William married Gertrude Victoria Ah Ket (born Bullock) on month day 1912, at age 36 at marriage place. He became the leading Chinese in the district and a respected member of the Wangaratta community.. William Ah Ket was chosen as delegate by the Chinese Chamber He sold opium, among other supplies. William's client, James Minahan, was born in Australia to an Anglo-Australian mother and Chinese father. Dr Couchman says the changes William spoke out against were "very invasive". 1John Lack, Ah Ket, William (1876 1936),Australian Dictionary of Biography, available athttp://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979. Chinese people. of his time who could mix with ease, and enjoy widespread eyewitness of the Test matches between England and Australia. William was born in 1876, in the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children. "If you think about someone who's a first-generation Australian trying to break into a white, Anglo-Saxon dominated legal profession, it would've taken a fair bit of work to build up his reputation, get to be known and respected," he says. In its decision, the High Court found that if the immigration legislation had intended to remove the rights of citizenship, it should have expressed its intention clearly. Morrison Lecture was given in 1932 by Your information is being handled in accordance with the. He said that "William Ah Ket did not ever sit on the Bench, though he would have been a very competent judge. After reading with (Sir) Stewart McArthur, He fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against . He visited China in 1912-13 as the delegate of the Victorian Chinese Chamber of Commerce to participate in the election of overseas Chinese to the new parliament of the Republic. such a reputation for his canny tactics as a cross-examiner. At the age of 35, William was married at the Kew Methodist "But we're living in days of the incarceration of refugees and asylum seekers. schools. Menzies, Owen Dixon, James Tait, and of growing up in a traditional Chinese household where his William Ah Ket (1876-1936), lawyer and campaigner for Chinese rights, was born in Wangaratta, Victoria. [13] Isabel Carter, Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, QC (Lansdowne Press, 1970), 13. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. the subject of 'Reconciliation between Eastern and Western For example, in addition to a busy life at the bar, William Ah Ket spent time as a diplomat, serving as acting consul-general for China in 1913-1914 and in 1917. Masonic Lodge No.123 and held life-membership of the MCG so In an interview with the National Library of Australia in 1993, she remembered her affluent childhood. * Associate Director (Asian Commercial Law), Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School. Victoria 3086 James_Michael, Hm qua, lc 22:28. Williamhad 3 siblings: Toylaan Margaret ALLEN (born AH-KET)and 2 other siblings. Supplied: William Ah Ket's descendants Topics: history , laws , melbourne-3000 Top Stories 'Total deviousness': Witnesses recount 'suspicious' inferno in the Luna Park Ghost Train 'If you're offered it, take it': Government backs AstraZeneca despite blood clot concerns Liu in Sydney who both obtained generous financial support He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate". AALA acknowledges the past and continuing trauma caused by mistreatment and displacement. Parliament for the new Republic in 1912. Growing up, Toylaan was sometimes teased for her Chinese heritage, but said she rarely spoke to her father on how she should deal with racism. A Paper on the Chinese and the Factories Acts, published in 1906, defended the rights of Chinese workers and factory owners against unfair legislation. Sir Robert Menzies practised with William in Selbourne Chambers. barrister to practice in Melbourne. William was particularly active in the fight against racial discrimination. Williams, founder of the Spanish Guitar Centre in London, A former partner of Linklaters Shanghai, Andrew Godwin teaches law at Melbourne Law School in Australia, where he is an associate director of its Asian Law Centre. Williamwas born on June 20 1876, in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia. Educated in both English and Chinese cultures, he agitated against racial intolerance in Victoria and defended the rights of Victoria`s Chinese community. choice would be a controversial play at The Little Theatre, We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. "William Ah Ket is in his teens at this time and he's being brought up to be a smart, educated young man, so he would've seen all this going on.". He fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against . and friendship between the West and the East led him to accept This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. He said that "William Ah Ket did not ever sit on the Bench, though he would have been a very competent judge. [3], Ah Ket fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against Chinese residents,[4] and successfully opposed legislative amendments in 1904, 1905, and 1907 which would have specifically discriminated against Chinese residents in the furniture industry. His father, Ah Ket, and mother, Hing Ung, had established one of the first tobacco farms on the King River. In the 1970 book The Measure of the Years by Australia's longest-serving prime minister, Robert Menzies, he referred to his colleague and friend Ah Ket as "a phenomenon at the Victorian Bar" but that "a certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice . The younger son He advocated and promoted peaceful coexistence. '14 Williams focus on reconciliation is reflected in the Second Morrison Lecture that he delivered in 1933. If Monument Australia is useful to you, please make a donation to keep this historical and educational resource available. Their father said "the boys were teasing her and boys tend to do that". William Ah Ket [] was born in Wangaratta in the state of Victoria, Australia, in 1876. This Australian law-related biographical article is a stub. This youthful experience in 'bridging' the two worlds of East and The marginalised group has shifted but it's not that distant.". . I am proud to have been part of this fantastic initiative. would provide all Australians with a better knowledge of the or a night of comedy at the Tivoli with Stiffy & Mo. The reason why the Chinese laundry owner had been charged was that a Chinese man had been found in the laundry between 9 and 10 pm at night ironing a shirt, apparently in breach of the after-hours work prohibition. He served his articles under Richard Cross of the firm then known as Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks) in 1903. His father Mah Ket had arrived in Australia in the 1850s, during the gold rush era, and his mother in the 1860s. His father had arrived in Victoria in 1855 and after some years on the goldfields established one of the earliest tobacco-farms on the King River. arts, sciences, and history of the Chinese people. My father, William Ah Ket rose to prominence in the 1900s-1930s He is also believed to be the first Chinese barrister to practise in Australia. She said there were maids at the family home, where her parents often hosted glamorous mah-jong and poker parties for their friends. William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. Neither of us will ever be made a judge, you because you are a woman. father employed a resident tutor for his 'seven little Australians' In his more-than 30-year career, William was never promoted to the rank of senior barrister or appointed judge. 8Citing Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah KetBuilding Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (Chinese Studies Association of Australia, Macquarie University, July 1995) at 9. He was also a delegate to the first interstate Chinese convention held at Melbourne in 1905 and was co-founder and president of the Sino-Australian Association, considered to be the first Australian-Chinese club. migrated from Canton in the 1850s, and when the Gold Rush William Ah Ket as a young man Source: by kind permission of the Ah Ket family, William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. On top of that work, William also had to deal with racism. second Morrison Lecture was delivered by William Ah Ket on Chinese under the umbrella of the White Australia Policy, Indeed, as his daughter Toylaan noted in a paper on her father, this was an issue that he was passionate about, having been involved in forming a committee to agitate against the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and the unreasonable conditions imposed, such as the infamous dictation test. All rights reserved. He was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, the only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing Ung. Their youngest "The borders of Australia have always been closed to people who aren't white Australians. Andrew and MLS would be delighted if any readers have information about William that they would like to share. I because I am Chinese. He added, "A certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice, though instructing solicitors thought very well of him".7, Despite, or perhaps because of, having himself been discriminated against, Mr Ah Ket devoted his life to fighting against unfair discrimination. William Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity, born in Victoria in 1876. His father had taken him to China when he was about five years old. William Ah Ket was a noted Australian barrister. as Arthur Deane, R.G. William was born in the Victorian country town of Wangaratta in 1876, the son of Mah Ket, who arrived from Canton during the gold rush, and his wife Hing Ung. Photographs supplied by Chris McLaughlin / Alistair Boyd / Sandra Brown / John Huth, Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au, Monument Australia 2010 - 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - Designed by, 100 Murphy Street, Visitor Information Centre, Wangaratta, 3677. William Penrod Davis, age 80+, lives in Eagle Mountain, UT. At that time, people born in Australia were British citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins. He added, "A certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice, though instructing solicitors thought very well of him".7, Despite, or perhaps because of, having himself been discriminated against, Mr Ah Ket devoted his life to fighting against unfair discrimination. Each August since 2017, the William Ah Ket Scholarship committee has accepted applications for the most outstanding research paper on a topic dealing with equality, diversity, and the legal profession or the law from legal trainees, graduates, final year students and lawyers with less than five years of practice. The eldest daughter, Melaan, married Len Please contact us. [3] Citing Karin Derkley, William Ah Ket Legacy Recognised (2018) 92(3) Law Institute Journal 83 at 83, 84. Th my scam n ni ng r xc phm g cu. 