Our Connectedness: Asian Connections to New Zealand Land

It was meant to be a writer’s workshop for anyone of Asian descent, and as an aspiring author, I was very fortunate to have found out about it. And it was at this workshop that I had the opportunity to meet Dr Renee Liang MNZM - a second-generation Chinese New Zealander who is a paediatrician, poet, essayist, short story writer, playwright, theatre producer, and medical researcher. Renee was facilitating the writer’s workshop in Ōtautahi Christchurch, and at the workshop, she spoke about a play that was very close to her heart - The Bone Feeder.

Renee shared with the workshop participants the journey she embarked upon to create The Bone Feeder and, more importantly, why The Bone Feeder held such significance for her as a Chinese New Zealander. After learning about how she created The Bone Feeder and its significance in connecting the Chinese community in New Zealand, I invited her as a guest on my podcast, Our Connectedness  (Season 2), to share more details about The Bone Feeder.  

The Bone Feeder is an opera by Renee that explores the mysteries, traumas and gifts of migration, home and belonging. A magical cicada and Māori Ferryman guide a young Chinese man searching for his roots. He crosses to 'the other side', where ghosts reveal secrets of love, loss and betrayal. His attempt to uncover his ancestor's bones disturbs the earth and, ultimately, threatens his life.

The New Zealand Herald’s review of The Bone Feeder noted that “as a playwright, Renee Liang’s presentation of an intriguing historical incident became a powerful drama in which longing for a return to the ancestral homeland is set against the immigrants' desire to put down roots in their adopted home. While focusing on a particular community, the play explores how this continuously evolving dialectic shapes the identity of all who arrive, then find themselves staying in a new country.” 

The Bone Feeder is inspired by the story of the SS Ventnor, which sank off the Hokianga coast and is a lost part of New Zealand's history. It is grounded in the experiences of early Chinese settlers and their interactions with Pākehā and Māori.

The SS Ventnor, a vessel that set sail from New Zealand in October 1902, was chartered by Choie Sew Hoy, a prominent Dunedin businessman, with the solemn purpose of repatriating the remains of Chinese gold miners to their homeland for a dignified burial per traditional customs. It was carrying the remains of 499 Chinese gold miners. These men, who had toiled in the arduous New Zealand goldfields, could not accumulate sufficient funds for their return passage during their lifetimes. A charitable association, the Cheong Sing Tong, had collected donations to facilitate the repatriation of their countrymen's remains.    

The SS Ventnor's journey was cut short when it struck a reef off the Taranaki coast, sustaining significant damage. Despite the captain’s valiant efforts to reach Auckland, the ship was ultimately overwhelmed by the sea and sank off the Hokianga Heads. The loss of life was immense, including the crew members who had accompanied the coffins. The mortal remains of men who had sought fortune in a foreign land were lost to the depths. This represented a profound cultural loss for the Chinese community, as traditional beliefs emphasize the importance of ancestral veneration and the deceased's return to their homeland. The inability to fulfill this final rite for so many of their countrymen caused immense grief and sorrow.  

Over the next few months, the remains washed ashore. The local iwi found some bones (kōiwi) and cared for them as they would of their members. The Te Roroa and Te Rarawa hapu (Te Tao Māui and Te Hokokeha) were interred in their urupā (burial grounds). Over the years, the memory of the Ventnor has faded from the public consciousness. However, recent efforts to commemorate the tragedy have brought the story back into the spotlight.

The wreck of SS Ventnor was discovered in 2014 and Heritage New Zealand designated it as a protected archaeological site. Subsequently, a memorial was unveiled in Ōpononi in April 2021, a poignant tribute to the lives lost and a recognition of the enduring impact of the disaster. The SS Ventnor memorial in Ōpononi lists the names of the 13 men who drowned in the wreck of the Ventnor: the captain, seven crewmen, and five of the nine elderly Chinese men who were accompanying the remains. It also lists the names of the miners whose bones were being transported. At the event on 10 April 2021, the names of the 499 Chinese gold miners were read alongside the 13 crew – the event followed the tradition of Ching Ming (清明節), also known as tomb-sweeping day, a traditional Chinese festival when people honour their ancestors. 

Chance efforts by Chinese-New Zealander Wong Liu Shueng​, a documentary maker, and the New Zealand Chinese Association (NZCA) helped share the information about the Chinese gold miners with some of their descendants. The first representatives came to Hokianga in April 2009 to pay their respects and thank tangata whenua. In February 2024, more than 100 young Chinese New Zealanders travelled to Northland in February 2024 to attend Waitangi Day commemorations and pay respects to Chinese ancestors buried in Hokianga.  

From being introduced to the incident of SS Ventnor at the writing workshop to my conversation podcast conversation with Renee, all of this helped me understand how SS Ventnor marks the honouring of a special bond between Chinese and Māori. It offered an opportunity to create a sense of belonging for the Chinese community through a connection to the land.  

My journey of Our Connectedness 

Thank you to all those who joined me on this journey of discovery. As you may have learnt, through my exploration of Asian and Māori cultures, I have discovered fascinating similarities and differences. This journey has deepened my understanding of these rich and diverse traditions. As I continue to learn more, I am inspired to delve deeper into the connections between these cultures and perhaps even write a book that explores their shared values, beliefs, and experiences.  

-Asia Media Centre