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In about 1962, he moved to look after Dick Pepper’s store. Dick had purchased Mrs Marshall’s store which on
the north side of Rocky Creek, and moved it to the current site of the Borroloola Inn. Initially Jack was employed
to drive a Thorneycroft truck to Darwin to get the store supplies. In the wet season, the truck would invariably
bog on the dirt road from Daly Waters to Borroloola. Jack would walk into town, returning with packhorses to
the vehicle to unload perishable items. Whilst caretaker at the store Jack liked to party with Arthur Mawson and
Ron Kerr. Jack’s favourite song was ‘Me and Bobby McGee’.
In 1966, a group of Borroloola citizens, including Jack, formed the Borroloola Amateur Race Club.
The racecourse encircled the pub and tamarind trees and the starting post was at Pear Tree Creek.
With the construction of the sealed beef road in 1968 Jack, who did not like crowds, moved to the Two Mile and
lived simply in a little caravan with a tin shed beside. There was a little spring nearby. He kept a pet goanna and a
King Brown snake as pets. He enjoyed the company of bushies. Ron Kerr often rode out to visit Jack and give him
meat. He would leave it to become flyblown, then trim off the maggoty bit and eat the rest. In the 1970s, he went
onto the old age pension. He would walk into Borroloola to buy some rations: flour, sugar, tea, onions, potatoes
and chocolate were put into a hessian bag and put over his shoulder.
In 1982, Bill Barrett was working in the bar of Borroloola Inn when a visitor came asking for Jack. The bloke
hadn’t seen Jack for 11 years. Bill gave him directions to Jack’s camp and sometime later, he returned saying,
‘A nice bastard you are, there’s only a hand left’. Jack had died sometime during the humid March of 1982 and
was not found until sometime later. His outstretched hand was near a bottle of heart pills. The body was sent away
for autopsy but the cause of death could not be determined. Rumour has it that one of Jack’s pet King Brown’s bit
him. He is buried to the west of the Borroloola and a concrete cross marks the grave erected on 4 April 1982, the
date of his interment.
D Attenborough, Quest Under Capricorn, 1963; J A Whitaker, Borroloola, 1985.
JUDY WHITAKER, Vol 3.MURAKAMI, YASUKICHI (1880–1944), businessman, community leader, inventor and a pioneer of the cultured
pearl industry in northern Australia, was born on 19 December 1880 at Tanami, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.
He was the second son of Jebei and Yasu Marakami. His father was a prosperous farmer and fisherman. Yasukichi
Murakami completed his education at the Wakayama Teacher Training College, graduating with an education
diploma. Shortly after completing his education he accepted an invitation from his brother-in-law Asari Masutaro
to visit the pearling ground of northern Western Australia. He was one of many young Japanese men who had left
their towns and villages to seek their fortune in the Australian pearling industry. Murakami was able to find work
as a labourer on his arrival at Cossack, Western Australia on 8 August 1897. However, this slight, good-looking
youth soon caught the interest of a wealthy childless Japanese, Tomasi Nishioka who, with his wife Eki, became
his patron.
Murakami learned to speak fluent English, taught himself bookkeeping and studied areas of maritime law
relevant to the pearling industry. Amongst Nishioka’s many business enterprises was a photographic shop run
by his wife. This was to kindle Murakami’s lifelong interest in photography. The few examples of his work that
remain are a useful historical record of the Japanese pioneers of northern Australia.
It was not difficult for Japanese men of Murakami’s quick wit and intelligence to succeed in northern Australia
in those days. Although there was some animosity toward them because of their racial origins it was well recognised
that the pearling industry depended on them and even the politicians accepted that they made excellent settlers.
During 1876–77 the South Australian government that administered the Northern Territory had unsuccessfully
negotiated with the Japanese government to encourage the establishment of a Japanese colony in the Territory.
When Cossack began to wane as a business centre Murakami and the Nishiokas transferred their businesses
to Broome, Western Australia. Murakami branched out on his own and when Nishioka died, he managed the
Nishioka enterprises for Eki for some time.
In 1904, Captain Ancell Clement Gregory arrived in Broome. He was an excellent mariner and an astute
businessman. He was an extraordinary man, with the air of a swashbuckler but noted also for his courtesy
toward women and his ability to mix in ‘polite society’. Although quite different in appearance and background
to Murakami, they both were adventurous, ambitious, young and eager to succeed. These two men must have
appeared an odd pair but they became lifelong partners and friends.
Serious race riots occurred in Broome in 1920 during which the local police inspector died from a heart attack
and four Koepangers and two Japanese were killed. Murakami and Gregory played a significant part in the peace
negotiations that followed; indeed Murakami became well known for his ability to mediate with the various races
living in Broome. Later he was accepted, not only amongst the pearling fraternity, but also within the general
community. Dr Tadashi Suzuki, whose Japanese hospital was staffed by sisters from the St John of God Convent,
and the Australian Dr Haynes became his close personal friends.
Murakami married an Australian girl of Japanese descent, Shigeno (Theresa) Murato at Cossack on
10 January 1920. Nine children were born of the marriage, Kathleen, Francis, Margaret, Richard, Bernadette,
Joseph, Michael, Peter and Paul. Theresa Murakami was a Catholic. Murakami, a Buddhist, was to later become
a Catholic, too.
In the year of his marriage, Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu on behalf of the Japanese Industry Association presented
Murakami with an award. The Japanese diplomatic corps in Australia had recommended the award in recognition
of his services in promoting friendship and trade between Japan and Australia.