Chinese Proclamation & Zirka -- the Star of Bethlehem
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STATESTATE TREASURESTREASURES ManyYutI artefactsartefacts inin ourour StateState andand locallocal collectionscollections relaterelate toto BritishBritish pioneerspioneers andand foundingfounding-fathers.fathers. ButBut therethere areare alsoalso treasurestreasures thatthat celebratecelebrate thethe culturalciltural diversitydiversity thatthat hashas always|l*uyt beenbeen aa featurefeature ofof SouthSouth AustralianAustralian history.history. Significantly,Significantly, too,too, muchmuch ofof thethe evidenceevidence ofof culturalcultural diversitydiversity isis heldheld byby individualsindividuafs andatrJ associations.asrociations. Pleaseplease show the historical'treasures'in your show the historical 'treasures' in your museummuseum or9r personalpersonal collectioncollection byby sendingsending blackblack andand whitewhite photosphotos withwith descriptionsdescriptions forfor publicationpublication inin CommunityCommunlty History.Uistory. ChineseChinese proclamation.proclamatian. GoldCold leafleaf onon gesso.gesso. 170cm170cm xx 57cm.57crn. Acquired byby thethe Art GalleryGallery ofof SouthSouth Australia inin1.978.1978. TransferredTransferred toto thethe J-listoryl{istrtry TrustTrust ofof SouthSouth Australia inin 1986.1986. Photo courtesycourtesy Migration Musewn.Museum. Zirka - Star of Bethlehem. Loaned7#,;';';yi,;;i':,i:r,useumto the Migration Museum by the Association of Ukrainians in S.A.s A Inc.Inc Photo?^Y; courtes:Y:;'K;1"*'ffixy Migration Museum. Chinese Proclamation Zirka-Ztrka-TheThe Star of Bethlehem This beautiful Chinese proclamation was\vas sent to The Star of Bethlehem is the traditional syrnbolsymbol of carol Adelaide in July 1889 by Tseng Kuo-Ch'uan, Imperial singers in northern Europe. The Star is carried by the Trade Commissioner for the South Seas of the Great singers as they go from home to home on Christmas Eve, Ch'ing Empire and Governor clfof the Jiangsu and Anhui singing carols and perfor*i^gperforming the story of the Nativity provinces. It was addressed to the Adelaide Chinese and the life of Christ"Christ. committee, thankingthanking themthem forfor fundsfunds raisedraised forfor thethe rcliefrelief of floodflood victims inin thethe Jiangsu and Anhui provirlces.provinces. This Zirka belongs toto Ukrainian South Australians. ItIt was made inin Adelaide inin thethe early 1980s. ItIt isis elaborately ItIt isis one of thethe earliest piecespieces of evidence linkinglinking thethe locallocal decorated and whenwhen inin useuse itit lightslights upup andand rotates.rotates. AdelaideAdelaide ChineseChinese communitycommunity withwith theirtheir homelancl.homeland. The TheThe sixthsixth ofof JanuaryJanuary isis celebratedcelebrated byby OrthodoxOrthodox andand fundfund forfor thethe reliefrelief ofof floodflood viitimsvic'tims was,was, accordingaccording toto thethe CatholicCatholic ukrainiarlsUkrainians asas ChristmasChristmas Eve.Eve. ChildrenChildren staystay upup obseraer,TObserver, 7 l,rlyJuly 1888,'subscribecl1888, 'subscribed forfor byby allall rantsbfranks of latelate andand familiesfamilies gathergather togethertogether toto waitwait forfor thethe arrivatarrival ofof peoplepeople inin thethe crty,city, fromfrom HisHis ExcellencyExcellency thethe GoverriorGovernor carcrlcarol singerssingers whowho performperforn1 thethe Vertrp,Vertep, thethe NativityNativity play. downwards,downwards, thethe ChineseChinese populationpopulation contributingcontributing generously'"generously'. UkrainiansUkrainians broughtbrought thethe VertepVertep traditiontradition withwith themthem whenwhen theythey camecame toto SouthSouth AustraliaAustralia asas DisplacedDisplaced PersonsPersons fromfro TheThe proclamationproclamation arrivedarrived in in AdelaicJeAdelaide atat aa tirnetin1e ofof intenseintense war-tornwar-torn EuropeEurope inin thethe latelate 1940s1940s andand earlyearly 1950s.1950s. WithinWit debate in Australia about impclsi^g aa short time, Vertep began in Adelaide. At first, the debate in Australia about imposingrestricticlnsrestrictions onon ?_ short time, Vertep began in Adelaide. At first, the F ChineseChinese immigrants.immigrants. AndAnd yet,yet, thethe furrdfund waswas hcavilyheavily playersplayers walkedwalked fromfrom househouse toto househouse andand woewoe betidebetide ifif subscribed,subscribed, andand thethe proclarnationproclalnation ofof thanksthanks framedfran1ed andand theythey bypassedbypassed aa UkrainianUkrainian house,house. LaterLater UkrainianUkrainian initiallyinitially mountedmounted inin thethe AdelaideAdelaide TclwnTov'ln Hall.Hall. companiescompanies likelike MichaelMichael Lesiw'sLesiw's BlueBlue RibbonRibbon smallsmall goodsgo factoryfactory lentlent deliverydelivery vansvans toto transporttransport thethe perfor*&s.performers. The large The largecharacterscharacters areare aa ConfucianConfucian proverb,proverb, roughlyroughly fodayToday Vertep,Vertep, withwith itsits StarStar ofof Bethlehem,Bethlehem, isis stillstill partpart of0' translatedtranslated as,as, 'Benevolence'Benevolence comescomes fromfrom overover thethe seas'.seas'. ChristmasChristmas celebrationscelebrations forfor UkrainianUkrainian SouthSouth Australians.Australia :. TheThe columncolumn onon thethe farfar leftleft isis thethe date,date, 'The'The sixthsixth moonmoon ofof TheThe ZirkaZirka isis onon displaydisplay atat thethe MigrationMigration MuseumMuseum untiluntO thethe fifteenthfifteenth yearyear ofof thethe reignreign ofof Kuang-Hsu';Kuang-Hsu'; thethe nextnext OctoberOctober 1993,1993, asas partpart ofof aa display,display, AA LlkrainianUkrainian Perspecti;e,Perspe =:_: columncolunm isis thethe addressaddress toto thethe corrrmittee.comn1ittee. TheThe columrlcolumn onon partpart 44 ofof thethe seriesseries ofof displaysdisplays entitled,entitled, YourYour pastPast IsIs \\k;t-- thethe rightright isis TsengTseng Kuo-Ch'uan'sKuo-Ch'uan's namename andand titles.titles. YouYou Keep,Keep. ItIt measuresmeasures 170cm170cm xx 57cm.57cm. Kate Walsh, Curator, Migration H~:"~'::· • Kate Walsh, Curator, Migration ^,\,furr;"s, • COvvUNITyCOMMUNITY HISTORyHISTORY volumeVolume 3 3NumberlNumberl.