Thursday Island Cemetery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thursday Island Cemetery |
|
|---|---|
_(2001).jpg)
Thursday Island Cemetery, 2001
|
|
| Location | Summers Street, Thursday Island, Shire of Torres, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1887 |
| Official name: Thursday Island Cemetery (incorporating the Japanese Cemetery & the Grave of the Hon. John Douglas) | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape, archaeological) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600875 |
| Significant period | 1887- (social) 1887, 1942-45, ongoing (historical) |
| Significant components | cemetery, trees/plantings, denominational divisions, mound/s, graveyard, cairn, grave marker, tomb, memorial - obelisk, memorial - cairn, burial/grave, grave surrounds/railings, headstone, memorial/monument |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Thursday Island Cemetery is a special old burial ground located on Thursday Island in Queensland, Australia. It was started around 1887. This cemetery is important because it holds the graves of many different people. You can find the graves of Japanese pearl divers, brave sailors, and even a former leader of Queensland, John Douglas. It is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register as a place of historical importance.
Contents
Discovering Thursday Island's Past
Early Days of Thursday Island
Thursday Island is also known by its Indigenous name, Wai-ben. It is a small island in the Torres Strait Islands. Even though it's small, it's the main port and a key center for the area. It is also Australia's most northern town.
The first people to live near Thursday Island were the Kaurareg people. They were skilled sailors and lived by harvesting food from the sea. Wai-ben itself didn't have a permanent water supply. So, the Kaurareg people did not settle there permanently.
How Thursday Island Grew
In the 1800s, British ships started using the Torres Strait regularly. People came looking for sea cucumbers and pearl shells. Missionaries and government officials also arrived. Queensland took control of the southern Torres Strait islands in 1872. This was to protect its interests in the pearl and sea cucumber industries.
The main government settlement moved to Thursday Island in 1877. It was called Port Kennedy. This new spot was better because it had a safe harbor. It was also closer to the main shipping route to Asia. People quickly bought land there.
By 1884, Port Kennedy was a busy port. It was the center of the pearl-shell and sea cucumber fishing. Many different people lived and worked there. This included South Sea Islanders, Japanese, and Filipinos. The island's population grew quickly.
Starting the Thursday Island Cemetery
As more people settled on Thursday Island, a public cemetery was needed. A suitable spot was found in 1887. It was on a high ridge in the center of the island. The area was officially made a cemetery reserve in July 1887. Trustees were appointed to manage it.
The trustees soon found that some parts of the land were too steep or rocky for burials. This made burials more expensive. In the wet season, paths would turn into muddy gullies. The cemetery was made bigger in 1894 and again in 1896. This added more level land. These additions included the area now known as the Japanese (Divers') Cemetery.
The Story of Japanese Pearl Divers
Japanese divers played a very important role in the pearl-shell industry. In the 1880s, pearl fishers started using helmeted diving gear. They looked for skilled Japanese divers. Many of these divers were former sailors.
After 1891, more Japanese people came to the Torres Strait. By 1893, they were the largest group in the pearl-shell industry. They built most of the lugger boats used for diving. A "Japanese town" was even built in Port Kennedy. It had boarding houses and shops.
Pearl diving was very dangerous work. Many divers died from "the bends," drowning, or shark attacks. The Thursday Island Cemetery has between 600 and 700 graves with Japanese names. Many Japanese divers were buried here.
In 1979, a special memorial was built in the cemetery. It honors the hundreds of Japanese people who lived and died in the Torres Strait. A trust fund was also set up to help maintain the Japanese gravestones.
.jpg)
Later Years of the Cemetery
The pearl-shell industry slowed down during World War II. After the war, it briefly picked up. But it declined a lot in the 1960s. This was because plastics replaced pearl-shell for things like buttons.
The cemetery was made even bigger in 1913. This added more land for burials. It was meant for "pagan" burials, which included many non-Christian faiths. From 1912 until after World War II, Torres Strait Islanders were not allowed to live on Thursday Island. This is why there are fewer Islander graves from that time.
One important person buried here is the Hon. John Douglas. He was a former Premier of Queensland (like a state leader). He was also the Government Resident on Thursday Island for many years. He helped develop the island and was a cemetery trustee. His grave is marked by a tall stone monument.
During World War II, many civilians left Thursday Island. The cemetery was managed by the military. Records of burials from 1940 to 1948 are missing. After the war, the cemetery was in poor condition. But by 1952, it was repaired and in good order. Today, the Torres Shire Council manages the cemetery.
