Place Names Register Extract
Hang Gong Avenue
If you know of any information about this place name which does not appear in this extract, please let the Place Names Committee know by completing a submission form.
View in NT Atlas | Print Extract | Search Again| Name | Hang Gong |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Avenue |
| Place Id | 6383 |
| Place Type | Road |
| Status | Registered |
| Date Registered | 31 August 1994 |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| Driver | |
| Local Government Area | |
| Palmerston City Council | |
| History/Origin | Hang Gong Avenue commemorates the Hang Gong family and, in particular, the significant contributions of Sarah Hang Gong and Jane Elizabeth Tye as skilled midwives and community leaders. Sarah Hang Gong was born Sarah Bowman on 23 April 1844 in Stepney, London, United Kingdom. Trained as a midwife, likely at Guy's Hospital in London, she migrated to Australia with her sister Elizabeth around 1861, settling initially in Creswick, Victoria. There, she formed a long-term relationship with Lee Hang Gong, a Chinese merchant involved in the regional goldfields. Together, they had seven children; their first, Thomas George, was born in 1864, followed by Arthur, Jane Elizabeth, Selina (Cissie), Henry, Herbert, and Ernest. By the late 1870s, the family relocated to the Northern Territory, settling in Palmerston (now Darwin) around 1881. Lee Hang Gong established businesses in Southport and in Darwin's Chinatown on Cavenagh Street. Sarah Hang Gong became well-known and highly regarded for her work as a midwife and nurse in the growing community. She provided essential healthcare services in an area with limited formal medical facilities, serving families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Sarah's name first appears in Northern Territory records in February 1881 as the midwife who registered a birth in Southport. She was also active in community affairs, petitioning government officials on behalf of her family - most notably requesting employment for her sons as court interpreters. Sarah herself occasionally acted as an interpreter. Following the death of her husband in 1892, Sarah continued her midwifery and nursing work in Palmerston. She resided in a modest home behind the family store on Cavenagh Street, from which she practiced until becoming partially paralysed in later life. Sarah passed away on 6 April 1911 in Darwin and was buried locally. Her daughter, Jane Elizabeth Tye, born in Creswick on 28 July 1869, also became an esteemed midwife. After spending some time apart from her family in Sydney during her youth, Jane married George Tye, a storekeeper from Canton, in 1885. They had five children born in New South Wales before moving to Darwin in 1896. Jane gave birth to a final child in Darwin in 1898. Jane established herself as the leading midwife in Darwin and surrounding areas for over four decades. She was highly regarded for her skill and reliability, serving not only the urban population but also traveling to remote communities such as Borroloola to provide maternity care. Her approach involved arriving several days before the expected birth and remaining for up to a week afterward to assist with postnatal care and guidance. Contemporary accounts emphasise her trustworthiness and the respect she garnered across communities. Her husband George, with limited English, often relied on Jane's interpreting skills, and Jane also served as an interpreter in local court cases involving Chinese residents. Jane Elizabeth Tye died in Darwin on 12 June 1934. Her death notice highlighted her exceptional record as a midwife, noting that she had never lost a mother or infant in her care and her dedication was remembered as extending through all weather and conditions. Sources: Chinese-Australian Historical Images in Australia. (2005, November 11). Bowman, Sarah (1844?1911). Retrieved 2025, October 15, from https://www.chia.chinesemuseum.com.au/biogs/CH01036b.htm. Hang Gong, Sarah and Bowman, Sarah. Sarah Hang Gong. Retrieved 2025, October 15, from https://hdl.handle.net/10070/235365. Tye, Jane Elizabeth, Hang Gong, Jane Elizabeth and Granny. Jane Elizabeth Tye. Retrieved 2025, October 15, from https://hdl.handle.net/10070/218097. |
Register & Gazettal information
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 31/08/1994 | NTG35 |