Importer/Merchant, leader in Chinese community

Way Lee came to Australia in 1874 settling for some time in Sydney with his uncle Way Kee, a prominent businessman with premises in George Street. He attended school in Sydney and then in Brisbane. Way Lee settled in Adelaide, establishing his own importing firm, Way, Lee & Co., by 1878. The company had branches in the northern settlements of South Australia, the Northern Territory and western New South Wales. Way Lee supplied provisions to the South Australian government for the Port Augusta-Hergott Springs (now Marree) railway.

Naturalised in 1882, Way Lee advocated the fair treatment of Chinese immigrants, calling for them to be allowed to travel freely between colonies, for their living and work conditions to be improved and for the importation of opium to be restricted. In 1887 he devised a plan to bring Chinese laborers to Australia to work for Daly River Plantation Co. in the Northern Territory.

A building at the University of South Australia's City West campus is named after Way Lee.

1878: Established Way, Lee & Co.

1882: Naturalised as an Australian

1909: To be appointed Chinese vice-consul for South Australia, but died before this could occur

Way Lee supplied fireworks to the people of Adelaide for the celebration of Guy Fawkes Night.

Way Lee, YSW. The Chinese question from a Chinaman's point of view, [Adelaide : s.n., 1907?]

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online: search for Way Lee