George Ah Ling

Kong Shuen Lau (George Ah Ling) (1892–1987), a market gardener, was born on 5 December 1892 in Xin Tang village, Guangdong, China. He married Wong Suey, with whom he had four children. Lau entered Australia illegally around 1928 and, to evade immigration authorities, moved to Donald in 1930 under the protection of his cousin, Harry Ah Ling, a market gardener and traditional medicine practitioner. Lau adopted the name George Ah Ling and took over Harry’s garden when Harry relocated in 1936.

Selling vegetables and fruit from a horse and cart, George became a beloved figure in Donald. Known for his generosity and sunny disposition, he built strong friendships, especially with children, despite his limited English. Townsfolk supported him, helping with legal matters and shielding him from external pressures. He was naturalized in 1959 under the name “Ah Wah, Ah Foo.”

Though his family in the U.S. urged him to join them, Lau chose to remain in Donald, living humbly in his hut. Celebrated locally and featured in media, he famously declared, “Donald is my kind of town. The people are beautiful.” In 1984, his health declined after a traffic accident. He died on 18 October 1987 in Melbourne and was buried in New York. Donald held a memorial service, honoring him as a symbol of community spirit and inclusivity. In 1988, a plaque commemorating him was placed on his garden’s site, and his hut was added to Victoria’s historic register in 2007.