NORTHERN EVACUEES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 33, 25 March 1942, Page 2

NORTHERN EVACUEES

CHINESE WOMEN OF NEW GUINEA

Pingnan, meaning "peace and safety," is the name of a delightful modern home in Butwood, a suburb of Sydney, where 125 Chinese women and children, evacuated from Now Guinea, are settling down lo a new life. The home was recently taken by the Chinese Evacuee Committee for nationals evacuated irom Pac'Jic war areas. There are 21 bedrooms in the house, with one family or more in each room. Mattresses on the floor are the only furniture. Three generations of Chinese are living in one room. In another a mother lives with her five children. Plans have been made lo convert the double garage into a boys' dormitory, but the mothers will not break the Chinese custom of keeping the family as a unit.

Many of the women are adapting themselves qu'vckly to the new order, but others are providing fun and pathos- in attempting to use gas cookers and sleep in beds. In the early stages four women detailed to act as cooks for the day turned on the gas taps and, without lighting the fumes, waited patiently for the food, to come to, the boii.

However, under the supervision of the matron (Mrs Douglas Miller) they are learning to live as a community and share the work. Each

day the matron issues a work roster, which is translated, into Chinese by one of the women and pinned on the wall. The Chinese mothers consider that Australian milk is bad for their babies and insist on feeding them on condensed milk, but they are being slowly persuaded to change to fresh milk.

The wemen, who arc mostly the wives of storekeepers and traders in New Guinea, show a liking for European dress. Only a few wear their native costume —either a long cotton gown slit to the knee on both sides, or a tunic worn over wide

cotton trousers. "They are tremendously attracted to picture shows," said Mrs Miller, '"and are also fond of shopping." The first thing they did when they got to Sydney was to have their hair permanently waved.

The children are rapidly picking up the English language. "Okar" is their favourite expression.