Eddie Liu

James Edward "Eddie" Liu OBE OAM (25 May 1922 - 25 June 2013) was an Australian community leader.[1][2] best known for his work with the Chinese Australian community in Brisbane, Queensland.[3]

Among his most notable achievements are co-founding the Chinese Club of Queensland in 1952 and establishing Brisbane's Chinatown in the 1980s.[4]

Biography

Born in Hong Kong in 1922, Liu grew up in Kowloon and attended La Salle College.[5]

He moved to Australia in 1937 to complete his secondary education at Christian Brothers College in Melbourne.[5]

He was sent to Brisbane in 1942 during World War II when he was called on to supervise and translate for Chinese seamen who were tasked with building landing barges, work which led to him being appointed secretary of the Chinese Seamen's Union of Australia.[3][5]

Leadership

During his time in Brisbane, Liu was seen as a leader within the city's multicultural community, helping settle migrants from Singapore, Thailand, Solomon Islands and China.[6] Liu is often referred to as the founding father of Chinatown in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, having been appointed to a committee to establish the community in 1983.[6] Upon its opening in 1987, Liu was appointed an honorary ambassador of Brisbane.[6]

As an advocate of preservation of Chinese culture, Liu is credited with overseeing the restoration of Brisbane's first Chinese temple, Holy Triad Temple at Breakfast Creek in the 1960s, which had been built in 1886 by the Cantonese Chinese community of Brisbane.[3] He also supported numerous charities and promoted or participated in various community initiatives.[4][6]

Liu was a critic of politician Pauline Hanson and her right-wing populist political party One Nation.[5] He once described Hanson as having no sense of humour following a discussion with her during a chance encounter on a flight from Brisbane to Canberra, where Liu suggested she marry a Chinese person to get a better understanding of immigration issues.[5]

Honours

Liu received numerous honours during his life, including the Order of the British Empire in 1980 and the Order of Australia Medal in 2001.[4]

He also received the Centenary Medal in 2001, and was the Metropolitan Local Hero for Queensland at the 2004 Australian of the Year Awards.[4]

The University of Queensland presented an honorary doctorate to Liu in 2007.[6] He was named as a Queensland Great in 2010.[7]

Eddie Liu died on 25 June 2013. His death prompted a number of public tributes from community and political leaders.[4][8] His funeral was held at Brisbane City Hall on 11 July 2013.[9] At the time of his death, Liu had five six children, 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.[10] His wife Elizabeth, whom he had married in 1940, predeceased him when she died in 2001 at the age of 79.[4]

References
  1. Story: Dr Eddie Liu OAM OBE HonD.Qld. Univ., Immigration Place website. Accessed 2 May 2018.
  2. Story: Lew Nam, Immigration Place website. Accessed 2 May 2018.
  3. Watt, Amanda (14 April 2012) Chinatown's revered father, The Courier-Mail, News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  4. Chudleigh, Jane (26 June 2013) The father of Chinatown Eddie Liu dies, aged 91, Quest Newspapers, The Courier-Mail, News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  5. Li, Eddie; Kwong, Kevin (12 September 1998) The day I flew with Hanson, South China Morning Post, Alibaba Group. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  6. (14 November 2007) Chinatown founder, former Premier among UQ honorary doctorates, University of Queensland website. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  7. Queensland Greats Awards: 2010 Recipients - Dr. James Edward (Eddie) Liu OBE OAM, Queensland Government website. Accessed 2 May 2018.
  8. Newman, Campbell; Elmes, Glen (26 June 2013) Joint Statement: Government pays tribute to Eddie Liu, Queensland Government website. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  9. Henry, Renae (11 July 2013) Farewell Eddie, Ten News Queensland, Network Ten. Accessed 2 May 2018.
  10. MacDonald, Andrew (12 July 2013) Dignitaries including Campbell Newman farewell father of Brisbane Chinatown Eddie Liu at City Hall funeral service, The Courier-Mail, News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 May 2018.


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