SS Ventnor doco ‘lacks respect’
In 1902, the body of Jenny Sew Hoy Agnew’s ancestor, Choie Sew Hoy, was lost at sea.
Now, 118 years later, the Project Ventnor Group and Definitive Productions claim to have found Sew Hoy’s remains while filming a documentary, along with those of 500 other Chinese gold miners.
But Sew Hoy Agnew says the disruption of the wreck is disrespectful, and the family read about the discovery of the bodies in the media.
Her great-great grandfather Choie Sew Hoy was a well-known Chinese merchant, originally from the Guangdong province, who arrived in Dunedin via California and Australia in 1869.
He helped organise the repatriation of the bodies of those who died in the goldfields.
In a sad twist of fate he died in 1901, and ended up on the very repatriation ship he had organised, the SS Ventnor.It left Westport in 1902, but sank off the Hokianga Heads after striking a reef near Taranaki.
Sew Hoy Agnew said the family was not aware the bodies had been found until last week, despite the discovery being made in May. ‘‘If someone disturbed your parents, or your ancestors’ graves, you would be quite put out, wouldn’t you? It’s a lack of respect.’’
The bodies were being returned to China to be buried in a place for their families to visit them for Ching Ming, a festival held each April to honour the dead. The ceremony included burning incense, laying flowers, and bowing, something Sew Hoy
Agnew said the family did at Hokianga every year.
While she was aware of some family members who wanted to see the bodies returned to China, she wanted to see them left to ‘‘rest in peace’’.
Her ancestor was a respected member of the Dunedin community and in 2017 he was inducted into the New Zealand business hall of fame, recognising him as an important businessman in 19th century New Zealand.
Despite his standing, he still experienced day-to-day racism. Sew Hoy Agnew said the family knew of one incident where he was spoken to in pidgin English because it was assumed he would be unable to speak the language. He responded in perfect English.
Project Ventnor chair John Albert was approached for comment.