Eva Wong Ng nee Hing
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Eva Wong Ng
Eva Wong Ng nee Hing
Eva Hing, born 1934 in Auckland, New Zealand, was the first born child of William Hing (Wong Jook) and Leung Ee Jun who emigrated from Zhongshan, China. Eva was educated in Auckland at Newmarket Primary School, Epsom Normal Intermediate and Epsom Girls’ Grammar School. She was the first NZ born Chinese woman to train and register as a pharmcist in New Zealand.
She married James Ng in 1960 then moved to Dunedin and has lived there ever since. She has raised a daughter and two sons, now all married, and has 6 grandsons and one granddaughter.
When her youngest child was 9yrs old, Eva returned to the work- force as a hospital pharmacist where she worked for 14 yrs then for 12 yrs part-time as a community pharmacist, as well as managing her husband’s healthcare-centre for 6yrs. Eva retired from paid employment in 2007.
Eva has been involved in many organisations:
- Committee member of her local playcentre;
- Secretary of Kaikorai School Parents’ Committee;
A committee member of;
- St John’s Scout Group
- St Hildas Collegiate Parents’ Association
- Epsom Girls’ Grammar School Old Girls’ Association Otago/Southland Branch
- Chinese History Committee (Dunedin)
- China Week Committee for Otago’s 150th Anniversary Celebrations
Eva has also been a Justice of the Peace since 1986
In 1990 Eva applied to the 1990 Centenary Commission and other organisations for funds which established the Chinese section of the Otago Settlers’ Museum.
INTERESTS
Enjoys reading, travel, films, going to concerts, theatre, opera, visiting art galleries and is passionate about music especially classical, choral and Chinese folk music. She has been a keen photographer ever since receiving a box Brownie at age 12.
Eva has been a writer for many years; has reviewed books for the Otago Daily Times, had stories and articles published in the School Journal; contributed biographical monographs in ‘Women Doctors in New Zealand’ (published 1990) and ‘Southern People’ (published 1998); co authored ‘Amongst Ghosts’ (published 1992). Wrote ‘Shadow Man’ (published 1999) and ‘Chinatown Girl’ the diary of Silvey Chan, Auckland, 1942 (published 2005) which was a finalist in the Junior Fiction section of NZ-Post Book Awards 2006.
In 1993 Eva profiled the work and life of the late Dr Kathleen Pih-Chang in an eight panelled text and photographic display at the Suffrage Centenary year Exhibition held in the Otago Museum.
Works in progress are a biography of Dr Kathleen Pih-Chang, a book based on oral history interviews of NZ born Chinese whom Eva has recorded over more than a 15 yr period and a collection of short stories.
