Her book was published in March 2004 by the Shoalhaven Historical Society Incorporated is a highly detailed and interesting publication.

It was Alexander Berry who brought the first Chinese to the Shoalhaven in the early 1850s as "cheap coolie labour'' at the time when the convict system was being abolished.

There was also a labour shortage due to the gold rush.

For our purposes we will be focusing on the 'The Chinese in the Southern Shoalhaven' chapter.

Robyn's book explains the "Chinese were living in Red Head [Bendalong] when pioneer Jane Goodsell first took up a conditional purchase there in 1882".

Their main activities were fishing, gathering sea-weed - which they dried on wire netting and sent parcels to China.They also distilled rum and grew tobacco.

"Around Indyadda Point remains tobacco plants growing wild," 'The Chinese in Shoalhaven' explains.

Farming and market gardening were activities these early residents participated in.

"Guoc Ah Poo was farming at Lake Conjola in the late 1870s," Robyn's book explains.

"Hok Ahoo was working in Milton as a labourer in August 1880 and Charlie Gow established Gow's Chinese Market Garden at Frog's Hollow.

"Charlie also had a market garden on the corner of North and Charles Street, Ulladulla"

Many others worked and lived in the area providing a valuable contribution to the district and by the sounds of it plenty of fresh food.

Then there is Chinamans Island in Conjola but Robyn explains the Chinese residents kept a low profile and "we have little knowledge of them in the area".

She adds Guoc Ah Poo may have farmed on the island.