Community leader praised for efforts

Community leader praised: Thomas Wong Doo III was a recipient in the Hobson Community Board's Good Citizen Awards.

From City Scene, published on 2 August, 2009.

Thomas Wong Doo III (pictured) and his family have been working tirelessly for Auckland’s Chinese community for more than 100 years.

The Doo family, who are now sixth-generation New Zealanders, first arrived in New Zealand from China in 1884. The then Thomas Wong Doo – Thomas’s grandfather – arrived into the country with his two brothers.

From the outset, Thomas's grandfather and father were heavily involved with the Chinese community and helped new Chinese immigrants in their new Kiwi environment.

Recently Thomas was recognised for his own excellent community achievements at the Hobson Community Board’s Good Citizen Awards.

“It was nice to be recognised for the community and voluntary work that I have been doing over the years,” says the 84-year-old grandfather, who also holds the Queen’s Service Medal for Public Services.

Thomas says over the years he has been most proud of his family’s work in helping the local Chinese community “overcome language barriers, becoming good New Zealand citizens and contributing their special kind of Chinese culture to New Zealand”.

“In any community you need members who the rest of the community feel they have trust and confidence in – that is what we have aspired to do,” he adds.