Book on Chinese family up for state spotlight

A BOOK charting the history of Ballarat’s Tong Way family from 1863 onwards has been nominated for a Victorian Community History Award.

Following its release in April, Chinese Roots is up for the awards’ Community Diversity category after being submitted by local publishing outlet Shawline Publishing Group.

The book’s author Yvonne Horsfield is a descendant of the family through her grandfather Reverend John Tong Way, and said the nomination will help attract more interest in her family’s story.

“I think it’ll bring a wider recognition to it,” she said. “I’m most gratified because it obviously shows the publisher has confidence in my book.

“It was basically around my grandfather being a major figurehead for Chinese community. He was the superintendent missioner to the Chinese of Ballarat and district before he retired in 1949.

“I’m proud to have written the book because my mother had the unique experience of being raised by her Chinese grandparents. I said to her she should’ve written this book, but she made me promise that I would.”

Having previously written about six other children’s books, Horsfield has followed up her exploration of Chinese culture with Liu Jo Wei: A Chinese Boy on the Goldfields which released in November with illustrations by her son Garth.

She said she thinks the book has helped shine a brighter light on the region’s Chinese connection.

“I’ve had many people come up to me and said they found the story very readable,” she said.

“I hope more people will continue to read it and learn a bit more about what it was like to be Chinese in Ballarat.”

The winners will be announced during a presentation at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday 2 February.