daisylate1920s

Daisy in Shanghai, late 1920s (Chen Danyan, Shanghai Princess: her survival with pride and dignity, Better Link Press, New York, 2010)

Over the last couple of months I’ve been making a radio documentary for ABC Radio National’s Earshot series. It’s about Daisy Kwok – an amazing woman who was born in Sydney at the end of the 19th century to wealthy Chinese merchant parents. Moving to Shanghai with her family, Daisy became the toast of interwar cosmopolitan Shanghai only to suffer terribly during China’s cultural revolution.

Yet that’s by no means the end of Daisy’s story. Her life is remarkable on its own, but it also sheds light on the history of Australian-Chinese relations, and on the fabulous history of Shanghai itself. As the little blurb on the RN wesbite puts it, this is a story of riches to rags to redemption, set during one of the 20th century’s most turbulent eras.

Making the programme has been a great experience and many thanks to David Rutledge at the ABC for showing me the production ropes.  Here too a big a shout-out must go to the brilliant Sophie Loy-Wilson, whose own encounter with Daisy Kwok is a must read and who has been a fantastic co-producer.  I clearly remember the wide-eyed revelation that came upon us both in the studio one afternoon, when we realised exactly what we were doing: “no footnotes!” we whispered to each other, in wonder.

Shanghai Princess aired on ABC RN’s Earshot programme on Wednesday 21 September 2016 and is available now for download or podcast.

Further Reading

Photographs

with acknowledgements to Bobby Fu, Paul and Maunie Kwok and Kate Bagnall

Daisy as she appears in Australian immigration files in 1917. Source: National Archives of Australia, SP244/2, N1950/2/3885.
Kwok Family Home 1912-1917 17 Croydon St Petersham (previously 2 Croydon St) Source: google maps, 2014
Daisy in Shanghai in the late 1920s. Source: Source: Chen Danyan, Shanghai Princess: her Survival with Pride and Dignity (New York: Better Link Press, 2010)
Kwok Family, Shanghai c1925. Daisy Kwok is on the far left. Source: Chen Danyan, Shanghai Princess: her Survival with Pride and Dignity (New York: Better Link Press, 2010)
Daisy Kwok in Shanghai c1930 Source: Chen Danyan, Shanghai Princess: her Survival with Pride and Dignity (New York: Better Link Press, 2010)
The Kwok Family in Shanghai 1931. Clockwise from left is Edith Kwok, Elsie Kwok, Daisy Kwok, Pearlie Kwok and Darling Kwok. Source: Private Collection of Bobby Fu
Daisy and her husband, YH Woo, at their engagement party in 1931 Source: Chen Danyan, Shanghai Princess: her Survival with Pride and Dignity (New York: Better Link Press, 2010)
Daisy Kwok in Shanghai, 1964 Chen Danyan, Shanghai Princess: her Survival with Pride and Dignity (New York: Better Link Press, 2010)
Daisy Kwok (seated at back), Pearlie and Bobby Fu (Pearlie’s grandson) in Shanghai, summer of 1967 Source: Private collection of Bobby Fu
Daisy Kwok teaching English in Shanghai 1982 Chen Danyan, Shanghai Princess: her Survival with Pride and Dignity (New York: Better Link Press, 2010)
The Kwok family home in Shanghai in 2015. Source: Sophie Loy-Wilson, 2015
Advertisement