The Pearling Days
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Last Updated: Tuesday, 19 May 2020 13:56
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Written by John Holland
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Australia /Japan: The pearling days
Featuring Broome, a sea-port in Western Australia and AMA, the ‘Sea Daughters’ of Japan
Broome, (Western Australia). In 1861 the oyster Pinctada maxima appeared in Roebuck Bay, Broome. Subsequent study of this oyster soon proved it to have the largest pearl shell in the world. At this time the most valuable part of the oyster was its shell, the inside of which came to be commonly known as ‘Mother of Pearl’. This material was quickly in high demand worldwide for the manufacture of buttons and several other widely used products. At this stage of the industry, pearls were not regularly found and were regarded as a sort of by-product. Very soon approx. 75% of the worlds’ supply of ‘Mother of Pearl’ (not pearls) came from the Broome area.
Broome’s relationship with the great ocean peaked again in 1889 when a submarine cable was laid through Broome and not Darwin as expected.
Read more: The Pearling Days
Anatomy of a Japanese Garden
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Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 May 2020 00:16
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Written by Super User
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Japanese Gardens appeared around 700 CE (Tang Dynasty) with designs built around collections of plants, rocks and water suggesting larger and more complex landscapes. A typical Japanese garden may seem quite small if compared for example to The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan ( formerly “Mount Annan Botanic Garden”) (110ha) or Sydney’s’ Taronga Park Zoo (28 ha) to name just two.
Campbelltown City is fortunate to have a highly regarded Japanese Garden located on the grounds of The Campbelltown City Art Centre. The Tea House located in this garden was a Bicentenary gift from Campbelltown’s Sister City, Koshigaya in Japan in 1988.
Japanese Garden Types:
1) “Dry Landscape Garden” (“Karesansui”)
– Water is not used in this design. Instead it uses raked gravel and sand to give the appearance of water. Sometimes three or more small moss covered rocks with small shrubs growing on them are part of the design.
These gardens are often found at meditation temples.
Read more: Anatomy of a Japanese Garden
Japonisme is a French word used in the middle to late 1800’s to describe the impact of Japanese art on Western art. In 1854 japan began trading again with western countries after 216 years of alienation (see ‘Treaty of Kanagawa” below) Japanese art, including ceramics (porcelains), woodcuts and screens quickly became very popular, particularly in the Netherlands and France. The European World Fair of 1862 together with the Paris Exposition Universelle in1867 featured significant presentations of Japanese art. Western Impressionist artists including Monet, Degas, Gauguin and Van Gogh were influenced by these displays. Van Gogh in particular admired Ukiyo-e, Japanese wood-block prints. Japanese art, including ceramics (porcelains), woodcuts and screens quickly became very popular, particularly in the Netherlands and France.In 1886 Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) moved to Paris and in 1887 painted copies of works by renowned landscape printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858). 