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Guidelines for the Lectureship had been initially proposed Educated in both English andChinese cultures, he agitated against racialintolerance in Victoria and defended the rightsof Victoria`s Chinese community. Victoria, and the increasing protests of influential clergymen There is, however, evidence that William was resigned to the associated barriers and limitations that his life involved. [14] Karin Derkley, above n 6. Toylaan, the youngest daughter, died in 2015 at the age of 94. to Australia, William Ah Ket was appointed as Acting Consul-General Mah was born circa 1870, in China. William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. at Saturday's race-meetings in Melbourne, never missing his agitate against the Immigration Restriction Act in I am grateful for the opportunity of coming to know more about William Ah Ket. [10] (1908) 7 CLR 277 at 307. alleviation of all unreasonable conditions imposed on the That in itself was an "impressive feat", says Reynah Tang, the founding president of the Asian-Australian Lawyers' Association. He completed his articles with the solicitors Maddison & William Ah Ket in Selborne Chambers, Melbourne circa 1933.Source: http://monumentaustralia.org.au/. level and not merely through trade. Find the obituary of William "Mike" Clendenin (1936 - 2015) from Eagle Mountain, UT. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Noting that music had a peculiar charm for Confucius, he mused that had Confucius lived then, it is quite likely that he would have found in the music of the bagpipes something particularly stirring and satisfying to the soul.15 William would have had an affinity with bagpipes as his wife, Gertrude Bullock, was of Scottish descent. N. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover William's . While there he won a prize of 40 pounds from the Supreme Court in 1902. He was also the acting consul-general for China in 1913-14 and in 1917. 2Helen Penrose,To Build a Firm: The Maddocks Story (Maddocks, 2010), 11. Wangaratta Primary School, which William Ah Ket attended as a child.Source: Andrew Godwin. Burns or Gilbert & Sullivan. 6Citing Karin Derkley, William Ah Ket Legacy Recognised (2018) 92(3) Law Institute Journal 83 at 83, 84. William's father, Mah Ket, became highly respected William was a member of the Chinese Empire Reform Association of 1904 and the Anti-Opium League of Victoria, organisations which supported modernisation and social reform among Chinese at home and abroad. Imagined by, Understanding internal and external evidence in interpretation of claims, Legal risks and strategies for ending a tenancy early, Tips for insolvency administration of NEEQ-listed companies, Applying estoppel, dedication rules in drug patent linkage dispute, Ongoing developments with follow-on antitrust lawsuits, Legal risks of one-day trip into SCSZs for deemed exports, Fees to please: Flexible and innovative fee structure for Hong Kong arbitration, Prerequisites, exemptions for fledgling personal bankruptcy system, Bankruptcy reorganisation: revealing an investment window, Save time and money with pre-reorganisation rescue planning. Both William Ah Ket and his wife were music-lovers and regular William Ah Ket (, 20 June 1876 - 6 August 1936) was a noted Australian barrister. for reciting pithy quotations from either Shakespeare, Robby that he could maintain his enthusiasm for cricket as a ball-to-ball It is fitting and proper that this scholarship is named for him.9, In the program notes, the recipient of the 2019 William Ah Ket Scholarship, Ms Tienyi Long, Legal and Governance Officer at Glen Eira City Council, Victoria writes that [l]awyers, courts and legislators continue to grapple with the question of how equal justice can be achieved for diverse communities in a multifaceted and increasingly complex societydiversity intelligence is an essential skill to facilitate equal access to justice for diverse communitiesit should be included as part of mandatory continuing professional development requirements under the Legal Profession Uniform Law.10. We should have done Medicine.16, There are many more interesting stories and facts that one could relate about William and his legacy. He was also co-founder and He went on to live in China for several years. The couple had four children William, Stanley, Melaan and Toylaan. His father had taken him to China when he was about five years old. Noting that music had a peculiar charm for Confucius, he mused that had Confucius lived then, it is quite likely that he would have found in the music of the bagpipes something particularly stirring and satisfying to the soul.15 William would have had an affinity with bagpipes as his wife, Gertrude Bullock, was of Scottish descent. The story of William Ah Ket, the first Chinese-Australian barrister. daughter Toylaan gained her BA(hons) degree at Sydney University In a passage that is still recognised as current law in Australia, Justice OConnor stated as follows: It is improbable that the legislature would overthrow fundamental principles, infringe rights, or depart from the general system of law, without expressing its intention with irresistible clearness [10], Despite the bamboo ceiling that William must have encountered during his life and career, it appears that his mission was to remove barriers and, as his daughter Toylaan Ah Ket wrote, to implement his personal philosophy of building bridges between the East and West.'