Nikkei Australia member Dr Tianna Killoran has just launched the website ‘Walking Through Time‘, featuring histories and stories of early Japanese settlers, who worked and lived in Townsville in far north Queensland prior to World War II.
The website highlights some of the lesser known histories and stories of Australia’s connections with Japan.
‘This website is intended to act as a guide and supplement to a walking tour that uncovers the significant, yet often overlooked, stories of the Japanese community who helped shape this city.
This guide you will take you on a tour that encourages you to take a second look as you wander through Townsville’s city streets, looking back to a time when they were lined with Japanese-owned laundries, stores, community hubs, and filled with the stories of many individuals who forged connections between Japan and northern Australia.
This tour, and the research and images that inform it are a result of the research undertaken by Professor Yuichi Murakami from Fukushima University and Dr Tianna Killoran from James Cook University. It would not have been possible without the interest, support, and time of many of our colleagues, community, and friends.’
The Japanese Club in Townsville was once a vibrant community centre.
The website features stories of Japanese businesses, including the Y. Tashima Wholesale and Retail premises on what is now the bustling Flinders Street, Townsville.
The website also houses a video recording of a symposium held in July 2025, featuring a number of Nikkei Australia speakers including Yuichi Murakami, Yuriko Yamanouchi, Elysha Rei, and Tianna Killoran.
Walking Through Time: Australia Japan Symposium and History Trail project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Japan Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and with the support of the Australian Studies Association of Japan and James Cook University.
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