Uncle Les said his father — Quin Jack — owned and used extensively this wooden abacus. It has a well-worn patina with exotic oriental markings, and for me as a child, it was fun to play with. I can remember grandpa Trevor teaching my brother and I to count to 10 in Chinese, and how to add-up.
The style and 2/5 configuration — two beads on the upper deck and 5 on the lower deck — is typical of the style used up to 1850s when the design changed.
It may well have already been a family heirloom at the time Quin Jack left China. Packing the abacus amongst his few treasured possessions to be transported with him from China to Australia, is symbolic of his aspirations for prosperity.
In 2017 loaned a few objects to the Orange Museum for their Chinese display, which included the abacus, Chinese coins, ginger jar, miner candle, and an opium tin. Through my involvement in the display I was fortunate to meet the late Dr Barry McGowan and Dr Juanita Kwok, which started me on this journey of family history research
Chen Quin Jack 
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