A Chinese testimonial

When Joseph Panton left his official posting of Resident Warden, magistrate and Protector of Chinese, to pursue his study of painting in Paris, the Chinese community at Bendigo presented him with this testimonial in appreciation of his fair and sincere treatment of them.

Accession number: MS 5592

From the State Library of Victoria's Manuscripts Collection.

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A 20th century translation:

The 20th day of the 7th month of the 8th year.

Your Excellency, on the occasion of you temporarily leaving the district, we, the Chinese merchants and goldminers of Bendigo would like to pay you our respects and express our deepest thanks. You will always be in our memory. Your Excellency you have extended your virtue to Europeans and also to Chinese and in doing so you have not been afraid of hard work. You have set a good example to the Europeans and established good laws for us. We would like to respectfully present our gift to you. Although it is small, it conveys our heartfelt thanks. We hope that Your Excellency will accept it as a testimony of our esteem and gratitude.