Diana Clark is the great granddaughter of Appo Hocton and has done much to support Appo Hocton’s memory. But the born-and-bred Nelson resident was an adult when she found out she had 'Chinese blood'.

I had no idea that I had a Chinese heritage or that my father was Appo's grandson. In fact my father would make jokes about the Chinese . . . but he never ever talked about Appo. I suspect he was a little embarrassed.

When I was about 21 years old, my mother (who came from a very Irish background) quietly told me that Appo Hocton was my great grandfather, and that myself and siblings had Chinese blood. I wondered if this was the reason why my mother's side of the family did not approve of the marriage between Mum and Dad.

In hindsight I know now how in the summer my skin would turn this golden brown, so different from my friends. I liked that.

When our first son was born he had the distinct look of a little Chinese baby. Well my poor mother was in a quandary . . . should she tell me? But no she chickened out, and got one of my sisters to volunteer this information. I was oblivious to all this talk. All I could see was this beautiful baby. However, when I was told how Chinese he looked, I was quite excited about it.

It was when I was around 50 years of age that my interest in Appo Hocton surfaced.

I gradually collected any little items I could, including a letter Appo's mother wrote to him begging him to come back to China. If he didn’t then when he died his ghost would keep wandering around this foreign country. Appo never returned home.

- With thanks to Diana Clark for sharing her story and collection of images.