Her aunt married Charlie Murcott and another aunt married John Mitchell. Wong Kan would milk a cow and then separate out the cream for strawberries Gran and her cousins has just picked....fresh cream for the fresh strawberries. When I was young Gran taught me to make Wong Kan's chow food which he always ate...potatoes, onion, cabbage, bacon and rice. We still make it.
Kay Walsh
My grandmother, Rene Betts, used to speak of Wong Kan. I think he worked on the Murcott's farm. Her aunt married Charlie Murcott and another aunt married John Mitchell. Wong Kan would milk a cow and then separate out the cream for strawberries Gran and her cousins had just picked....nothing like fresh cream for the fresh strawberries she would tell us. When I was young Gran showed me how to make Wong Kan's chow food which was what he always ate ...potatoes, onion, cabbage, bacon and rice. We still make it.
Heather Newby ha ha ha...He threw caution to the winds!
Bronwyn Daisy Scott I wish my Dad was still alive as I remember him talking about him. In fact he had that photo. I wish I could remember the stories he told of these characters.
Michael Joseph Spillane What a great photo.
AnnetteandNick Harrison We agree with Ben.funny
Dorothy Wills His family must have been grasping money buggers, why shouldn’t he have bought a motor bike he was the one enduring the hardship to earn the money
Nina Townsend Dorothy Wills most are aren't they the Filipinos send all there's hme none of the Asian type workers spend their money here in nz it all gets sent hme to family
Libby Stevens Like my cousin Bronwyn I also remember stories Mum told us and yes I still have the photos in Mum's Cronadun Album
Tania Hawkey Fab photo
Marg Iacoppi I retired a year ago but was frequently dealing with patients who were struggling financially as a large sum of their money went to their family in the Pacific islands. I think handing wages to family is a custom in more cultures than we know, and speaks more of the awful poverty of those in the homeland than greed. For insight into the horror of life in China early 19th century read Wild Swans or Joy Luck Club.
Also my mother born in Greymouth 1919, had to leave school at the end of her 7th year, she was 13, to work in the hospital laundry and hand her wages to my grandparents.
Geoffrey King Marg it is rife today with migrant workers who send money home some weekly via Western Union etc. Not good for our economy they dont spend their money in this country.
Peter O'Sullivan Photo take in Mitchells yard at Cronadun I think
Allan Archer It is Peter. The Harley actually belonged to your relation Jack Mitchell. Hence the Chinese community getting upset with the possibility that Wong Kan was spending his hard earned cash on himself. And how cool is Jack in this pic
Kay Walsh This is such a great photo!
The Mitchells and Murcotts were my grandmother's cousins. Think he worked on those farms and on a visit to one of the farms Gran watched Wong Kan cook his tea. From then on Wong Kan's chow food became a family staple which is still frequently cooked today.
So cool to put a face to Wong Kan.Roger O'Regan
What was the outcome? Did the Harley stay in the area? Jack Mitchell senior ( the senior from the fifties !)
John Mitchell
Roger O'Regan the bike is fully restored now in the north Island. Ive got a photo of it will see if I can post it up
Roger O'Regan
John Mitchell
Great news John. Such a good outcome. One owner for so many years, and then shared.
Phil Wright
Good on him,that was a pretty flash bike back then..
Rodney Burns
I went to school in Cronadon.
Roger O'Regan
Rodney Burns
Hi there Rodney. So did I.
Rob Lunn
I believe that it was expected of all the Chinese miners to send any wealth that they accumulated back home
Greg Hine
Gotta spend money to make money!
Dennis Thompson
Wow! That's awesome!
Frankie Hound
Eric Waghorn your Dad would have remembered him as your Grandad would have still had the farm at Cronadun at this time.
Bryce John Mitchell
It was Jackie mitchells bike Wong had a ride on it someone took a photo then photos got to paper then it got of control
Ian Borlase
Bryce John Mitchell Wong bike , Wong owner and Wong wider.......
Hertzin Dak
Rob Lunn to this day almost all immigrants do it earn money and send it home,
John Flattery-donohoe
aman with a mind of his own
Rangi Bowen
My DAD told me stories about how they would transport 44 gallon droms of petrol into Indians motorcycles around that era SId Bowen
Noel Murchie
A rebel of his day an culture
Chris Bensemann
Cronadum was a thriving settlement. Had its own school hall etc. Many people don't know that it ever existed across the river .
Aaron Mitchell
That bike is fully restored in the north island
Brayden Parkinson
Aaron Mitchell do you know where .
Mark Robertson
Aaron Mitchell That's Awesome Aaron any chance you have a photo of it mate, Would love to see it in 2023
Keith Messenger
Nothing changes. Guys are still being pressured into selling their Harley so the family can have the money
Alex Pohatu
What's wong with Wong owning a Harley
Ben Mitchell
Wong never owned the bike
Punga Wheki
Family be like" that purchase was very Wong kan you sell bike for your families sake"
Kay Walsh
My grandmother, Rene Betts, used to speak of Wong Kan. I think he worked on the Murcott's farm. Her aunt married Charlie Murcott and another aunt married John Mitchell. Wong Kan would milk a cow and then separate out the cream for strawberries Gran and her cousins has just picked....fresh cream for the fresh strawberries. When I was young Gran taught me to make Wong Kan's chow food which he always ate...potatoes, onion, cabbage, bacon and rice. We still make it.
Kay Walsh
My grandmother, Rene Betts, used to speak of Wong Kan. I think he worked on the Murcott's farm. Her aunt married Charlie Murcott and another aunt married John Mitchell. Wong Kan would milk a cow and then separate out the cream for strawberries Gran and her cousins had just picked....nothing like fresh cream for the fresh strawberries she would tell us. When I was young Gran showed me how to make Wong Kan's chow food which was what he always ate ...potatoes, onion, cabbage, bacon and rice. We still make it.
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West Coast New Zealand History (13th Jan 2024). Wong Kan on Jackie Mitchell`s Harley at Cronadun.1925.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 14th Apr 2026 14:14, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28077