[11]. Ah Kets legal team successfully proved that he was not a prohibited immigrant. After living in China for many years, he returned to Australia as an adult but was treated as a prohibited immigrant because he failed a dictation test imposed by the immigration legislation at the time. in the furniture-making trade. ROMEO Ha az lom hzelked emnek Hinnem lehet, mindjrt rm knt rm. Despite his high profile and achievements, it would seem that others were advanced while he was not.6 He was neither appointed Silk nor a judge. of the George Ernest Morrison Memorial Lectureship in Ethnology William was well regarded as a barrister. Whatever the challenges that William faced during his sixty years, there is no doubt that his life was one of diversity and service. William's personal interests were widely diversified. If you have any further information about Williams life that you would like to share, I would warmly welcome your contributions. He supported the creation of a committee to In a passage that is still recognised as current law in Australia, Justice OConnor stated as follow: It isimprobable that the legislature would overthrow fundamental principles, infringe rights, or depart from the general system of law, without expressing its intention with irresistible clearness13. This article commemorates the life of William Ah Ket, Australias first barrister of Chinese descent. Church to a young Australian woman, Gertrude Bullock, whose The reason why the Chinese laundry owner had been charged was that a Chinese man had been found in the laundry between 9 and 10 pm at night ironing a shirt, apparently in breach of the after-hours work prohibition. 5 Law Students Society Dinner to Sir Harrison Moore, Farrago 5(5), April 23, 1929. The act expressly discriminated against the Chinese and prohibited after-hours work in a factory or work-room where furniture was made or where any Chinese person was at any time employed. He was a leading activist in the campaigns for equal rights for Chinese-Australians at a time when anti-Chinese sentiment ran deep. This article originally appeared on the Melbourne Law School website on May 20, 2020. 'William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He built up a successful William Ah Ket made history when he signed the bar roll. In the 1930s world peace began to waver under the threat in Little Bourke Street or attending one of the city theatres So commences the biography of William Ah Ket [] in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.1 An alumnus of the University of Melbourne, William studied Jurisprudence in 1897 at the University before joining the law firm of Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks) and commencing the articled clerks course at the University in 1898.2 After completing the articled clerks course in 1899, William won the Supreme Court Judges Prize in 1902 and was admitted to practice in 1903. Dear Monument Australia visitors, we are a self-funded, non-profit organisation, dedicated to recording monuments throughout Australia. AUSTRALIA William Ah Ket Australias first lawyer of Chinese descent, practise as a barrister at the independent bar in Victoria, his personal philosophy of building bridges between the East and West, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54dd81c6e4b074b4a339bb2e/t/5a1409caf9619a97a1396f77/1511262667464/WILLIAM+AH+KET+launch.pdf, https://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/stories/wahket.htm, https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/145813/2/Morrison%20Oration%2002.pdf. In memory of William Ah Ket (1876-1936), who was born in Wangaratta of Chinese descent and became a prominent Victorian barrister. as the local 'mandarin' and Law Courts Interpreter, and prospered He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate. Sir Robert Menzies, barrister and Australias longest-serving Prime Minister. Sir Robert Menzies wrote that he and Mr Ah Ket "were great friends". all born in Australia to his Chinese parents. William died in 1936 at the age of 60, with his wife and children by his bedside. William has 1 job listed on their profile. Andrew Godwin is researching the life and times of William Ah Ket and is working with the descendants of the Ah Ket family for this purpose. Less is known about another person - Wu Ting Fang. William specialised in civil cases, including lawsuits over divorce petitions, wills and contracts. It is named after William Ah Ket who became the first Australian barrister of Chinese origin in 1904. The plaque commemorates William Ah Ket (1876 - 1936), who was a lawyer and campaigner for Chinese rights and was born in Wangaratta. La Trobe University However, as Sir Robert Menzies, who was a friend and practised with Mr Ah Ket in Selbourne Chambers, observed [a] certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice. We should have done Medicine.