Please make your way to the bottom intersection of Stafford Street & Princes Street, which was the location of Choie Sew Hoy's warehouses. We will slowly walk our way up, investigating a few buildings on the way.
Buses will depart from 29 Stafford Street: 2.30pm (approx 2 hours)
Introduction:
There are four significant "Sew Hoy" premises that have been established on Stafford Street over the years.
20 Stafford Street (previously numbered 12/14 Stafford), Choie Sew Hoy's first warehouse
22 Stafford Street, Sew Hoy occupied a house on the section adjacent to his first warehouse
29 Stafford Street, were related to the activities of Choie Sew Hoy.
Sew Hoy & Son's import and export building - related to the descendants of Choie Sew Hoy
Source: Chris Scott (Dunedin City Council Archivist), investigated by Janice & Peter Sew Hoy, Trevor Agnew
Below: Stafford Street (1862), several years before CSH arrived in Dunedin (1869). Princes street is running along the bottom of the street as we look down the hill of Stafford Street, and it was only two streets parallel to the sea. (Source: Photo by Burton Brothers, 1862, provided by Te Papa)
Below: Princess/Stafford Street, as a point of comparison approximately 45 years later in 1903-1907 (just after CSH died)
Source: Dunedin's Warehouse Precinct, Alexander Trapesznik, Page 100
Walking Directions: Make your way to 20 Stafford Street. This is where Choie Sew Hoy's original warehouse would have stood, 20 Stafford Street (Originally 12/14).
Below: Initially numbered as 13 Stafford Street (or 12/14), the numbering changed at some point to 20 Stafford Street. Choie Sew Hoy imported many different items here, for which he ran many advertisements for.
Below: An old drainage map showing Choie Sew Hoy's lot in red (section 26/27) in relation to the Ross and Glendining building in blue, which is just below the furniture warehouse (the Red Lion Hotel was smashed down to create the accessway).
Source: Chris Scott (Dunedin City Council Archivist), investigated by Janice & Peter Sew Hoy, Trevor Agnew
Walking Directions, 29 Stafford Street: Now make your way to the outside of 29 Stafford Street. This is how Stafford Street looked at some older unknown time in history. Can you find 29 Stafford Street in the picture?
29 Stafford Street, Below: Shown below are five different images of 29 Stafford Street over the years. While the year 1869 is written on the top (reflecting Choie Sew Hoy's arrival to Dunedin and starting business), the building was actually constructed 1895, only six years before CSH's death. Several generations of Sew Hoy's have worked and lived in this building over the years.
Below two photos: Probably taken in the big snow of 1938, both photos show the same snow pattern around the buildings. The Sew Hoy sign is hanging to left of door. The painted signs beside the door read 'Sew Hoy' and 'Nokomai Mining Company.'
(Photo/info Source: Trevor Agnew, Sew Hoy Family Tree Book).
Below: 29 Stafford street in the 1970's. Notice a lot of the detail has been removed from the front of the building, typical of the facade renovations done on the street. Photo Source: Dunedin's Warehouse Precinct, Alexander Trapesznik, Page 161
Below: The building was painted blue during its "Sew Hoy Oriental Food" days
Below: Both the 29 Stafford Street building and the associated "Sew Hoy Oriental Foods" trademark were sold to previous staff members of the "Sew Hoy Oriental Foods" business (unrelated to the Sew Hoy's), in 2003. It was subsequently repainted yellow in March 2007.
Source: Taken by Geoffrey White (Internet)
Sew Hoy & Sons Ltd Clothing Manufacturers - 55 years after Choie Sew Hoy's death: These two manufacturing /warehouse buildings across the road from 29 Stafford Street were acquired by later by descendants of Choie Sew Hoy (Hugh Sew Hoy and Sons) in 1956 for the purposes of Clothing Manufacturing, Food Processing, and Import/Exporting (though they had long owned the land). Sew Hoy & Son's took over the premises until 1989.
Below: The buildings were previously owned by Kempthorne, Prosser & Co, which in their day were the largest NZ company in the drug manufacturing and importing trade. Now, the building is branded as "Save Mart".
(Text/Photo Source: Dunedin's Warehouse Precinct, Alexander Trapesznik, Page 135, Left Photo Source: Justin Sew Hoy)
Below: A feature article on "The House of Sew Hoy", from the Otago Exports to the world magazine, describing the export business of later generations of Sew Hoy's on Stafford Street.
Featured are Hugh Sew Hoy (G50, P50) and Sons Justin, Duncan and Donald, Jennie Sew Hoy, and other staff (Source: Donald Sew Hoy)
Now please make your way inside 29 Stafford Street for Lunch. There will be video's inside for which you can play and watch.
Next Stop: Kum Poy & Louisa's Home - 96 Eglinton Road