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Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust



Purpose
Key information
Background to the Trust
Trust guidelines
Eligibility requirements
How to apply
Further information
Contact details


Purpose

The aim of Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust is to strengthen the unique identity of Chinese New Zealanders and their communities in New Zealand in recognition of poll tax payers.

The Trust is intended as a gesture of goodwill to poll-tax payers, their descendants and future generations, in recognition of the hardship caused by the poll tax and other discriminatory legislation. The Trust also seeks to create understanding in the wider Chinese community and New Zealand society as a whole.


Key information

The Trust holds two funding rounds each year.


Key dates for funding rounds

First funding round Second funding round
Applications open19 June1 December
Closing date30 September31 March
Trust meeting dateEarly NovemberEarly May
Grant applicants notifiedMid DecemberEarly June


Background to the Trust

During the 2002 Chinese New Year, the New Zealand Government formally apologised to the poll tax payers and their descendants for the actions of previous Governments in imposing a poll tax on Chinese persons entering New Zealand and in enacting other discriminatory statutes.

As part of this apology, Government supported the establishment of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust and, in 2005, paid $5 million to the Trust as a gesture of reconciliation in support of the formal apology.

The Trust is administered by the Department of Internal Affairs.


Trust guidelines

Objectives of the Trust
  • To promote the preservation of Chinese New Zealand history, and awareness of the contributions of early Chinese settlers.
  • To provide tangible support for Chinese New Zealand history, language and culture, particularly that of the early settler Chinese community.
  • Within the context of the objectives above, the activities the Trust must promote (but are not limited to):
    • learning and use of the Cantonese language
    • awareness and understanding of the history of Chinese in New Zealand
    • the recording and preserving of Chinese New Zealand history
    • greater public understanding of ethnic diversity with particular emphasis on the contributions of Chinese New Zealanders
    • Chinese arts and culture (including Chinese New Zealand creative and cultural expression).

Eligibility requirements

The criteria for eligibility of applicants and projects include the following:
  • Applicants are not required to be Chinese or descendants of early settlers, however, proposals for funding must support the objectives of the Trust and have support from the Chinese poll tax descendant community.
  • The Trust will consider its own priorities, and fit with the objectives of the Trust, in deciding which applicants receive funding. This means that, in general:
    • applications from, and benefiting, individuals will only be funded with the endorsement of a reputable group
    • applications for servicing debt, travel, or loans, have no guarantee of funding
    • events, activities or projects have no guarantee of ongoing funding
    • a branch may apply independently of its national body.

The Trust will not fund
  • applications that are of a political nature or party-specific.

Eligibility for consideration

All proposals seeking funding must have:
  • goals and deliverables that are clearly linked to the objectives of the Trust
  • endorsement from a reputable organisation
  • evidence that proposals (and applicant organisations) are not for profit
  • referees who can attest to community benefits
  • fully declared any other previous funding provided for this project.

Events

The Trust may, from time to time, support events that have clear links to the objectives of the Trust. Applicants seeking funding for an event will, in addition to meeting all other criteria set out above, have to demonstrate:
  • evidence that the event has obtained necessary Resource consents (if required)
  • evidence that the event complies with all relevant legislation and statutory obligations (e.g. Occupational Health and Safety, Public Health, Fire Regulations, Council Bylaws etc).

Sponsorship

The Trust may also sponsor activities or events from time to time. Applications for sponsorship of activities or events will need to meet the same requirements as any other application to the Trust, as set out in the relevant sections above.


How to apply

Download and print out the application form below: Once the form is downloaded to your computer, fill this form in electronically and save the edited version to your PC. Then print it out and sign. Return the form and all required information to the address below by mail. The instructions on how to fill in your responses on the .doc template are:
  • To move from one field to the next use your Tab key, then type in your response
  • For the tick boxes where you are required to select a Yes or No answer, Tab through to the box you wish to Tick and click with your mouse
  • To move back to a field type Shift + Tab.

All applications should be sent to:

Postal Address:

Trust Advisor
Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust
Crown Funding and Trusts Team
Local Government and Community Branch
The Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 805
WELLINGTON 6140

Courier address:

Trust Advisor
Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust
Crown Funding and Trusts Team
Local Government and Community Branch
The Department of Internal Affairs
46 Waring Taylor Street
WELLINGTON 6011

Please note: Applications must be lodged at the Trust’s office, or postmarked, by the closing dates set out by the Trust. Late applications will not be accepted.


Further information

The Trust's Annual Report is available for
download here (.pdf) 95.6k*

*These documents are in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. You need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download a free version from the Adobe website.


