TOKUNAGA Huruo
Born: 1914 – Died: 28 July 1942
Particulars:
Huruo was born in Sigoi, Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, in 1914 to a Japanese mother from Saga Prefecture in Japan and a father, who was likely from Taiwan. He was working as a smallgoods salesman in Sumatra when the Pacific War broke out. He was taken to Australia and interned at Loveday Internment Camp in South Australia. On arrival, he had a broken tibia and was treated at Adelaide Hospital, then Barmera Base and Loveday Hospitals. Just 28 days later, he was readmitted to Adelaide Hospital and died, aged 27.
An inquest revealed that he had osteomyelitis. His leg was amputated, and he seemed to improve, but despite treatment, he relapsed and died. A postmortem showed the infection had spread, eroding his aorta and causing a fatal haemothorax. A hospital orderly reported that Huruo said he broke his leg slipping on the ship to Australia.
His grave is in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Susan Dowell
More info:
Susan Dowell
Artist/s Statement:
Researching this was emotional. With few documents, I pieced together a likely story. Imagining his fear, isolation, and pain in a foreign land was moving. Both people I honoured for this project were at Loveday, which I knew little about. Their work supported other camps and even morphine production. I have been to the former campsite at Tatura, which felt bleak. Cowra felt peaceful. I hope to visit Loveday one day.
Artist Bio:
Susan Dowell has lived in Melbourne, Australia most of her life, but now lives in a small village in northern New South Wales. She holds a Bachelor of Sociology and Indonesian from Victoria University and an Associate Diploma in Business Accounting from RMIT. Her career has been varied – the last 19 years were in manufacturing, and 10 as administration manager.