Day 136: ...a day at the State Archives...
...is just one new discovery after another. I am now on the horns of a dilemma. In just a few short hours, I 'discovered' so much material relating to my Japanese envoy Watanabe that a) I simply must return (not such a dilemma) and b) there could be a major chapter on Japan-Australia (especially Queensland) history sitting there, I have to decide whether or not I'm the one to write it...
Much of the work done at this time has really focussed on the lives of the immigrant labourers working in the pearling industry on Thursday Island. But just a few hours of perusing some documents and there is so much more...for example, the Japanese person 'Abbe' (sic) who was given the death sentence; at one point there were letters exchanged on the matter of 'informations (sic) concerning the control of emigration of women of low character from Japan' (30 September 1894) and the suggestion that 'measurerers (sic) might be taken for the imposition of a Poll Tax on Japanese arriving in Queensland' (27 April 1894).
And so much more...
I've always been very fortunate with librarians and archivists in my research over the years. Today I met a few more who know their work very well and were so helpful...even a tad more excited than me (if that were possible). I'll need to make a very clear assessment of the materials and what to do with them over the next few weeks...
And to think all this started with an accidental discovery in the National Library.
I thought, dear patient reader, I'd show you a couple of examples of what I'm doing...it does require and ability to read the handwriting of civil servants of yesteryear.
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| Concerning the murder of two Japanese near Cooktown... |
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| An 'Electric Telegram' from Adelaide |
The Archives are out in the suburbs but in a marvellous bushland setting. I had to get there and back by bus which meant a charming stroll through the bush on the way to the 'office'.
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| Bush walk... |
I'll be back.
*With thanks and acknowledgement to librarians and archivists everywhere*
[Camera : iPhone 4S, 11.28am, 12.43pm, 3.39pm]
