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Story: Chinese

Market gardeners, 1888

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Market gardeners, 1888

As the Otago goldfields were depleted, many Chinese moved into other occupations such as market gardening. This photograph, published in the Otago Witness in February 1888, shows Ah Sam and Joe Shum preparing to set off for market with vegetables they have grown.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, McNeur Collection (PAColl-5135)

Reference: C-6165-1/2

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Manying Ip, Chinese – Later settlement, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/509/market-gardeners-1888 (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Manying Ip, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 July 2024.