Omeo Joss House
Date Published
: Temples / Joss House
: Ovens Goldfields
: Omeo
: c.1875 to c.1890
Change of location
“Our Omeo correspondent writes: Our celestial friends have been holding high holiday at Omeo, in celebration of the opening of the New Joss House. The august ceremony took place on Monday last, when the clans gathered in numbers in their best bib and tucker from every quarter. There could not have been less than two hundred votaries of the blessed joss present, to witness the demenagement from his godship's old quarters, and the setting up of the idol in its new sanctuary. The new temple was tastefully decorated with flowers and various ornaments, made brilliant by the light of numberless colored lamps. Amongst the other furniture of the edifice there was a box, not unlike the classic temple sacred to Punch and Judy, which was much admired for the beautiful carvings thereon of flowers, birds and serpents. These were painted in several delicate colors, and the whole was highly decorated with gold leaf."
Ovens and Murray Advertiser, 5 December 1872, p.1.
The following is related by the Echo of the Mountains:—“On Thursday, 24th ult., the death of a Chinaman named Yen Sue was reported at the police camp, Omeo. Constable Welsh saw the body and registered the death. To-day (Saturday), as it was about to be placed in the coffin, the supposed corpse stood up, much to the surprise and horror of his celestial friends. His own version of the affair, as given by the interpreter, is that he had been taken to the Joss-house, and that Joss had told him that when he got home he would be all right. He has been suffering for some time from consumption, but is now as well as usual.”
The Argus, Tuesday 5 February 1878, p.6.
"Out of curiosity, I next visited the Chinese Camp, which is close to the town, and consists of a mass of paling buildings, reminding me of a rabbit warren suitable to the habits of the heathen Chinese only. Taking a peep into the Joss House, where the everlasting glim is kept up, and after making several enquiries about things and not getting satisfactory answers—it was all “no savvy”—I left, the smell of opium being too much for my nerves. A short distance from the camp is a store, kept by Ah Kee. This Chinese store is certainly the best in Omeo. I was told Ah Kee was Kong Meng’s manager, and Kong Meng sent all the goods to supply this store direct from his Melbourne house."
