Donation from the Library of Henry Chan
Mrs Mary Chan with Library staff member Di Ouyang
Photo: Ting Zhao, National Library
The National Library of Australia recently received a donation of 300 Chinese-language books from the widow of Mr Henry Chan, a well-known Chinese-Australian historian and book collector. We were delighted to accept such a large number of titles not previously held by the Library on the key subject areas of the history of Chinese settlement in Australia and relations between China and Australia. Henry was well known to the library and archives communities in Australia as an indefatigable supporter.
Henry Chan was born in China but spent most of his life in Australia and New Zealand. He formally retired from The University of Newcastle, where he taught Chinese history, in 1998. While his academic studies related largely to the history of science, he was tireless in his efforts to promote the study of the Chinese in Australia and New Zealand as a vital and integral part of the history of both countries. To this end, he wrote books and articles about the Chinese in Australasia. He organised seminars and conferences where he brought together scholars, members of the Chinese community and cultural institutions with important collections on the Chinese. He had the ability to inspire others from disparate backgrounds to share his enthusiasm and encouraged librarians, in particular, to collect more widely on the Chinese in Australia and to make our collections better known.
In 2007, Henry led a large Chinese Australian Historical Society delegation on a weekend visit to Canberra to explore the riches of institutional collections, including the Library, on Chinese Australians. Library curators displayed and talked about books, pictures, maps and oral history material on the Chinese in Australia to an enthusiastic and interested audience. All involved agreed that the event would not have happened without Henry’s vision and drive.
When Henry sadly passed away in April 2008 the Library was pleased to accept the donation, from his wife Mary, of over 300 books from Henry’s personal collection. Library staff selected and packed the books at the Chans’ home in Katoomba, New South Wales, in late August 2008 and the acquisitions were searched and catalogued over the following months. A bookplate has been placed in each volume and the books will be housed in the Library’s Chinese collection.
The Library has also made arrangements for a number of other books from Henry’s collection to be passed on to other libraries in Australia, where they will be available to a new generation of readers and researchers.
Amelia McKenzie
Director, Asian Collections



