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Collin Jones

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the introduction of Japanese studies into the Australian school system at Fort Street Boys’ High School in 1918. Japan Foundation member Colin Jones, who attended Fort Street in his youth, traces the history of that momentous event.

The Challenge

Ninety years ago, at the end of World War I, experts of the day considered that, in the interests of trade and international ties, knowledge of the Japanese language and culture would be a valuable asset. After lengthy discussions between the governments of Australia, New South Wales and Japan, it was decided to introduce Japanese into the Australian school system. Fort Street Boys’ High School was selected for the initial venue and the education authorities approached Mr Mineichi Miyata, an outstanding graduate of Tokyo Gaikokugo Gakko (which was later to become Tokyo Gaikokugo Daigaku, or Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) to seek his services. In accepting the challenge, Mr Miyata became not only the first teacher of Japanese in the Australian school system, but also the first person from Japan to do so.

An Epic Voyage

One can well imagine the excitement and perhaps apprehension that Mineichi Miyata must have experienced during this, his first overseas voyage, as the ship made its long and circuitous journey to the then little-publicised country of Australia. No one knows how this good-looking 35-year-old man occupied his time during the trip. He would have been keen, of course, to step ashore at some of the ports of call along the way, even if only to test his legs and feet on terra firma. No doubt he would have consulted his collection of books that he was bringing with him, for immediate use in class until further supplies could be ordered from Japan. Among those books were sets of the then current Jinjo Shogaku Tokuhon, readers issued by the Ministry of Education (Monbusho) for use by Japanese primary school pupils. Also included in his luggage were Saikin Chizu – Nihon no Bu (Rokumeikan, Tokyo), an atlas of Japan published in Taisho 4 (1915); Arthur Rose-Innes’s dictionary 3000 Chinese-Japanese Characters in their Printed and Written Forms, which was published the same year; and the impressive 680-page authoritative textbook of that time, bearing the awesome title A Text-Book of Colloquial Japanese based on the Lehrbuch der Japanischen Umgangssprache by Dr Rudolf Lange Revised English Edition, by Christopher Noss, published by Kyobunkwan, Tokyo.

Arrival at Fort Street

Soon after he reached Australia, Mr Miyata was welcomed and introduced to the staff of For t Street Boys’ High School by the headmaster, Alexander James Kilgour, becoming the first master in charge of the newly-established Japanese Department. As he mounted the steps at the front of the school and walked along the long, wide balconies of the impressive three-storey building on Taverner’s Hill, the smell of fresh paint and mortar still lingering in the air, Mr Miyata may well have wondered how this new school could have the impressive and historic past that he had been told about in Japan. (The new premises had been officially opened by the Premier of New South Wales less than two years before Mineichi Miyata’s arrival in Australia).

He would probably have been even more curious about the name, Fort Street, when he found that the building faced busy Parramatta Road in Petersham, not Fort Street at the Rocks. (The first settlement of Sydney began at the Rocks, now a popular area both for tourists and Sydneysiders because of its proximity to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and other attractions. The school was founded in 1849 and occupied premises in Fort Street until 1916, when the high school students were relocated to larger premises on Taverner’s Hill to cater for the ever-increasing numbers of enrolments.)

The Class of 1918: The Chosen Few

Being well versed in English, Mr Miyata had no difficulty in settling into his new surroundings, and the Japanese class of 1918 quickly became a reality. In more than one way the 18 students in that first class were ‘the chosen few’. Chosen they were, because, from all accounts, each student was selected by the school; none was given the opportunity to accept or reject the ‘offer’ to study Japanese. Yet few, if any, would have regretted participating in that novel experiment which was, in essence, seventy years ahead of its time. (It was not until the 1980s that interest in studying Japanese really began to soar). Heading the list of students chosen, in alphabetical order, was a young Hermann David Black, of whom we shall hear more as our story progresses.

Japanese had been introduced into the University of Sydney in 1917 with the appointment of James Murdoch as Professor of Japanese. Professor Murdoch was also charged with the supervision of teaching of Japanese in high schools. In the May 1918 issue of Fort Street School’s magazine, Fortian, mention is made that “Professor Murdoch pays a weekly visit to Fort Street where he keeps a watchful eye upon the progress of the Japanese class.”

The Department of Education arranged to apportion some of Mr Miyata’s time so that he could provide teaching services both to the State high school system – by then he was also teaching at North Sydney Boys’ High School – and to the University of Sydney. He began lecturing at the University of Sydney in 1920.

Busy though he must have been with this added responsibility, Mr Miyata still found time for socialising. Sharing more and more of his spare moments was an attractive young Australian woman, Miss Ethel Porter. Mineichi and Ethel were married in 1921, the year before Mineichi was to return to Japan. Their son, Kim, was born the following year.

