User:Seetojun/sandbox

Seetojun/sandbox

Formation	1st July 1939
Type	Nonprofit Organisation
Legal status	Charity
Focus	Culture, Community, Support
Headquarters	10 Dixon Street, Sydney
Website	www.cyl.org.au

The Chinese Youth League of Australia (Chinese: 澳洲僑青社) is a non-profit community organisation that aims to strengthen cultural understandings and friendships between China and Australia, located in Chinatown Sydney at Level 2, 10 Dixon street where it has remained since inauguration in 1939 making The Chinese Youth League of Australia one of the longest tenured Chinese community organisations in Australia. The organisation provides members various opportunities to support events and activities that impact both local and international communities through arranging and promoting:

• Chinese cultural activities
• Welfare and charitable work
• Community activities primarily in the Sydney district that promote multiculturalism
• Recreational and sporting activities operating at Dixon Street Chinatown and Pyrmont

The Chinese Youth League currently has an estimated 7,000 members that come from a variety of backgrounds and communities to engage in either Chinese Youth League anniversary and fundraising events that the organisation hosts on a yearly basis or members partake in subgroup sports and activities including lion dance, dragonboat, wushu, Cantonese opera, cultural dancing, tai chi, recreation and table tennis.

History

Establishment

Prior to being formed as The Chinese Youth League of Australia the organisation was initially established as Sydney Chinese Youth Drama Association on the 1st of July 1939 by a group of Australian Chinese patriots with the initial mission of the organisation was to help Chinese immigrants from China and Hong Kong during World War 2 and more specifically Japan's invasion of China which was becoming an alarming concern for many Chinese citizens consequently sparking many to travel to Sydney, Australia in prospects for safer living under Commonwealth territory. It was during this time that the organisation formed, electing Fred Wong as the first president of the Chinese Youth League with aims of raising funds to aid China against Japanese invasion. In August of the same year the organisation held their first public fund-raising performance of a drama which was held at the hall of Chinese Masonic Society primarily consisting of Cantonese Opera, funds from ticket sales and donation collections were sent to China supporting the War of Resistance. During the breakout of World War 2 into the Pacific region, an increasing number of Chinese sailors grounded in Sydney joined Chinese Youth League causing a temporary name change of the organisation to "Chinese Workers Association". The final English name change of the organisation came during the 6th annual general meeting officially naming the organisation "Chinese Youth League" as well as approving and adopting the emblem which has remained with the organisation since 1944.

Founder of Chinese Youth League

Kenneth Fredrick Wong was born in Cobar, New South Wales in 1906 as one of five siblings to a family that emigrated from Canton, China. After establishing the Chinese Youth League Fred Wong along with his Chinese Youth League members including Stanley Wai, William Jong and Louis Wong utilised the organisation as a stable foundation from where they could voice injustice and inequality of Chinese people immigrating to Australia during a period where government enforced the White Australia Policy that aimed to restrict people from a non-European ethnic origin from living in Australia through a set of historical policies starting with the Immigration Restriction Act effective from 1901 to 1959. In an attempt to help achieve justice for Chinese immigrants in Sydney, Chinese Youth League under the leadership of Fred Wong addressed health and welfare issues of arriving sailors from China as well as allowing the Chinese Seamen's Union to be established at the Chinese Youth League premises. Fred Wong along with both Chinese Youth League and Chinese Seamen's Union members supported equal rights for Chinese people by negotiating for Chinese sailor wages on Commonwealth ships to be equivalent to that of British sailors. The collaborative effort also found jobs ad housing for Chinese immigrants country-wide, sending up 800 Chinese workers to Bulimba, Queensland where they were provided housing. During November 1938, Waterside workers banned the loading of pig iron onto the SS Dalfram at Port Kembla, believing its cargo was going to Japan to be made into bombs and bullets in a war effort. During this 1938 Dalfram Dispute, Fred Wong and members of the Chinese Youth League organised collection and distribution of fruits and vegetables donated by Chinese wholesalers and market gardeners to help the striking workers of Port Kembla. Fred Wong died in 1948 in a suspicious death on a trip to inspect a Catalina flying boat at Lake Boga, Victoria. He drowned in the water with a single eye witness nearby, no forensic investigation or autopsy was carried out to rule out the possibility of foul play in Fred's death.