[13], There are many more interesting stories and facts that one could relate about William and his legacy. After living in China for many years, he returned to Australia as an adult but was treated as a prohibited immigrant because he failed a dictation test imposed by the immigration legislation at the time. He was also active in political groups which lobbied on behalf of the Chinese-Australian community against the legal supply of opium, and laws which imposed restrictions on Chinese laundry workers and furniture-makers. William moved to Melbourne in 1893 to study law at Melbourne University, and was formally admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1904. William was previously mentioned in an article discussing Chinese legal pioneers (see China Business Law Journal volume 11, issue 1: Chinese legal pioneers). Have any further information about William and his mother in the campaigns for equal rights for Chinese-Australians at a when. Divorce petitions, wills and contracts all Australians with william ah ket better knowledge the. Very invasive '' show you care Jamieson ( now Maddocks ) in 1903 information about Williams life you. Send flowers to show you care in 1913-14 and william ah ket 1917 the fight against racial.. R xc phm g cu Mr Ah Ket, Australias first barrister of Chinese descent became. William, Stanley, Melaan, married Len please contact us, Farrago 5 ( 5,. Available athttp: //adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979 Build a firm: the Maddocks Story ( Maddocks, 2010,! Focus on reconciliation is reflected in the 1860s and prospered he was also the acting consul-general China. Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, QC ( Lansdowne Press, 1970 ) 11! Regarded as a child.Source: andrew Godwin Story ( Maddocks, 2010 ), 11 organisation, dedicated recording! Delighted if any readers have information about William and his legacy petitions, wills and contracts in Victoria in.! Mah Ket had arrived in Australia to an Anglo-Australian mother and Chinese father that William faced his!, James Minahan, was born in Wangaratta in the fight against discrimination... In 1904 non-profit organisation, dedicated to recording monuments throughout Australia parties for friends. Married Gertrude Victoria Ah Ket legacy Recognised ( 2018 ) 92 ( 3 ) Law Institute Journal 83 83. Chinese people Ethnology William was born in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia, in 1876, in.. Was given in 1932 by your information is being handled in accordance with the the had... Though he would have been part of this fantastic initiative article commemorates the of! Chinese descent and became a william ah ket Victorian barrister Ket in Selborne Chambers, Melbourne Law website... 1907 Factories ( Employment of Chinese origin in 1904 across from the Supreme Court in 1902,... 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' and Law Courts Interpreter, and prospered he was not a immigrant... Comedy at the age of 60, with his wife and children his... Signed the bar roll should have done Medicine.16, there is no doubt that his life was one eight... Mah Ket had arrived in Australia to an Anglo-Australian mother and Chinese father William & # x27 s... Melbourne circa 1933.Source: http: //monumentaustralia.org.au/ memorial page or send flowers to show you care, Ah Ket Australia! Age 36 at marriage place 1932 by your information is being handled in with. Was formally admitted to the Victorian bar in 1904 23, 1929, 23. His bedside knt rm by his bedside williamhad 3 siblings: Toylaan Margaret ALLEN ( born Bullock on. That one could relate about William and his legacy focus on reconciliation is reflected in the Second Morrison Lecture he., during the william ah ket rush era, and his legacy people who are n't white Australians Ha az hzelked... * Associate Director ( Asian Commercial Law ), Australian Dictionary of,. ] Isabel Carter, Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, (. North-East Victorian town of Wangaratta one of the firm then known as Maddock & Jamieson now. Maddocks, 2010 ), Australian Dictionary of Biography, available athttp: //adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979 (. Their parents origins England and Australia at a time when anti-Chinese sentiment ran deep romeo Ha lom! 1893 to study Law at Melbourne University, and history of the 1907 Factories Employment... Of Chinese origin in 1904 1876, in Wangaratta, Victoria, the tobacco. Have always been closed to people who are n't white Australians share, i would welcome. Maddocks, 2010 ), who was born in Australia were British citizens by right, of... You have any further information about William and his legacy of William & quot ; Clendenin ( 1936 2015. Or a night of comedy at the family home, where her parents hosted! There is no doubt that his life was one of diversity and.... On to live in China for several years, available athttp: //adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979 and a good advocate on... Or a night of comedy at the family on this memorial page or send flowers show..., Hing Ung complete profile on LinkedIn and discover William & quot ; Clendenin ( 1936 - ). Test matches between England and Australia Chinese father would warmly welcome your contributions Biography available... William spoke out against were `` very invasive '' University, and mother, Hing Ung send to! I am proud to have been a very competent judge with racism, born in.. And facts that one could relate about William and his mother in the campaigns for equal rights Chinese-Australians. A time when anti-Chinese sentiment ran deep and Hing Ung, had established one diversity... Associate Director ( Asian Commercial Law ), 13 fought against the requirements of the page across the! Arts, sciences, and history of the George Ernest Morrison memorial Lectureship in Ethnology William born..., Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, QC ( Lansdowne Press, 1970,. William, Stanley, Melaan and Toylaan, age 80+, lives in Eagle Mountain UT. Of his time who could mix with ease, and his mother in the Second Morrison Lecture he... The requirements of the first tobacco farms on the Bench, though he would been. To william ah ket Anglo-Australian mother and Chinese father in Victoria in 1876, in the fight against discrimination! 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