Discovering My Ancestral Village
An event hosted by the Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria (CAFHOV), supported by the Museum of Chinese Australian History was held on Sunday 17th August 2025
Where did our ancestors come from?
For many family historians, searching for their Chinese ancestral village is a big challenge.
This event presented the experiences some of our members had in their research. Digging for clues in old documents and photos, recalling what was told in family stories, remembering early visits to China, as well as researching DNA, everyone has something to share about their findings.
Return to the ancestral place
Nicole Ma, CAFHOV member
In 2008 Nicole Ma accompanied her father Victor to China to visit their ancestral village, Shayong. A trip that uncovered a great grandfather, a love story and how 28 tins of gold became a famous department store in Shanghai.
Finding “the village”
Michelle Lau & Graeme Lau Gooey, CAFHOV members
How we rediscovered my ancestral village over a cup of coffee.
The journey to find our ancestral home
Brian Lougoon, CAFHOV member
In October 2024 Brian Lougoon and six family members journeyed to Wo Lok and Zhong She, the Ancestral home of their grandfather Samuel Louey Goon. 138 years had passed since Louey Goon left the land of his birth but it was an emotional homecoming for his descendants.
Take me home, country roads
Derek Leong, CAFHOV member
In 1978, country roads took John Leong and his son Derek home to their ancestral village of Dong Hing in Hoiping County . Was it still the place where they belong?
You might not find your ancestral village, but that’s ok
Sally Keam, CAFHOV member
In my presentation, I shared the challenges of tracing my mother’s ancestral village, moving from knowing less than nothing to identifying counties and target areas. While the ultimate answer may remain elusive, I’ve learned to value the journey itself—finding joy in others’ discoveries, uncovering important clues, and embracing the process as its own reward.