Sho Takasuka Print Page

The stained glass window commemorates Sho Takasuka, a former president of the Huntly Shire.  The window includes an image of Sho holding a spray of wattle and surrounded by various local wildflowers including "Running Postman", Fringe Lily, Greenhood Orchids and "Drumsticks", for amongst other pursuits, Sho was a member of the Bendigo Field Naturalists.

The Takasuka family left Japan for Melbourne in 1905, accompanied by Sho and Aiko, and a third child, Mario, was born in Swan Hill.  Because of the "White Australia Policy", father Jo had to get a certificate of exemption to stay in Australia. 

He was successful in being granted a five-year permit to occupy land for the specific use of rice growing.  After a number of failures, he was able to produce a winning combination of rice seed type.  One of these, the "Japonica" strain, later proved to be of export quality. Sho, aged 14, was sent on rough roads to Leeton with rice seed to the New South Wales Agriculture Department and the Takasuka family rice seed became the first seed to be sown at the Yanco Experiment Farm.

During World War Two, Mario, an Australian subject, fought with the Australian Army in New Guinea but Sho was not so lucky, having been declared an alien on account of his Japanese birth, and was arrested by federal authorities.  However, such was the support from Huntly locals who had played football and cricket with Sho, his tomato crop on the Campaspe was carefully tended. 

Huntly Shire arranged for Sho’s naturalisation in 1961 and he became president of the shire until 1970. He was the first Japanese born to occupy leadership in Australian local government.

Location

Details

Dedication