Japanese Immigration to Thursday Island, Queensland

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia

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This page aims to list family groups originating from Japan who resided on Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia, from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Many came for the purpose of pearling, and only stayed for a short time (a few years), but there were some who continued to live in the country. Those who simply visited the island will not be listed here; only those who actively lived and worked there at some point.

Below is a list of individuals and families who were recorded living on Thursday Island:

Tsuneichi Mana (眞茱常一) 1911-1973
Tsuneichi Mana was from Ehime Prefecture. He immigrated to Thursday Island in 1932 and took work as a pearl diver. He married Kiyo Tanaka and continued his occupation for at least a decade later. He passed away on the 7th of December 1973 in Queensland.

Kozo and Kiku Nishimura
Kozo Nishimura began laboring as a pearl diver on Thursday Island around 1890, and owned the diving boat "Osaka".
In 1902 he sent a letter to the Government Resident John Douglas requesting that his wife Kiku and daughter Takino be able to join him on Thursday Island, which was granted.^[1] They remained on the island for a few more years, and moved to Cairns, where his other children were born, before 1906.

Yasugoro and Sawo Tanaka ~1874-1971
They both immigrated to Australia before 1895, when they were married on Thursday Island. Yasugoro worked there as a billard marker.
Their family remained there for years until they were scattered south near Brisbane or to other states due to internment.

Sources

(Visit individual profiles for further sources)

↑ National Archives of Australia, Correspondence files, folio system. Request by Yoso Nishimura to reside on Thursday Island.