By Rosemary Baird
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga staff from the Canterbury/West Coast were all greatly saddened to hear of the death of Yep Ng, aged 83, on March 25, 2023. Most of the team have worked with Yep as part of the Ng King Brothers Chinese Market Garden Settlement project – either on archaeology, conservation, or interpretation development at the site.
Yep emigrated to New Zealand as a child, along with other members of his family. He grew up at the Ng King Brothers Chinese Market Garden Settlement and worked at the family fruit and vegetable shop in Ashburton. He was the much-loved father and father-in-law of Sonja and Mark Kum, and Lawrence, and the beloved Goong-Goong (maternal grandpa) of Zoe and Zac.
Son of one of the original King Brothers, Yep spent five years contacting descendants to get their approval for the Ashburton District Council to manage the site as a reserve.
Yep’s daughter Sonja says, “Dad had the peaceful vision for all of the Chinese families and people of Ashburton to see the park as a memorial to his hardworking dad, uncles and cousins and all the other Chinese who lived and worked there.”
He was also a key mover within the family for the development of the site as a post-1900 archaeological site and category one entry on the Rārangi Kōrero New Zealand Heritage List. He was always an encouraging presence at all Ng King meetings and working bees.
“Yep was a conscious and active custodian for that place,” says Christine Whybrew, Director Southern Region. “His legacy will be the ongoing preservation of the Ng King settlement by future generations of our team alongside the Ng King family, now we all understand its special significance.”
As part of a documentary called Crossing the Bridge, displayed in Ashburton Museum, Yep gave his life philosophy: “Be good to people, don’t be selfish and don’t be arrogant. Love each other." And this is how the Canterbury/West Coast team remember Yep; as a humble, kind, and encouraging supporter of heritage and our staff.
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