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I just finished reading a book entitled "The White Divers of Broome" by John Bailey
It's a dramatised non-fiction account of the "White Diver Experiment" undertaken in Broome, a North Western Australian town that was the epicentre of the pearling industry between 1890 and the outbreak of the 1st World War.
As a result of the implementation of the White Australia Immigration policy and the resultant "stain" on Australian society that the prevalent use of Japanese, Malay and other non white divers in the pearling industry represnted, 9 English naval divers and 4 tenders were recruited to work in the pearling grounds in the 1912 season. By the end of the season several of the English divers were dead and the rest had left the industry.
I found it a fascinating account of a turn of the century diving industry and the by today's standards, outrageously dangerous practices used back then. It's also a stark account of the prevalent racism in Australia at the time.
I found it interesting and thought, that given the limited international press it was likely to receive I may as well have a bit of a rave about it
It's a dramatised non-fiction account of the "White Diver Experiment" undertaken in Broome, a North Western Australian town that was the epicentre of the pearling industry between 1890 and the outbreak of the 1st World War.
As a result of the implementation of the White Australia Immigration policy and the resultant "stain" on Australian society that the prevalent use of Japanese, Malay and other non white divers in the pearling industry represnted, 9 English naval divers and 4 tenders were recruited to work in the pearling grounds in the 1912 season. By the end of the season several of the English divers were dead and the rest had left the industry.
I found it a fascinating account of a turn of the century diving industry and the by today's standards, outrageously dangerous practices used back then. It's also a stark account of the prevalent racism in Australia at the time.
I found it interesting and thought, that given the limited international press it was likely to receive I may as well have a bit of a rave about it
