By Tianna Killoran

In 2017, when I was looking to do a PhD in History, I serendipitously discovered that the first official Japanese Consulate in Australia was located in Townsville. I thought, ‘Townsville? Really? Of all places?’

I was only a young researcher then, but perhaps I should have had more trust in the significance of my tropical home as a central defence and trading port along the north-east Queensland coast!

The historical home of this first Japanese Consulate – between 1896 and 1908 – was called Kardinia. As it turned out, Kardinia was located at the centre of a significant community of Japanese migrants, who lived in north Queensland throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. This group of people substantially influenced not just the immediate northern region, but Australia more broadly.

After I took a tour of Kardinia with the owner of the house – the lovely Paul Tonnoir, who had dedicated many years to preserving its heritage – I was hooked. This house, and its intriguing and important history, then became the impetus for a much larger PhD research project over the next few years.

---

My PhD began with an investigation into the history of the Japanese Consulate in Townsville, followed by the relatively well-known history of Japanese sugar cane labourers and pearl shell divers throughout northern Australia. But I was able to find out so much more about the individual lives and communities of Japanese migrants who lived in north Queensland. What follows is a brief, but hopefully insightful look into the richness, importance, and vibrancy of the individuals and communities who lived in north Queensland prior to 1941.

The Japanese Association

Operating as an expansive network throughout north Queensland – and indeed, the rest of northern Australia – was a system of Japanese Associations, or Nihonjinkai. Many of these local associations served the needs of their membership, but also operated as an essential conduit between Japanese migrants throughout northern Australia and government authorities in both Australia and Japan.

On Thursday Island for example, the Association appeared to be occupied mostly with the interests of Japanese pearl shell divers and crew, but in Cairns the association was a local mix of both sugar cane farmers and business owners. These Associations advocated for improved wages, fairer immigration policies, or organised events and celebrations such as the Obon Festival or visits by the Japanese Naval Squadron.

Labourers and a little more

The lives of Japanese sugar cane labourers and pearl shell divers are well-known and an important part of the history of north Queensland, and I sought to expand on this history in my research. There was substantial evidence that labourers worked throughout north Queensland and moved around in search of work, even after 1901 and the introduction of the Immigration Restriction Act.  Pearl shelling and sugar cane labouring were often just one source of work, with many moving around Queensland between different contracts as mill workers, cane cutters, farm hands, laundrymen, and cooks.

Some other men went on to become farm owners; many were very successful. One such farm owner was Yokito Endo, who owned more than 278 acres of sugar cane farmland around the Mackay region. Jack Takagaki had a slightly more modest 120-acre farm. Jack began as a contract labourer in 1902 and worked his way up until he obtained a lease of land in later years, and slowly expanded his farm.

Pearl shell divers experienced similar successes, with many working throughout the waters surrounding northern Australia. Along with stories of pearl shell divers who grew their profits in order to own fishing boats and businesses – such as Haruyoshi Yamashita – there were also entangled histories of Japanese men who were boat builders and boarding house keepers. These established networks of cooperative and mutually-beneficial workers were central to the success of the community as a whole.

---

The complex public and private lives of women

Of those people who migrated from Japan to Australia, the experiences of women have often been an overlooked aspect of this history. Their stories have often been minimised, with Australian records indicating there were very few female Japanese migrants, while their labour was regularly hidden behind the more public lives of their husbands. Nevertheless, I discovered in my research that there was a greater depth to their experiences and contributions to north Queensland life.

I’ve explored some of the stories of those who were businesswomen and how their business pursuits intersected with opportunity, family, and life stages — I wrote an academic article published in Lilith Journal, and a related blog post published on the Australian Women’s History Network website.

My research brought new detail and vibrancy to these women’s stories. I found out that there were women like Kuma Oki, who made a living independently through odd jobs such as mending and cooking. Others — such as Kame Tashima and Otsume Iwanaga — were the productive and managerial force in a range of local businesses, including laundries and silk stores. Broadly, my hope was to elevate the significance of these women’s lives and to demonstrate their entanglement with the broader history of Japanese migrants in northern Australia.

Moments of celebration and community

Finally, the interests and celebrations of Nikkei were frequently shared with wider north Queensland society, including the social and cultural life of the region. With public celebrations that focused on both Japanese and Australian festivities or historical moments, these events provided opportunities for cultural exchange, fostering positive relations, and developing shared interests.

In various towns throughout north Queensland, the Japanese community hosted an annual public celebration for the Japanese Emperor’s birthday with festivities involving fireworks and ‘a brilliant display‘ enjoyed by the wider community. A regular motif was the Japanese and British flags jointly adorning doorways and displays. The Japanese Association also affirmed Japan’s shared support for Australian and British interests, with participation in the 1915 Patriotic Day procession in Mareeba, as well as the peace procession through Flinders Street in Townsville in 1918 for Armistice Day.

---

While this has just been a short snippet of a much larger research project, it’s also clear that what I’ve been able to research is just one small part of the even larger history of Japanese migration to Australia. There are still so many records, memories, and oral histories that will continue to illuminate these histories and illustrate the complex mix of Australia-Japan history. I hope that while this research gives some insight into the significant and shared history of Australia and Japan, there’s still much more to be understood, dug out of the archive, and discussed about our shared past.