Mr Fujita's Photo Album (2017)
exhibition

When the Japanese bombed Darwin Harbour in 1942, no one thought they’d come back to clean up. But marine salvage specialist Ryugo Fujita did just that, sailing from Japan in the 1960s to spend two dangerous years clearing the harbour of wrecks sunk by Japanese planes.

 

At first, Darwin wasn’t sure how to deal with the 120 Japanese workers suddenly living on the harbour but gradually most came to accept them and the gesture of reconciliation they were making.

​

Curated from a personal album of rare, unseen images donated to Northern Territory Library in 2010 and super 8 footage, I worked with maritime experts and historians to bring these images and unknown story to life for the 75th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin. 

​

​​

More: lant.nt.gov.au/explore-nt-history/fujita-salvage-operation
​

Site: Northern Territory Library, Parliament House, Darwin

Selected media: Mr Fujita's photo album: The story of one man's drive to reconcile Australia and Japan after the bombings, ABC News