Steve Dawson

Steve Dawson is a Gosei, fifth generation Nikkei Australian, husband, father, and grandfather. He was engaged in long-term careers in the Austrailian military and foreign affairs, and his work included living, studying, and working abroad. Dawson worked professionally as a ESL/TESOL teacher and career development practitioner; he also has linguistic expertise in the Mandarin Chinese and Indonesian languages. He is now retired, and enjoys time with his family including his dog, watching movies, riding his motorbike, and learning new things.

Updated May 2024

Stories from This Author

Nikkei Chronicles #13—Nikkei Names 2: Grace, Graça, Graciela, Megumi?

What’s in a Name?

Sept. 23, 2024 • Steve Dawson

At first glance, one can assume confidently that the surname “Dicinoski” originates in Poland, for many Polish surnames end in “-ski”, which denotes “of” or “from.” Common surnames include Kowalski, Wiśniewski, Kamiński, Lewandowski, Zieliński, Szymański, and Dąbrowski. However, one could be forgiven for not knowing that “Dicinoski” not only has no Polish origins, but is a unique surname that represents only one Nikkei Australian clan, whose progenitor was the first Japanese to settle in Australia. Sakuragawa Rikinosuke (桜川力之助), who arrived …

acrobats Australia Discover Nikkei names Nikkei Chronicles (series) Nikkei Names 2 (series) Rikinosuke Sakuragawa

The First Recorded Japanese in Australia: Steve Dawson’s Family Story — Part 2

May 31, 2024 • Steve Dawson

Read Part 1 >> Japan entered World War I in August 1914 on the side of the Entente Allies, and quickly took control of German territories in the Pacific and mainland China. But it had already aroused European/Western interest and suspicion after decisively defeating Russia in the Russo-Japanese War between 1904 to 05, the first such victory by an Asian nation. Interestingly, my search of records at the National Archives of Australia reveal that Ewar Dicinoski applied to External Affairs …

acrobats family histories genealogy Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 (Australia) Iwakichi Togawa Japanese Australians Rikinosuke Sakuragawa

The First Recorded Japanese in Australia: Steve Dawson’s Family Story — Part 1

May 30, 2024 • Steve Dawson

It is a privilege to be able to write about my family’s ancestral Japanese roots, especially given the significance of Sakuragawa Rikinosuke, who is recorded as the first Japanese to settle in Australia. Technically, this pioneer was my great-great-grandfather, but the bloodline actually begins with his son, Ewar Dicinoski (Togawa Iwakichi), who was seven when they arrived in Australia in 1873. We are still unsure whether Ewar was Sakuragawa’s biological or adopted son, or his protégé. Nevertheless, they were ‘father …