The ‘Two Centuries of Chinese Heritage Project’ at UWA takes a biographical approach by weaving snippets from historical sources to uncover stories about Chinese people who came to Western Australia.
In addition to a publicly accessible research portal, the project will also involve a series of podcasts, an exhibition, events and a book.
C H Warley & Co. and its founder Chan Harr
by Yu Tao
On the night of November 4, 1900, after a grand farewell party in his honour at the Perth Town Hall, attended by hundreds of Western Australians, including the Governor, Chinese reformer Liang Qichao declined offers of luxurious hotel stays. Instead, he chose to travel to Fremantle and stay on the upper floor of C H Warley and Co., where he would remain for the duration of his 12-day visit.
Liang, who would later become a leading intellectual and political figure in modern China, was deeply impressed by the business.
At the time, C H Warley and Co. was reportedly the third-largest shop in Fremantle. In his diary, Liang noted that the success of the establishment underscored the resilience of overseas Chinese, showing that, despite their status as guests rather than hosts, they could compete with Western businesses and thrive.
Given Liang’s concerns about China’s vulnerability to Western powers, it was natural for him to view C H Warley and Co. as a competitor to Western shops in Fremantle.
However, while commercial rivalry likely existed, the business had already deeply integrated into the local community by the time of Liang’s visit. In 1898, the company donated three bags of potatoes to a children’s hospital fair. The following year, it contributed 10 shillings and six pence to the Eight Hours Demonstration and two pounds and two shillings to the lumpers’ strike fund.
These early actions clearly demonstrated the company’s commitment to supporting the local community from the outset.
C H Warley and Co. was founded in 1896 by Chan Harr and his associates, initially as a branch of a Sydney store. The business quickly thrived, benefiting from its prime location at the busy intersection of Leake and Market Streets in Fremantle’s trading district.
It soon earned a strong reputation for fair pricing and quality goods by paying suppliers cash to bypass intermediaries and pass on the savings to customers. By 1899, it was listed among Fremantle’s principal drapers, clothiers, and tailors, joining 13 other Western businesses and one other Chinese-owned business in observing Western Australia’s Foundation Day with a day of closure to mark the occasion.
Like many Chinese-owned businesses in Australia, C H Warley and Co. faced significant challenges at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1902, a plague epidemic struck Fremantle, and a company employee, Charles Lawe, contracted the disease and later died.
As close contacts, the entire staff, including 13 Chinese employees and two European drivers, was quarantined. Health officials reported that the business was “in a very orderly state” and noted that “the deceased Chinese employee and others shared a very spacious room, which was well kept.”
Despite the difficulties posed by the epidemic, C H Warley and Co. recovered quickly. By 1903, Chan Harr declared the value of his share in the general store and grocery business to be a notable £2000 when applying for residency.
Compared with the plague, the Chinese community and businesses faced greater challenges with the rise of the White Australia policy. In response, Chan Harr became a vocal advocate for their rights nationally.
In 1904, he was elected the inaugural president of the New South Wales Chinese Merchants’ Defence Association, where he actively promoted the contributions of Chinese merchants to Australian society, including confronting anti-Chinese groups through English-language correspondence in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Later, Chan Harr moved to Hong Kong, where he played a key role in developing some of the early 20th century’s most renowned Chinese-owned department stores.
The story of C H Warley and Co. and its founder, Chan Harr, is a powerful reminder that the Chinese community in Western Australia was far from marginal over a century ago.
Rather, they were a dynamic and ambitious force, contributing to the state’s economic growth and linking WA to global trade networks extending to Sydney, Hong Kong, and beyond.
Interested readers are encouraged to explore the UWA research database and other aspects of the project at: https://www.chinesewa.net/
As research material is being added constantly, the project team would love to hear from anyone with information about early Chinese migrants.
