pearl

How the legacy of Japanese pearl divers is being preserved in the Torres Strait The descendants of Japanese pearl divers in the Torres Strait are coming together for Obon, Japan's day of the dead, to remember the contribution of their forebears to an industry that claimed hundreds of lives. Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of Japanese pearl divers were deported from Australia at the end of World War II after being interned as enemy aliens. It largely ended a then-lucrative industry in Queensland’s Torres Strait and one that claimed the lives of hundreds of seasonal workers. Advertisement Tomitaro “Tommy” Fujii is one of the most famous pearl divers of the Torres Strait. He came to Australia in 1925, survived the industry, and was one of those allowed to stay on after the war. His children are now preserving the legacy of their father and the many other divers like him. This week, the family - and other descendants - will mark Obon, a Buddhist ceremony honoring the dead, as well as the economic and social contribution of what was once Australia’s largest Japanese community. Tommy's grave, which has a headstone in the Torres Strait's regional capital Thursday Island, stands in stark contrast to the hundreds of other Japanese divers who died on the job. Source: www.sbs.com.au/news/how-the-legacy-of-japanese-pearl-dive...

Before the beginning of the 20th century, the only means of obtaining pearls was by manually gathering very large numbers of pearl oysters or mussels from the ocean floor or lake or river bottom. The bivalves were then brought to the surface, opened, and the tissues searched. More than a ton were searched in order to find at least 3-4 quality beads.[citation needed] In order to find enough pearl oysters, free-divers were often forced to descend to depths of over 100 feet on a single breath, exposing them to the dangers of hostile creatures, waves, eye damage, and drowning, often as a result of shallow water blackout on resurfacing.[2] Because of the difficulty of diving and the unpredictable nature of natural pearl growth in pearl oysters, pearls of the time were extremely rare and of varying quality. Although harvesting of shells had long been practiced by Aboriginal Australians, pearl diving only began in the 1850s off the coast of Western Australia and the pearling industry remained strong until the advent of World War I, when the price of mother-of-pearl plummeted with the invention and expanded use of plastics for buttons and other articles previously been made of shell. In the 1870s pearling began in the Torres Strait, off Far North Queensland. By the 1890s, pearling was the largest industry in the region, and had a huge impact on coastal Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Because of the dangers of diving, almost no white people participated, and Asian, Pacific, and Indigenous Australians were used as cheap labor for the industry. Shells were the main aim for collection, and the whole industry was essentially a colonial one geared to procuring mother-of-pearl for sale to overseas markets for the making of buttons. As time went on and sources were depleted, divers were encouraged to dive deeper, making the enterprise even more dangerous. Divers experimented with the heavy diving suit, discarding the full diving suit and using the helmet and corselet only, which became standard practice until 1960. "Hookah" gear, tested to 48 fathoms (87 meters) in 1922, was considered unsuitable for the strong tides in these waters, and the later Scuba equipment did not supply enough air to spend the time required underwater and for decompression, while surfacing [10] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_hunting

The groom looks none to happy either, I think he has has to "restrain" said grumpy flower girl.

None of them are smiling.

The range of expressions etc. are intriguing. The only one who looks happy is the Bridesmaid on the left/right who has a decent smile on her face. The bride looks apprehensive yet happy. The groom looks grim in that outsized stiff celluloid collar that is probably irritating the devil out of him, the flower girl probably wants to be off playing "picky" somewhere and not in that outfit and the rest are just waiting to get at the grub. Nice one Carol, good start to your week!

Fantastic frocks and hats - golly, 1900-14 was an elegant era.

A beautiful and elegant wedding....the clothes are great. The whole image is so crisp and clear.