The cemetery also contains the graves of four service members. Two were sailors from World War I. Two were soldiers from World War II.
Exploring the Cemetery's Layout
Thursday Island Cemetery is a large area, about 12.77 hectares. It slopes down from Summers Street to Aplin Road. A path winds through the cemetery, giving access to the graves. The main entrance is now from Aplin Road.
The land varies from steep hills to flat areas. The ground is rocky, with clay and granite. Native trees and grasses grow throughout the cemetery. Some areas are overgrown, making it hard to reach certain graves. Newer sections have pretty plants like frangipani and hibiscus.
Grave Designs and Materials
The graves in the cemetery show a wide variety of designs. They are made from different materials. These include wood, polished granite, marble, and concrete. The materials used reflect the beliefs and cultures of the people buried there. Early headstones were brought from big cities like Townsville and Brisbane.
You can see different designs like tall columns, obelisks, and crosses. Some older graves have iron railings around them. Most early graves face east, which is a common tradition. However, graves in the Japanese section often face west.
More recent graves are very colorful. They often have decorative tiles on a concrete base. It's also popular to place a permanent photograph of the person on the headstone. These graves show the unique mix of cultures on Thursday Island. Many Islanders are Christian, but they also have a special "tomb-opening ceremony." This happens months after a burial. New grave markers are put in place during this ceremony.
Sections of the Cemetery
The cemetery was originally divided by religion or nationality. However, it's hard to see the exact old layout now. Many areas are overgrown. A study in 2000 found 21 different groups of graves.
The highest part of the cemetery, near Summers Street, was the earliest section. Here you'll find the graves of some of Thursday Island's early European leaders. This includes the Hon. John Douglas. His grave is marked by a tall, blue granite monument. All graves in this area face east.
.jpg)
On the slopes of this hill, closer to Summers Street, is the original Protestant section. Some of the oldest marked graves are here. There is also a monument to seven pilots who died in the Strait.
The early Catholic burial ground is a bit further down the hill. Graves here face east. Many have concrete surrounds and marble headstones. The graves of Catholic nuns and a police officer are specially maintained.
On the eastern side of the path, you'll find many Japanese graves. Some have stone monuments with Japanese writing. Further along are graves of Muslim Indonesians and Malays, and some Torres Strait Islanders. These areas are usually well-kept. You might see offerings of food or toys on Muslim or Shinto graves.
In the middle of the cemetery are mostly Christian graves. These include both European and Islander burials. Family groups are often found together.
Near the northern end, on flat land, is the Japanese pearl-shell divers' burial ground. Most graves here have raised mounds. They are marked with stone or concrete columns. Some have wooden posts with Japanese writing. You might also see small concrete birdcages. These hold food for the spirits of the divers. Frangipani trees are also planted on some graves.
To the northwest are mostly Torres Strait Islander graves. The newest graves are found here. These areas are generally well maintained.
Why This Cemetery is Important
The Thursday Island Cemetery is a special place. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992.
A Look into Queensland's History
This cemetery shows the amazing mix of cultures on Thursday Island. It has graves of people from many different countries and religions. The large Japanese (Divers') Cemetery highlights the important role Japanese people played in the pearl-shell industry. It also reminds us how dangerous this work was. The cemetery shows the strong connection people in the Torres Strait have had with the sea.
Unique Cultural Heritage
The cemetery is a unique historical record. It tells us about the island's pearling industry and its social structure. It also shows how people viewed religion and burial customs. The names on the headstones show how many different groups married each other over time. Having such a diverse cemetery, especially with a large Japanese section, is rare in Queensland.
Learning from the Past
This place could teach us even more about Queensland's history. If the overgrown areas were cleared, we might discover more about the different burial customs.
Beautiful and Meaningful
The cemetery is also very beautiful. The headstones are varied and detailed, from the 1880s to today. Modern Islander graves are especially colorful. The cemetery's location on the island, with views of the water, makes it a peaceful and meaningful place.
Important to the Community
The people of Thursday Island value this cemetery greatly. It is also important to families who have relatives buried there. Many tourists visit it too.
Honoring Important People
The cemetery is the resting place of the Hon. John Douglas. He was a former Queensland Premier and a key figure on Thursday Island. His grave is at the highest point, looking over the water. The cemetery also has other important memorials. These include the large monument to the Japanese divers and a memorial to Torres Strait pilots.
