Celebration & Scandal
Ross Creek was Townsville's original port and a vital connection to the outside world. Beyond trade, it was a place of arrival for many, both officially and unofficially.
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In 1923, this creek became the centre of a local "sensation" when two Japanese men were found to be hiding on board two pearling luggers. Fleeing hardship in New Caledonia, they had hidden aboard the vessel in a desperate attempt to reach Australia. Their subsequent arrest and trial at the nearby courthouse highlight how this waterway, among others in northern Australia, was an alternative path for migration.
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The creek also served as a place of formal welcome. On several occasions in the early 1900s, the Townsville community gathered right here on its banks to greet visiting Japanese naval ships, celebrating the connection between the two nations.
Launch of celebrations in Ross Creek, displaying Japanese flag, sometime between 1903 & 1910 to celebrate the arrival of the Japanese Naval Squadron.
Japanese naval squadron anchored eight miles off Cleveland Bay in 1906. The squadron made frequent visits to Townsville, often greeted with festivities at the consulate, the local Association, and at other public events.
Flag bedecked launches in Ross Creek, to welcome the visiting Japanese Naval Squadron to Townsville.