The first documented Japanese migrant to Australia

This is the story of Sakuragawa Rikinosuke, who seems to be the first documented Japanese migrant to Australia.

Sakuragawa Rikinosuke (R) and Togawa Iwakichi as a seven year old boy, on the ladder Source: Supplied

Most early migrants to Australia had their names mangled by clerks who wrote down their names as they heard it.

When a man called Rikinosuke arrived in Melbourne from Japan in 1873, Rikinosuke became Dicinoski on Australian papers.

Gavin Dicinoski lives on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, and he grew up thinking his family name was from Poland.

Until one day he learnt he actually owes it to a Japanese man.

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