murray

Murray Island has been inhabited for around 2800 years, the first settlers being Papua-Austronesians who brought agriculture and pot making with them. Regular contact between the inhabitants of Torres Strait (including Murray Island, known by the Meriam people as Mer Island), Europeans, Asians, and other outsiders began once the Torres Strait became a means of passage between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean in the 19th Century. The inhabitants of the Torres Strait, including the Meriam people, gained a reputation as fierce warriors and skilled mariners. Warfare (both intertribal and against European ships in transit through the Coral Sea) and headhunting were part of the culture of all Torres Strait islanders. Source: placeandsee.com/wiki/murray-island-queensland-queensland

Islanders of the Torres Strait are originally skilled seamen. They have rich and correct knowledge about the physical circumstances of the sea, and of the ecological conditions of the maritime resources. The strait itself is the best fishing ground for natural pearls throughout the Pacific waters, then, pearl-seekers came from Sydney, and pearls were sold even in London. Of course, Islanders were employed as laborers on diver-boats, on which they made intimate relationships with Japanese divers who had the excellent ability of diving and pearl collecting. After World War II, a new marine industry was introduced by the Japanese, that is, pearl culturing. Australia-Japan joint enterprises settled their pearl farms in the strait, and Islanders found good jobs with desirable incomes there. Source: JOURNAL ARTICLE Pearl Culture and the Islanders' Society of the Torres Strait George Ohshima GeoJournal Vol. 16, No. 2, Pacific Island States (March 1988), pp. 157-168 (12 pages) Published By: Springer GeoJournal www.jstor.org/stable/41144193

" It retains an iron-railed dock, painted coat of arms above the bench and a Press gallery on which journalists have traditionally carved their names. " - from www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au/www/html/460-old-courthouse.asp .

Also - is there two Napoleons?

I really can't stop myself from adding this to my Favorites. What an amazing photo from ninety years ago. Just Wonderful.

Color this ? . . . . . . Nah!

More than fifty people in one play? It seems just a little unlikely. Maybe this is the whole company, plus the music, with maybe a few local supers as well? And perhaps the costumes represent the major part of the Murray Company wardrobe? But what a splendid photograph....

I can't believe the detail and quality of this shot for it's age.