Old Tang Wei Cafe & Residence

Author

Shire of Broome

Place Number

15879

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Location

16 Carnarvon St Broome

Location Details

REGISTERED AS PART OF 291

Local Government

Broome

Region

Kimberley

Construction Date

Constructed from 1905

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type	Status	Date	Documents	More information
Heritage List	Adopted	28 Aug 2014

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type	Status	Date	Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type	Status	Date	Grading/Management		More information
Type	Status	Date	Category	Description	More information
Municipal Inventory	Adopted	28 Aug 2014	Grading A	Grading A A place of exceptional cultural heritage significance to Shire of Broome and the state of Western Australia, that is either in the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s Register of Heritage Places, or worthy of consideration for entry into the Register. A place worthy of recognition and protection through provisions of the Shire of Broome’s Town Planning Scheme. Recommend: Maximum encouragement to owners to retain and conserve the place. Full consultation with property owner prior to making the recommendation.

Parent Place or Precinct

00291 Chinatown Conservation Area

Physical Description

The single storey timber framed building with break pitch front verandah is zero setback to the symmetrical street frontage, and has a substantial double storey at the rear. The timber framed building is clad with horizontal corrugated iron. The gabled roof is clad with corrugated iron.

History

Tang Wei was born in Kowloon in 1908. He worked on a steamer and arrived in Broome in 1928. He worked for Clarke and then Norman as a pearling crew member. During World War Two, he was ordered to stay in Broome to work in the bakery, baking bread for the servicemen. In 1946, he married Lexie d'Antoine. He worked as a diver for Alf Morgan, becoming head diver for the fleet, before retiring in 1958. He purchased the Carnarvon Street property in 1953 and opened a restaurant there, living in the residence at the rear with Lexie and their four children. Tang Wei's long soup restaurant was a Broome icon, patronised by everyone from the football crowd on Sunday evening to the Shire councillors. Pearling masters and their families came to Tang Wei's for Christmas parties and business dinners. In 1984, he closed the restaurant but continued to occupy the residence. In the 1990s, the shop was leased by Kimberley Kreations. In 1999, Tang Wei represented the Chinese community of Broome as patron of the Shinju Matsuri festival and unveiled the hard hat divers memorial on Carnarvon Street. The residence continues to be occupied by Tang & Lexie Teresa Wei while the front has been leased and occupied by various businesses in more recent years.

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id	Title	Medium	Year Of Publication
8335	Historic buildings of the Kimberley region of W.A.	Book	1988

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch	General	Specific
Present Use	RESIDENTIAL	Two storey residence
Original Use	RESIDENTIAL	Two storey residence
Original Use	COMMERCIAL	Restaurant

Creation Date

18 Jan 2002

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

31 Mar 2021

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.