Threads of a kimono

This kimono and its accessories — an obi (sash) with obi makura (pillow support) and marugake obijme (cord), tabi (two-toed socks), a folding fan, and a headdress — weave a story of cross-cultural exchange in WA’s far north during the 1930s.

The garments, donated to the Museum in 2024, were gifts from Suzuki, the Japanese cook at De Grey Station, to Jean Stewart.

Jean’s father Jack managed the station, and during the cooler months his wife Aimee and daughters Jean and Margret would join him there. Suzuki grew close to the family and often sent them Japanese clothing.

After leaving De Grey in 1939, Suzuki stayed in touch with the family, but his fate is uncertain. As a Japanese Australian, he was likely interned after Japan entered the war in 1942. Family memory recalls he may have died during internment, but he is remembered through these traditional garments.