Recent History

1952 (1952)

• Assisted in forming the Chinese Workers Association to fight rights of Chinese indentured workers and improve living conditions by setting up a relief canteen in CYL

1962 (1962)

• Final stage of merging the Chinese Worker's Association, culminating the adoption of a new organisation name:"Chinese Youth League of Australia"

1973 (1973)

• Joint effort in organising the celebration dinner for the establishment of diplomatic relationship between Australia and China.
• Organised the first Australian Chinese China tour to attend the National Day celebration in China, led by former president of the organisation Arthur Chang
• Joined with the Australia China Society to welcome Kwangchow Acrobatic Troupe performing in Sydney

1977 (1977)

• As a part of the "Clubhouse fund-raising project a Chinese New year Cultural Concert was staged at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, the concert was attended by the State Premier Neville Wran who gave an opening speech. The Melbourne Chinese Unity Association contributed traditional Chinese dance performances.

1980 (1980)

• Developed "Sydney Chinese School" through conducting Chinese language classes on Saturdays at the former premises of Cleveland Street Boys High School

1986 (1986)

• Hosted Easter fund-raising cultural concert at Sydney Town Hall for ACCA nursing home and Australian Chinese Service Society where the State Premier Neville Wran opened the concert

1986 (1986)

• The official Chinese Youth League building was opened by State Premier Neville Wran with other distinguished guests in attendance of the ceremony included Nick Greiner, the Chinese Consul-General, State and Federal ministers

1988 (1988)

• Chinese Youth League cultural dancers and musical groups were invited to perform for the opening of the Chinese-build garden, "Chinese Garden of Friendship" (simplified Chinese: 谊园; traditional Chinese: 誼園) which is a heritage listed garden located at 1 Harbour Street in the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia.

1991 (1991)

• Invited to participate at the Griffith Food and Wine Festival by presenting a full concert at the Griffith Regional Theatre, also taking part in the grand street parade of the festival

1992 (1992)

• CYL was joint organiser and stage manager of the 3-day Chinese Cultural Festival held at Bi-Centennial Park sponsored by Bi-Centennial Park Trust with Hon. Helen Sham Ho, MLC, as Chairperson of the organising committee.

1996 (1996)

• Council of City of Sydney celebrated Chinese New Year for the first time delegating Chinese Youth League to organise stage production and cultural performances.

1998 - Present (1998 - Present)

• Council of City of Sydney incorporates the organisation as a major partner in staging celebrations during Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival every year including stage performances, opening ceremony, blessing ceremonies and parades around the Sydney central business district of Sydney.

Sub-groups

Lion and Dragon Dance Group

Hok San - Lion Head

Bendigo Easter Festival

Formally known as Chinese Youth League Lion and Dragon Dance Australia, the team was founded in 1976 and traditionally practices Southern Lion Dance and Dragon Dance. Southern Lion Dance has two primary styles, Fut San (Chinese: 佛山) and Hok San (Chinese: 鶴山). The team mainly uses Hok San style which has a significantly different drumming beat and lion movement, Hok San lion heads are lighter than Fut San and particularly focuses on sharp expression and agile footwork. The troupe primarily performs in the region of New South Wales, however travels to Bendigo during Easter on an annual basis to participate in an Easter Festival involving a number of other Lion Dance groups both local and international. The lion and dragon dance group provide a variety of performance for City of Sydney during Chinese New Year, notably in the opening ceremony where Lord Mayor Clover Moore performs an eye dotting ceremony on Chinese Youth League Lions. The troupe also perform at weddings, shop openings, corporate and other events throughout the year as in Chinese tradition Lion Dance is used to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity and luck. The team recently won first place in the 2018 MGM International Lion Dance Competition, Females Traditional division, in Macau, the first Western lion dance team ever to win an international Lion Dance Championship. Chinese Youth League Lion Dance and Dragon Dance have also participated in the Genting World Lion Dance Championships which are held every two years in Malaysia. The team also organised Lionfest which was held in Market City during 2008 and 2010 inviting both domestic and international lion teams to perform.

Bibliography

Category:Charities based in Australia Category:Organisations based in New South Wales