Tribute to a Pioneer

On 14 December 1922, just prior to Mr Miyata’s departure for Japan, the long-serving headmaster of Fort Street, Mr Kilgour, wrote the following reference for Mineichi Miyata:

“I have very much pleasure in stating that Mr M. Miyata has been associated with me in this school for the past five years as master in charge of the Japanese department. He is a gentleman who in the discharge of his duties has shown very great industry and enthusiasm.

“He has the gift of language teaching, of instilling in his pupils a love and interest for his subject, and thoroughly understands the psychology of the adolescent. He has marked powers of discipline, his classes being always quiet and industrious. He has also an excellent knowledge of Australian history and conditions that should mark him out for preferment in his native country.

“He is further a courteous and refined gentleman and is held in high esteem by all his colleagues and the pupils of the school. Personally I have a very great regard for him and regret that he is leaving us to return home to Japan. He carries with him the good wishes of everyone in this school.”

A fitting tribute to an early pioneer.

After an eventful five-year term in Australia, Mineichi Miyata left for Japan accompanied by Ethel and baby Kim. They arrived in Tokyo in 1923, a year that was to be indelibly recorded in the annals of Japanese history. That was the year of the Kanto Daishinsai, the devastating earthquake that hit Tokyo and surrounding districts, the earthquake that, together with the disastrous fires that raged out of control for two full days, accounted for the death of more than 100,000 residents.

Mineichi, Ethel and Kim survived the catastrophic Tokyo earthquake and fires of 1923 that awaited them on their arrival from Australia. Mineichi was then teaching English, no doubt punctuating his lessons with tales of his experiences in Australia.

Japanese continued to be taught at Fort Street until 1927, when, due to the decline of student interest in the study of Japanese, the subject was dropped from the curriculum.

In 1928 a second son, George, was born. The family also survived the bombings of World War II, by which time Kim had entered Medical School and George was in High School.

Shortly after the war, Kim returned to Australia to practise medicine in the land of his birth. George also came to Australia to further his education, after which he returned to his native country.

By a strange twist of fate, George’s final year of study of Economics at the University of Sydney was to be under the watchful eye of none other than Professor Hermann David (“H.D.”) Black, who, years before, had been a student in his father’s first Japanese class in Australia, and who later became Chancellor of Sydney University.

George returned to his country of birth, where he continues to be a successful and highly regarded international business consultant, having been listed by Fortune magazine as “one of the 25 people you ought to know in Asia”.

Mineichi Miyata occupied himself in his retirement with writing, publishing and translating English works into Japanese. His death in 1968 at the age of 85 marked the passing of a pioneer in every sense of the word.

The Japanese Renaissance

Japanese was reintroduced into Fort Street’s curriculum in 1947, again well ahead of most schools. It continues to this day. In recent years, Australia has witnessed a steadily increasing level of emphasis on the teaching of Japanese in all areas of education, including primary schools and some kindergartens. The stage has been reached where, on a per capita basis, Australia is a world leader in the teaching of Japanese as a foreign language.

Measure of Success

Looking back on his days in the Class of 1918, the late Sir Hermann Black stated: “It was one of the most unusual experiences which not to have had would have deprived me of interest in and understanding of a people, a culture and a nation which has had and is having an immense impact on Australia…” (From Fort Street – The School, by Ronald S. Horan).

We owe a dept of thanks to Mineichi Miyata, Fort Street Boys’ High School and the Class of 1918 – all true and dedicated pioneers of Japanese language study in Australia.

Colin Jones is a freelance writer with numerous articles published both in Australia and Japan. He and his wife, Chieko, are co-authors of a comprehensive Japanese Culture Kit for teachers of Japanese. The kit was published in 2003 by the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales with the aid of the Japan Foundation’s Assistance Programme for Japanese-Language Teaching Materials. Copies are available from the Japan Foundation Library.

Acknowledgements:

I wish to express my thanks to all who assisted me during the writing of this article, including:

Lady Black, whose late husband, Sir Hermann Black AC, features prominently in the story. Lady Black was able to supply helpful details of Mineichi Miyata’s immediate family. Without that information, my research might well have come to an early standstill.

Dr Kim Fields, elder son of Mineichi Miyata, who willingly provided photographs and personal details of his parents and Alexander Kilgour’s reference, which is quoted in its entirety.

George Fields, younger son of Mineichi Miyata, who also provided valuable information and assistance in Tokyo.

Ronald S. Horan, whose book Fort Street – The School (Honeysett Publications Pty Ltd) was a wonderful source of inspiration.

Fisher Library, University of Sydney, for providing access to files in its archives.

Fort Street Boys’ High School (now Fort Street High School) and the NSW Department of Education, without the early initiative of which there would be no story to tell.