National Library of Australia  - Gateways

ISSN 1443-0568 | no. 72 | December 2004


Sidney Sing-Wu Wang OAM, 1920–2004

Sidney Sing-Wu Wang at the ceremony to mark the naming of the Asian Collections long-term readers' room after him, 27 November 2003

Sidney Sing-Wu Wang at the ceremony to mark
the naming of the Asian Collections long-term
readers' room after him, 27 November 2003
[CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE]

Staff of the National Library and colleagues around Australia were saddened to hear of the death after a period of ill-health on 22 October 2004 of Mr Sidney Sing-Wu Wang, formerly Chief Librarian, Orientalia Section of the National Library. Mr Wang is survived by his wife May, three daughters and many grandchildren.

Mr Wang served as Chief Librarian, Orientalia from 1964 to 1985 and worked successfully to build up the Library’s Asian collections from their early beginnings to their current strength. He was a dedicated librarian with keen bibliographic skills, a scholarly knowledge of Chinese literature and Asian cultures and a great commitment to assisting readers. ‘Think of the reader’ was his byword. He remains affectionately remembered by many students of academics to whom he extended great kindness and hospitality.

After retirement Mr Wang continued to collect books, a favourite passion, and to write. Most recently he contributed a chapter on the history of Chinese settlement in Australia to the monumental work The Australian People: An Encyclopaedia of the Nation (Cambridge University Press, 2001).

In 2003 the Library dedicated the long-term readers room in the newly refurbished Asian Collections Reading Room to Mr Wang. The room was formally opened with a small gathering for Mr Wang, his wife and family, and a number of friends and former colleagues. Some months later Mr Wang made the decision to donate his personal book collection to the Library. The collection of over 4000 books, several long journal runs and a collection of personal papers was received by the Library in the weeks following Mr Wang’s death.  It will be housed together as the Wang Collection in the Library’s newest purpose-built stack on the fourth floor of the Library.
—Amelia McKenzie, Director, Asian Collections

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