Trust Membership

The Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust has seven Trustees, all of whom are descended from original poll tax payers. Current members of the Trust are:

Dr James Ng (Chair)
Ron Hoy Fong
Maureen Leong
Kai Luey
Debbie Sew Hoy
George Sue
Tony Thackery
David Wong Hop


Previous recipients

Grant Recipients of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust - April 2009
Grant RecipientAmount Project Description
Beaumont Rural Women of New Zealand$1,000To provide a headstone for Ah Tie, a Chinese pioneer in Beaumont.
Cantonese Opera Society of New Zealand$1,000To assist with the costs to hold the Moon Festival.
Chinese Lifeline$2,000To redesign and upgrade the existing Chinese Lifeline website to provide an improved community resource for Cantonese speakers.
Chinese New Settlers Services Trust$2,000To run a new weekend adult Cantonese learning course in their six branches and to organise a New Zealand Chinese Cultural and Book Festival with the New Zealand Chinese Book Shop in November 2009.
Kerry Ann Lee$5,300To assist with fees and costs of her participation in the Summer Residency Programme at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in July 2009.
Leo Ying Hung Ho$1,000To provide lessons to teach Chinese idioms with Chinese traditional calligraphy, mainly for children in Auckland.
Nelson Provincial Museum - Tasman Bays Heritage Trust$5,000To research and publish a book on one of Nelson's earliest settlers – Appo Hocton, the first migrant of Chinese origin in Nelson, who arrived in 1842.
New Zealand Chinese Association - Gisborne Branch$2,000To document Gisborne Chinese history.
New Zealand Chinese Association - Manawatu Branch$2,500To stage a cultural fashion show during the mid-autumn festival season at a local school hall with costumes for 56 national minorities.
New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland Inc$5,000To assist with the costs to hold the Rising Dragon, Soaring Bananas International Conference in July 2009.
New Zealand Chinese Association Inc$10,000To research and document the history of the Association, which will include the history of the Poll Tax descendants
Wellington Chinese Sports and Cultural Centre$3,000To pay for experienced lion dance trainers to coach members and local coaches, and to buy costumes and instruments.
Wellington Chinese Sports and Cultural Centre Dance Troupe$2,000To purchase new dance costumes.
West Coast Historical and Mechanical Society Inc$5,000To cover additional publication costs of a book about the history of the Chinese on the West Coast.
White Cloud Choir of Auckland Inc$1,000To continue existing classes and establish new classes to teach Cantonese in Auckland.
Grant Recipients of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust - November 2009
Grant RecipientAmountProject Description
Asian Events Trust $6,000To support the Chinese New Year Festival in Wellington.
Auckland Chinese Community Centre$6,000To support classes to teach reading and writing of Chinese characters in Cantonese.
Auckland Chinese Community Centre$6,000To support the Chinese New Year Festival in Auckland.
Canterbury Business Association$500To support a multicultural show featuring Chinese and other Asian communities in Christchurch.
Dominion Federation of New Zealand Chinese Commercial Growers Inc$10,000To write and publish two volumes about the history of New Zealand Chinese growers.
Dunedin Chinese Language and Culture Trust$3,000To continue teaching Cantonese dance, language and culture.
Manawatu Chinese Community Trust$2,000To support the Chinese New Year concert in Manawatu.
Mu Yu Ming and Keith Lyons$5,000To paint the portraits of families descended from the poll tax payers in New Zealand.
New Zealand Chinese Association - Cantonese Music School$6,000To support an effective Cantonese heritage / language programme based on oral language with word recognition, writing skills and Chinese culture.
New Zealand Guangzhou Chinese Association$2,000To continue Chinese Cantonese classes and establish new classes.
Peter Kohing & others $4,000To research, record and document the history of the sites of Chinese businesses, shops and buildings in Wellington city, Petone and Lower Hutt.
Renee Liang$6,000To support ‘The Bone Feeder’, a 60 minute play based on a contemporary reworking of the historical sinking of the SS Ventnor.
Song Lam$2,000To translate ‘Being Maori-Chinese: Mixed Identities’ by Manying Ip, and publish the Chinese translation of the book.
The Asthma Auckland Society Inc$1,500To produce a DVD on asthma in Cantonese.
United Chinese Associations of New Zealand$2,000To support the 2010 New Year celebration concert in Auckland with overseas and local ethnic. Performers.
Wellington Chinese Association$16,000To hold the 62nd New Zealand Chinese Association Annual Chinese Sports Tournament in Wellington over the Easter period in April 2010.
Wellington Chinese Association$16,000To support the 4th annual New Zealand Chinese Association Leadership Development Conference in Wellington in January 2010.
Yuanyong Yang$1,000To launch "The Beauty of Chinese" easy listening radio programme, which includes Chinese literature, values and perspectives in Cantonese and Mandarin.


Contact details

Trust Advisor
Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust
Crown Funding & Trusts Team
Local Government and Community Branch
The Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 805
WELLINGTON 6140

Physical address:
The Department of Internal Affairs
46 Waring Taylor Street
WELLINGTON 6011

Phone: 0800 824 824 (between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday)
Email:
trusts@dia.govt.nz

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Last updated: 17/05/2010