OKAMURA Yasue
Born: 11 July 1873 – Died: 23 March 1944
Particulars:
Yasue was born in Kyushu, Japan. Yasue arrived in Walyalup / Fremantle, Western Australia in 1897 aboard the SS Saladin. She married Okamura Satoru and set up a business in Carnarvon Street in Rubibi / Broome. The store was directly opposite Sun Pictures, where she sold imported and custom made kimonos. In 1941, Yasue and her husband were arrested. According to government records, the shop fittings valued at 170 pounds, and 12 pounds in cash were handed over to police inspector Cowie. Yasue and Satoru were interned at Tatura Internment Camp in Victoria. Throughout 1943, Yasue suffered ill health and was admitted several times to Waranga Hospital, the longest stay being over a month. She died of heart failure in D compound of Camp 4 on 25 March 1944. Yasue was 71. Her grave is in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Jo Anne Shiosaki
More info:
Michael Jalaru Torres, Jo Anne Shiosaki, and Sherri Shiosaki-Gibson
Artist/s Statement:
I am proud to represent Yasue in this photograph. She arrived in Broome at a very young age, planting roots in a land she would call home for most of her life. Yet, like so many others, Yasue was interned during the war, not as a threat, but as an elderly, long-standing resident whose only ‘crime’ was her heritage. She was sent to Tatura, the very same camp where my mother was held. Yasue’s story is a poignant reminder of the injustices endured, and the quiet resilience of those who lived through them. Today, we honour her legacy, not only as an internee, but as a businesswoman and a valued member of Broome’s early community.
–Sherri Shiosaki-Gibson (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.
Sherri Shiosaki-Gibson is a fourth-generation Nikkei who now lives in Geraldton, Western Australia and frequently travels to Broome to spend time with her family. Sherri grew up surrounded by stories of resilience as her mother and grandparents were interned at Tatura Internment Camp 4 during World War II. As a child, she would listen intently to her grandmother and extended family recount their experiences. Despite the hardship of captivity, they shared memories filled with humour, strength, and remarkable endurance. Sherri continues to marvel at their ability to find light, even in the darkest moments.