ATHERTON, Oct. 17. A splendid old gentleman died at Atherton on
Saturday evening, October 15, in the person of Mr. Fong On. He was born in Ho Chung, village Shekki in Kwan Tung, China, in 1867, and came to Australia as a lad of 16. His first job in Australia was that of cook on a coastal steamer which ran between Darwin and Cambridge, a tent town in those days. The young Fong On was educated but he also had perspicacity and enthusiasm for he took on every task that came to hand. Besides taking on metal mining and butchering he worked as a drover on the old stock routes between Darwin and Alice Springs to the south and east from Burke town and Boorooloola.
He was for some time employed on Victoria Downs Station. While in Darwin he met his wife and was married there. With Mrs. Fong On as partner and assistant he went into business, later selling out and coming to Queensland. The Fong Ons came to Atherton after much journeying and settled in the growing township at the tune when the old pack trails from Port Douglas over the Mt Molloy range to Atherton were still in use. All the goods for the growing Tableland were brought from Fort Douglas and Mr. Fong On went into business as a corn merchant. After several years of successful trading he purchased land on the old Herberton road and in Main-street where he set up as a general merchant, a business which soon became a thriving proposition and is being carried on by his family as Fong On and Coy.
In 1929 Mr. and Mrs. Fong On and their family of five children left for a long hoped for trip to China. There three of the younger children went to private schools for tuition in Chinese. John finally completed his studies at the Diocesan Boys' College and graduated as a Civil engineer at the Hong Kong University. Ernest was also entered as a student at Hong Kong University. The unsettled conditions in China made the family decide to return to Australia and they came back in 1937.
In 1926 Mr. Fong On had the first concrete building for Atherton erected on his freehold property in Main- street. This building is still in use by the company and by a firm of accountants.
The late Mr. Fong On was highly respected by all who came in contact with him both for his integrity and for his loyalty to the country of his adoption. While never ceasing in his affection for his motherland, China, he was truly British in his outlook and can be numbered among the real pioneers of this country in that he came to it a young lad when the land was still in its infancy and by courage and determination not only built a place in it for himself and his family but helped along many that he came across in his journeying.
He was a member of the Church of England and a most generous supporter of that organisation, being an honest and earnest Christian all his life and a real democrat in that he never allowed success to go to his head or alter his kind and sympathic outlook on life.
He breathed his last at his home in Atherton surrounded by his loving and grieving family and was afterwards placed in St Mary's Church of England where masses of fragrant blossoms were placed in tribute to his memory. The funeral took place on Sunday, the prayers at the Church and the last rites at the graveside being recited by Rev. Brother Warren.
The pall- bearers were Messrs; Les Moody, J. Dunbavand, Bert Porter, Dave McDonald, R. Swan and John Kershaw. The funeral was largely attended by a representative gathering, who paid their last re- spects to one of the district's finest pioneers. He leaves a widow to mourn his loss, besides three daugh- ters and two.sons. The sons are John and Ernie. John is a civil engineer and Ernie manages the business and is a member for No. 1 division of the Atherton Shire Council. The three daughters are Mrs. J. Way (Alice), Maud and Grace. There are also two grandchildren, Christopher and Dawn Way. The sympathy of the whole district goes out to his sorrowing family.
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