Choie Sew Hoy was born in Guangdong province in China in 1838. Life was very hard for Choie Sew Hoy. Most families were farmers and very poor. When Choie Sew Hoy was 13 he traveled from China all the way to the United States of America with some of his extended Family to take part in California’s Gold rush. The Group did so well that when Choie Sew Hoy returned back to China and he was able to get married and had 4 kids. A few years later when gold was discovered  in Australia Choie Sew Hoy sailed all the way to Melbourne, Australia. He had learned something from his trip to California: that he saw that people who sold things made more money.  Choie Sew Hoy was an accomplished and highly successful merchant, and a gold miner.

He died on the 28th of October 1902 at 9.00pm. His bones were put onto the Ventnor to be transported back to China so he did not become a ‘Hungry Ghost.’ The boat sunk and his bones, along many other Chinese bones, were washed up on the north side of the Hokianga Harbour in New Zealand. Choie Sew Hoy left a huge Legacy with many 100’s of descendants who recently  celebrated 150 years since his arrival in New Zealand.