Tamakichi Koike

Tamakichi Koike, a fisherman, was born in Japan in 1869 and entered Australia in 1894. Over some 47 years in Australia he had lived in Innisfail, Mossman and - for some three decades – Cairns. Before his internment he was known to be living with a ‘half-caste aboriginal’ called Minnie Gough.

Koike was on the authorities’ radar well before Japan entered the war. It was noted in January of 1941: ‘Although he has been a number of years in Australia and he bears a good character, the facts are that he holds a License to Fish and used his boat for that purpose, which would give him the opportunity of acting detrimentally to the British Cause if he so desire. I consider that he should not be allowed to frequent the water front and inlet of Cairns, and recommend that his licenses be cancelled immediately.’[1]

Koike was interned 8 December 1941 and taken to Loveday, where he was allocated to Compound 14B. He remained in Loveday until he was released on 5 September 1944, by which time he was 75 years of age, and returned to Cairns. After release he was permitted to reside at a location approved by Deputy Director of Security in Queensland.

Sources:

NAA: BP25/1 KOIKE T JAPANESE. KOIKE Tamakichi [also known as Peter] born 1869 Nationality - Japanese [Birthplace - Hiroshima Japan] arrived Townsville Qld on Sendai Maru 10 July 1894

NAA: MP1103/1 QJ16065 Prisoner of War/Internee: Koike, Tamakichi; Date of birth - 10 June 1870; Nationality – Japanese

NAA: MP1103/2 QJ16065, Prisoner of War/Internee; Koike, Tamakichi; Year of birth - 1870; Nationality - Japanese

[1] Inspector of Police Cairns 22.1.41 to Commissioner, NAA: BP25/1, KOIKE T JAPANESE