Letter One

Bell Tower, Barrack Street, Perth

 

Dear FB Friends

On Thursday I fly to Broome The town has an interesting history based around the exploits of the men and women who developed the pearling industry, starting with the harvesting of oysters for mother of pearl in the 1880s to the current major cultured pearl  farming enterprises. The riches from the pearl beds did not come cheaply, and the Japanese cemetery is the resting place of 919 Japanese divers who lost their lives working in the industry. Many more were lost at sea, and the exact number of deaths is unknown. The Japanese were only one of the major ethnic groups who flocked to Broome to work on the luggers or the shore based activities supporting the harvesting of oysters from the waters around Broome.

Next day I make my way to Mount House Station and will no longer have access to the world wide web but Marinus has agreed to download these letters onto my blog “You’re not even within cooee” http://hwvdr1.blogspot.com.au/ and FB timeline. I do hope you will find a moment to share my latest teaching experience and I look forward to reading your comments when I return to Perth.

Perth City from the South Perth Foreshore