Making a Nation BY elliot paksec

Reasons the Japanese migrated to Australia

Up until the year 1866 it was against the law for Japanese people to leave Japan. this law was a big restriction for the counties citizens and once it was uplifted many of the Japanese sought- after jobs overseas. The need for jobs in Australia was a big pull for the Japanese emigrants as well as the fact that later in the 1900s Australia had struck Gold. Another big pull that influenced the Japanese to migrant was the natural disasters in Japan, including over 20 earth quake in the country.

Up until the year 1866 it was against the law for Japanese people to leave Japan. this law was a big restriction for the counties citizens and once it was uplifted many of the Japanese sought- after jobs overseas. The need for jobs in Australia was a big pull for the Japanese emigrants as well as the fact that later in the 1900s Australia had struck Gold. Another big pull that influenced the Japanese to migrant was the natural disasters in Japan, including over 20 earth quake in the country.

The first Japanese people to travel to Australia were emigrants who came to Australia as pearl divers (pearlers). The Japanese pearlers arrived in Northern Australia during the 1800s and 1900s, they worked as crew members for Australian pearlers. Others Japanese emigrants moved to Queensland and worked in the sugar cane industry, harvesting the sugarcane on farms by hand. By 1891, only 30 Japanese workers were living in Victoria and others scattered around in other places such as broom. within the years 1901 and 1904 there was an Immigration Restriction Act that restricted all non-European countries to enter Australia. This Act was by passed by the Japanese in 1904 allowing only the people working in Australia the rite to leave Japan.

The Australia Gold Rush 1851 attracted multiple amounts of people from all over the world including the Japanese. The Idea of finding large amounts of gold and getting rich pull in the Japanese and encouraged them to migrate to Australia.

The first Japanese people to travel to Australia were emigrants who came to Australia as pearl divers (pearlers). The Japanese pearlers arrived in Northern Australia during the 1800s and 1900s, they worked as crew members for Australian pearlers. Others Japanese emigrants moved to Queensland and worked in the sugar cane industry, harvesting the sugarcane on farms by hand. By 1891, only 30 Japanese workers were living in Victoria and others scattered around in other places such as broom. within the years 1901 and 1904 there was an Immigration Restriction Act that restricted all non-European countries to enter Australia. This Act was by passed by the Japanese in 1904 allowing only the people working in Australia the rite to leave Japan.

World War II Poster

In 1941, a war started against Australia and Japan, many of the Japanese in Australia were locked up behind bars and held as prisoners of war. By the end of the war most of the Japanese emigrants were transported back to their country. A lot of Japanese businesses in Australia were destroyed. Up until 1949 there was a ban restricting the Japanese off leaving Japan but the next five years that followed over 500 Japanese wives came to Australia live with their Australia husbands.

Living conditions in Australia

For Japanese migrants living in Australia the conditions were overall rough and hard dealt.

The Japanese who migrated to Australia had their ways of life effected dramatically by World War 2. many Japanese soldiers and immigrants were held as Prisoners of War in Australia. Although the war camps in Australia treated their captives with considerably generous standard the POW camps still had a big influence in the Japanese immigrants that had to live in camps till the end of the war. In the war camps Japanese people lived in cramped living conditions with the spread of infection as a dangerous threat to many. The Japanese were made to work in and were fed little amounts.

POW camp

After the war, many of the Japanese people living in Australia previously were send back to Japan, this made it struggle because they had to live on boats for long periods. Five years after the war many Japanese immigrant had to travel again by boat all the way back to Australia and had to find new jobs all over again.

The majority of the Japanese immigrant lived in Western Australia as well as Darwin because of job opportunities. The living conditions were very low and quite dangerous. Most houses were poorly built and made from cheap material which acted as a danger for the crowded families living in them. Not only were houses crowded by the large families that lived together, but they were also shared by infestations off rats that lead to the spread of illness for the occupants.

Working Conditions

There were a lot of opportunities for Japanese Immigrants to find jobs such as jobs in pearling, farming, cooking and shop-keeping. The main two occupations that Japanese immigrant worked in were pearling and farming in the sugarcane industry.

In the years 1883-85 Japanese pearlers were recruited, mostly women working in Western Australia and Darwin. The conditions for working in the pearling business were quite frightening, they were also very dangerous which is why the occupation was open to so many Japanese immigrants. Because of this lack in recruitment is was the perfect job for the Japanese women who needed to find work quickly in order to sustain themselves. The Japanese women working in Pearling made up one third of the business and they were referred to as the best divers in the business.

pearl cutlery, made from pearling industry

The sugarcane industry in Queensland also had an increase of male Japanese workers in the year 1911. Many of the workers had been left-overs from the 2,561 labourers brought in by the emigration company. The working conditions for these men were quite harsh with the White Australia Policy impacting on the ways they could work. The Japanese worked long hard days in cane fields in areas of more than 18 hectares, harvesting and milling the sugar by hand.

non-European worker

Many of the Japanese immigrants had low paying jobs that were long and tedious. The Australian service business expanded with Japanese workers being employed as laundrymen and hotel workers.

how non-Europeans contribute to the development of Australia

Non-Europeans came from all over the wold to Australia and help develop the growing country into the one it is today. The settlers were a vital part in the success of many industries including, pearling, whaling, farming and agriculture. The non- European migrants did many jobs that others did not want to and filled in the economic gaps that were vital for the growth of the nation.

The use of whale oil was a valuable part of the worlds everyday life because it was needed to run oil lamps. When non-European immigrants came to Australia there was the invention of the harpoon gun that allowed migrated workers to hunt whales more efficiently. This efficiency allowed a rise in Australia’s international market and created and economic stability for the country.

whale oil

Countries such as South Sea Islanders, Chinese and the Japanese helped the Australian pearling industry by ensuring a massive rise in the amount of pearls that were found and sold. Australia’s Pearling took place in the Torres Straights and in Western Australia. The non-European settlers had a big strength in this business and were regarded as one of the best. The collected pearls were later manufactured into goods in clothing and jewellery, then sold to the United States and England.

Pearl buttons

The diversity off Australia developed a cultural side in its development, this was because of all the different people congregating to Australia.

Australia’s Farming business and the countries that worked in that business contributed in such a way that Australia was known for its produce in the marketing world. The diverse involvement boomed the rate of produce especially in the sugarcane industry with the help of the Japanese and South Sea Islanders. The sugarcane was harvested by hand and grown in large plantations. This industry created many opportunities for the country to succeed in economic growth.

Bibliography

  • https://museumvictoria.com.au/origins/history.aspx?pid=33
  • https://prezi.com/i9hmhpp4clqo/early-experiences-of-japanese-in-australia-prior/
  • http://www.sbs.com.au/immigrationnation/resources/article/96/japan
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_prisoners_of_war_in_World_War_II
  • http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/changing-face-of-modern-australia-1900s-to-1940s
  • http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/changing-face-of-early-australia

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