Broome Japanese Cemetery
Located in Broome – a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia – the Broome Japanese Cemetery is an interesting piece of local history. It is a tribute to the contribution that the Japanese made to Broome and it’s pearling industry and also a sentimental reminder of the dangers of the early days of pearl diving.
Broome Japanese Cemetery
Broome Japanese Cemetery
The first recorded burial in the cemetery dates back to 1896 and is the final resting place for over 900 Japanese pearl divers who sacrificed their lives plying their trade in the lucrative pearling industry. The majority of deaths commemorated in the cemetery resulted from the bends (divers paralysis) or drowning.
Broome Japanese Cemetery History
ブルーム日本人墓地の歴史
The cemetery is an immaculately restored heritage icon with unique headstones crafted out of coloured beach rocks and inscribed in Japanese. There are also a number of unmarked graves scattered throughout the cemetery.
An unmarked grave
A stone obelisk bearing testimony to those lost in the 1908 cyclone
Specialist divers from Japan flocked to Broome in the late nineteenth century to harvest oysters and became an indispensable part of the industry until World War II. Many of these divers originated from Wakayama (southern part of Japan’s Honshu island). People from this region of Japan are historically famous for their abilities as fisherman and divers.
Ironically, Broome was attacked by Japanese aircraft on 3 March 1942.
Where’s Broome?
Nestled alongside the Indian Ocean, Broome is situated in the far north of Western Australia.
Where's Broome?
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Were they kamikaze divers? Or just hard working divers who drowned?
The Japanese divers had a reputation of being the best. But they had an extremely high motality rate.
Generally speaking, I guess, they worked arduously ignoring the perils of the sea and had a lack of understanding of the effects of diving. It is suggested that they put the importance of harvesting oysters ahead of the value of their lives.
Whilst strictly speaking that is not ‘kamikaze’, it characterises a ‘kamikaze’, no?
I never knew that there was a history of Japanese people in Australia. Interesting.
Yeah. I was surprised too, and fascinated.
I always connected pearl diving with people from Polynesia, Caribbean, never Japanese. Never thought that even Japanese were so skilled in this kind of diving, but wiki enlightened me. Thanks for a interesting story!
I wonder why they have an obelisk? Aren’t those Masonic via Egyptian symbols? Interesting post! Very hazardous job that pearl diving!
Loco