KAMINE Teiji
Born: 6 November 1919 – Died: 18 July 1945
Particulars:
Teiji was born in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. At the young age of 18, he arrived in Australia aboard the SS Charon in 1937. His next of kin were listed as his parents, Kamine Jimbei and Kunie (née Sugimoto). He was recorded as being a merchant seaman and arrived in Rubibi / Broome, Western Australia to work as a pearl diver with the Streeter & Male Company. In February 1942, Teiji was interned at Loveday Internment Camp in South Australia, and later transferred to Hay Internment Camp in New South Wales. In June 1945, he was admitted to the camp hospital and placed on the ‘dangerously ill’ list. In the early hours of 18 July 1945, he died from leukaemia. Teiji was 25 years old. He now rests in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Jo Anne Shiosaki
More info:
Michael Jalaru Torres, Jo Anne Shiosaki, and Ashley Masuda
Artist/s Statement:
These young men had it pretty tough as pearl divers working under extreme conditions, which included rough seas, shark attacks, and the bends. As I reflect on what these men endured in the pearling industry and during the war, I feel sad, yet very fortunate. My grandfather Akira arrived after the war and was with us, living a long and full life.
–Ashley Masuda (photographed)
Artist Bio:
Michael Jalaru Torres is an Indigenous fine art photographer and poet, born in 1976, in Broome, Western Australia. He is a Djugun-Yawuru man with tribal connections to the Gooniyandi / Jabbir Jabbir / Ngarluma peoples. He draws inspiration from the unique landscapes and people of the Kimberley region, which feature prominently in his work.
Jo Anne Shiosaki is a fourth-generation Nikkei who lives in Rubibi / Broome, Western Australia. Jo’s great-grandparents were one of the earliest Japanese families to migrate to Broome in the late 1800s. Her great-grandfather served as the President of the Japan Club in Broome before the war. She acknowledges the Nikkei community of Broome for helping to create these photographic images, and their willingness to share deeply personal experiences in order to preserve the memories of those who endured internment.
Ashley Masuda is a third-generation Nikkei from Broome, Western Australia. He takes great pride in the legacy left to him by his grandfather Akira Masuda, who arrived in Broome in the 1950s in search of work in the pearling industry. Ashley feels blessed that his grandfather laid such a strong foundation, enabling the family to thrive and enjoy a good life today. Like many others, his grandfather was part of a wave of migrants seeking a better future. As Ashley reflects on the past, he honours the sacrifices and hardships those early migrants endured, both in the pearling industry and during the war.