WINN HONG

The following information comes from an article titled "Chinese in Gulgong" from the Mudgee District History website and is reproduced here with the permission of Diane Simmonds. Where not otherwise credited, the information was written by Barbara Hickson with additional recollections from Mick Pickett.

Winn Hong (aka Hong Winn, Loon Lee and John Winn) married Catherine Francis Kirk in Mudgee in 1896 (NSW BDM 7718/1896). They had eight children, including:

• Bertie J Win (NSW BDM 23831/1897)
• Victor C (Mick) Hongwin (NSW BDM 5257/1900)
• Percy E Hong Win (NSW BDM 24043/1902)
• Pearl D Hong Win (NSW BDM 34500/1904)
• Stella M Hong Win (NSW BDM 5523/1907)
• Ernest C Hong Win (NSW BDM 27542/1909)
• Edna M Win (NSW BDM 45965/1912)
• Beryl Winn (NSW BDM 18032/1915)

They developed extensive market gardens in Gulgong. At least three of their sons - Mick (Victor), Percy and Bert - were involved in the family business of market gardening.

Winn Hong and his family developed market gardens along the creek at old Barney’s Reef Road. The market gardens were very extensive along Wades’ Gully and along the road towards the creek is Wendean where Mick worked for Wendean (No. 71). The valley contains the Chinese market gardens of Percy Winn, Mick Victor Winn and Bert Winn.

An old fruit cart on the site of Winn's market garden

Source: Mudgee District History

The flat paddocks along the side of the creek once contained the extensive vegetable gardens of the Winns.

Wade’s Gully was named after a local family group: Willow Glen – was part of the Winn’s gardens. Victor Winn’s garden was nearest the water hole. The creek through the Wade’s Gully provided the water supply to the gardens. It had some very deep holes where the young people could swim – but today is nearly dry, shrouded by casuarinas.

Mick – (Victor Claude) Winn’s garden is now called ‘Willow Glen’.

The following notes were made from conversations with Mick Pickett.

The Chinese gardens were all terraced for watering purposes. In Mick’s time there the water was pumped up through 3” (75 mm) pipes then it gradually irrigated all the paddocks through level terracing. Someone had the job to just look after the water and the pumps.

The Winns were very large market gardeners. Initially, the land was all levelled with a horse-drawn single-furrow plough. In later years Percy bought a tractor with a two-furrow plough on it. One major crop was onions of which there were many acres.

The Winn’s horse was a half draught horse and he pulled the vegetable cart to the railway and into Gulgong to sell locally. He would pull a plough at other times.

Ah Lee was another Chinese man farming in the area and Ah Lee’s place, bought by Bert Winn, – now called Glen Oak – was only a few acres in size.

Mick, Percy and Bert’s vegetables were packed up and sent to Sydney by train. Every week there was a consignment – The main products were onions, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflowers and tomatoes.

Each Christmas day old man Winn would have a great deal of food prepared, which he took to the cemetery and laid out – as some type of ancestral worship. Then they would pack up the food and bring it home. If was never left or wasted.

One Christmas Mick Pickett helped Winn – perhaps he had no ancestors as such, but he did visit other Chinese graves, and the grave of one son at Gulgong cemetery – who had died of diphtheria.

Mick worked for Percy for a wage and he worked for two 3½ years stints, making it 7 years altogether.

Occasionally Mick was sent to help out on another Winn’s garden – such as to pack tomatoes when they were being sent to the markets. All tomatoes were hand picked and packed and there were many thousands of plants and many days' work – they were packed in a big tent. You were paid so much a case to pack the tomatoes.

To catch the good markets, when tomatoes were expensive, everyone would help get them packed and away to market. Packing cases were plain, but the Winn’s had their own ‘Winn tomato tags’ which were nailed onto the outside of the box.

The Winns would phone their agent in Sydney to let him know that a consignment of tomatoes or onions or whatever the case or season may be, on a certain train and the agent would pick them up put them through the markets, selling them for the Winns. They didn’t grow any fruit trees.

The only animals they had were the horses who worked in the garden, and Percy had two blue cattle dogs, whose job it was to guard the vegetables. They were let loose at night and tied up through the day. A sign on the gate warned of the savage dogs.

Mick was single and he slept on the verandah of Percy’s house – a verandah that he helped enclose in1939 – till mid-1942 then again from 1946 to 1949/50.

Two others were employed along with Mick. They all shared the house – (now called ‘Wendean’). All around the house were the vegetable gardens.

Up the back area of the house, old sheds and an old stables and yard are evident – some were built there in Mick’s time. There were no sheds there before Mick’s time, around 1941. Onions were dried in the sheds. The shed was extended later to accommodate shearing.

Part of the property where Winn's market garden existed

Old Barney's Reef Road via Gulgong

Source: Mudgee District History

Mick believes there were other Chinese market gardeners on their land by 1920. Percy bought the property when he married in the 1930s. By 1936 or 1937 he finally had enough money to start his own garden.

Before that he worked for his father over in the other garden at Will[ow] Glen. Percy extended his holdings over his lifetime till he had extensive lands extending almost to the rail line. He also had other property at Guntawang located halfway between Mudgee and Gulgong.

Percy’s place is close by the race track that he liked so much. He owned several race horses another interest and form of recreation.

__________

Note: Mick Pickett came to Gulgong as a young man of 18 years where he obtained work on the Winn's market garden. Mick’s sister Loretta was married to Percy Winn – Hong’s third son.

Mick had come in 1944 initially for a ‘holiday’ but stayed to work – he never went away. It looked like WWII may occur so Mick tried unsuccessfully to get into the army. He failed the health test due to deafness in one ear.

His brother went overseas in the army and then WWII did break out – but again Mick was rejected.

The above information comes from an article titled "Chinese in Gulgong" from the Mudgee District History website and is reproduced here with the permission of Diane Simmonds. Where not otherwise credited, the information was written by Barbara Hickson with additional recollections from Mick Pickett.

__________

Opening of the Winn Bridge.
Percy Winn is front row to the right on crutches, Rita is beside him.

Source: Paul Dollisson Booney Handyman

NEWS ITEMS

1932 - NEW HOUSES

A new brick house is nearing completion for Mr. Percy Winn at Reedy Creek (Gulgong Stubbo road).

Source: Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) Thu 3 Mar 1932 Page 13

1932 - WEDDING

At St. Luke's Church of England, Gulgong, on Saturday afternoon last, Mr. Percy Winn, of Gulgong, was married to Miss R. Pickett, of Coolah. Mr. and Mrs. Winn are to reside in Gulgong.

Source: Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) Thu 4 Aug 1932 Page 13

1947 - Tobacco Plant Trial In Gulgong
Successful market gardener, Mr. Percy Winn, of Reedy Creek, has a trial plot of tobacco plants growing on his property. The plants were supplied by the Department of Agriculture. It will cause no one any surprise if Mr. Winn makes a success of the venture.

Source: Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) Thu 18 Dec 1947 Page 16