Quong Tart, ca. 1880s by unknown artist, Oil paintingca. 1881-1889

Quong Tart (1850-1903) was a prominent Chinese tea merchant and restauranteur, opening a series of popular teahouses in Sydney between 1881-1898. A Chinese community leader, he was awarded the title of Mandarin of the Fourth rank by China's Emperor Kuang Hsu in 1894 for his efforts towards Chinese-Australian relations. He successfully bridged both worlds and was the first Chinese public figure to be fully accepted by the wider community of NSW. This was a remarkable feat given the anti-Chinese sentiments of the day.