Helene Chung Martin
Encyclopedia
Helene Chung Martin, journalist and author, is a former Beijing
correspondent, the first female posted abroad by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC). She is an adjunct research fellow at Monash Asia Institute, Melbourne, and the author of Shouting from China, Gentle John My Love My Loss, Lazy Man in China and her most recent memoir, published by ABC Books, Ching Chong China Girl.
(or Toishan) for the tin mines of northern Tasmania
where, like so many around him, he became an opium addict. His son, Helene's grandfather, had no time for the pipe. He worked tirelessly in the tin fields and elsewhere, establishing himself as a fruit merchant, head of Hobart's Henry & Co. Helene's paternal grandfather came from neighbouring Xinhui
(or Sunwei) County, began as a market gardener in Hobart and also became a fruit merchant, in partnership with Ah Ham & Co. and with his own firm, Chung Sing & Co.
Helene attended St Mary's College and graduated from the University of Tasmania
with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Master of Arts in history. On campus she spent most time cavorting about on stage or directing plays for the Old Nick Company
.
. Back with the ABC, she joined This Day Tonight
in 1974, so becoming the first non-white reporter on Australian television. In 1976 Helene interviewed her former university classmate, history lecturer John Martin, who became the love of her life. The first woman posted abroad by the ABC, as Beijing correspondent 1983-1986, she also freelanced for BBC
, CBS
, Hong Kong
radio, NPR
and NZBC.
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
correspondent, the first female posted abroad by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC). She is an adjunct research fellow at Monash Asia Institute, Melbourne, and the author of Shouting from China, Gentle John My Love My Loss, Lazy Man in China and her most recent memoir, published by ABC Books, Ching Chong China Girl.
Background
Born in Hobart, Helene Chung is a fourth-generation Tasmanian Chinese, the younger daughter of Dorothy Henry and Charles Chung. In the 1880s her maternal great-grandfather left the southern Chinese county of TaishanTaishan
Taishan is a coastal county-level city in Guangdong Province, China. The city is part of the Greater Taishan Region....
(or Toishan) for the tin mines of northern Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
where, like so many around him, he became an opium addict. His son, Helene's grandfather, had no time for the pipe. He worked tirelessly in the tin fields and elsewhere, establishing himself as a fruit merchant, head of Hobart's Henry & Co. Helene's paternal grandfather came from neighbouring Xinhui
Xinhui
Xinhui also known as 'Kuixiang'. Famous people born in what is now known as Xinhui include Liang Qichao, Chen Baisha, Chan Heung, and Michael Li from Westmead Hospital.-Geography:...
(or Sunwei) County, began as a market gardener in Hobart and also became a fruit merchant, in partnership with Ah Ham & Co. and with his own firm, Chung Sing & Co.
Helene attended St Mary's College and graduated from the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Master of Arts in history. On campus she spent most time cavorting about on stage or directing plays for the Old Nick Company
Old Nick Company
The Old Nick Company, established in 1948, is the main student theatre company at the University of Tasmania. It stages a popular annual revue and other smaller productions...
.
Journalism
Her first interview, on a claimed sighting of the extinct Tasmanian tiger, was broadcast on the ABC radio program AM in 1968. As a freelancer for three years overseas, in Singapore, Hong Kong, London and Cairo, in 1971 she made headlines with the first radio interview granted by The Princess AnneAnne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. Back with the ABC, she joined This Day Tonight
This Day Tonight
This Day Tonight was an Australian Broadcasting Corporation current affairs program of the late 1960s and early 1970s.- Overview :...
in 1974, so becoming the first non-white reporter on Australian television. In 1976 Helene interviewed her former university classmate, history lecturer John Martin, who became the love of her life. The first woman posted abroad by the ABC, as Beijing correspondent 1983-1986, she also freelanced for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
radio, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
and NZBC.
Writing
- Shouting From China, Penguin BooksPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 1988, tells of her adventures and tribulations as a foreign correspondent. A 1989 edition includes her coverage of the democracy demonstrations. - John Martin's death from cancer in 1993 prompted her emotional outpouring in Gentle John My Love My Loss, Hill of Content, Melbourne, 1995.
- Lazy Man in China, Pandanus Books, CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, 2004, a memoir. - Ching Chong China Girl, ABC Books, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 2008, an autobiography.
External links
- Helene Chung Martin's homepage.
- Booked Out Speakers Agency: Helene Chung.
- Some of the 90 colour photos, reviews and an excerpt: Lazy Man in China photos.
- Robyn William's Ockham's Razor, 16 January 2005, Transcript of Talk by Helene Chung Martin.
- ABC Overnights, Audio and summary of Peter Blight interviewing Helene Chung Martin.
- Melbourne Chinese Studies Group Meeting with Chinese diplomat-defector Chen Yonglin and Others chaired by Helene Chung Martin.
- The Tasmanian Chungs from Xinhui including Helene Chung's paternal grandfather.
- Travel record of Helene Chung's paternal grandfather.