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 in Australia in 1873, was to become the first Japanese settler. He was accompanied by his seven year old adopted son/protégé, Togawa Iwakichi (户川岩吉), and both were acrobats. Upon arrival, likely due to nascent immigration practices, their names were rendered phonetically and incorrectly, so, Sakuragawa Rikinosuke became “Sacarnawa Decenoski,” with his Japanese first name “Rikinosuke” becoming his phoneticised surname “Decenoski.”
In Togawa’s case, he was recognised as Sakuragawa’s son, and recorded as “Ewar Decenoski,” with “Ewar”deriving from the first part of his given name “Iwakichi.”
Sakuragawa adopted the anglicised first name “Reginald,” which was recorded on his marriage certificate. After marrying Jane Kerr and having four children, he applied for naturalisation in 1882, which was granted quickly. Unfortunately, and sadly, Sakuragawa died prematurely in 1884 from tuberculosis.
His name lived on through his spouse who continued in the circus industry as “Madame Decenoski.” However, over generations, and with subsequent remarriages, the surname “Decenoski” diminished and the last recorded use was in Australian census records of 1917 that recounted the death in 1910 of an “R. Decenoski,” who also went by the name “George Doyle.”
For unknown reasons, around the time of his father’s death, Ewar changed the spelling of his surname to “Dicinoski,” which was recorded on his marriage certificate in 1892. Significantly, Ewar not only married on the same date as his father, but also named his first-born son “Reginald”. Ewar and his circus performer wife, Susan Bowtell, continued the family acrobat business as the Dicinoski Troupe that comprised their eight children: Reginald, Amelia, Ewar (junior), Pearl, Susan (Goldie), Joseph, Clarence (Hector), Norman, and Cecil.
Post-federation in 1901, the Australian government introduced a “White Australia Policy” that discriminated against non-Caucasians, and especially Asians. At that time, Japan was viewed by the government as a rising military power and threat, and suspicions ran high. Consequently, the movements within Australia of people of Japanese origin or descent—including the Dicinoski Troupe—were monitored surreptitiously by police on behalf of military intelligence. With the advent of the First World War and growing racial prejudice—despite Japan being an ally—Ewar Dicinoski applied for citizenship in 1914, which was denied outright:
“I have the honour to inform you that as you are an aboriginal native of Asia you are not eligible to become naturalised under the Commonwealth.”
Around that time, in an effort to obfuscate Japaneseness, the Dicinoski Troupe changed its name to the “Star Variety Company” and its circus flyers carried no mention of the “Japanese” origins of their acrobatic performances, unlike previously. In 1916, the government introduced a “War Precautions (Aliens Registration)” act that required all aliens (foreigners) to register, and Ewar Dicinoski did so in January 1917; his family circus gave its final performance just two months later in March 1917.
The family dispersed to eke out livings by any means possible, for they knew little else but the nomadic acrobat life. Evidently, at some point, Ewar determined that his children, for their own safety and well-being, must not reveal their Japanese cultural heritage to anyone. They abided by this family decree honourably to the point that following generations of Dicinoskis were totally unaware of their Japanese heritage and acrobat history, for the latter’s origin was also Japanese.
In fact, the Japanese heritage was only uncovered by the erstwhile and diligent efforts of an Australian academic in the 1960s–70s, who was immensely intrigued to discover that the first Japanese settler was an acrobat. The academic tracked down the eldest of the Dicinoski Troupe children, Reginald, who reluctantly confirmed the truth. The last surviving Dicinoski Troupe child, Pearl, died at age 99 in 1999, having endured lifelong fear of persecution and internment, despite rescindment of the White Australia Policy in the 1960s.
Ironically, Ewar Dicinoski’s children avoided racial persecution due to the protection provided by their Polish surname. In fact, this general perception was exploited as a family lie to mask Japaneseness, as descendants were told that their ancestors were either Polish or Russian, and still no mention was made of circus backgrounds, until the discovery by the academic.
Presently, there are hundreds of people who still carry the Dicinoski surname, and most who learn about their fascinating family heritage are intrigued, inspired and somewhat proud, and at the same time forlorn at the loss of cultural identity and heritage.
Certainly, the more they comprehend what being a Dicinoski means, the more their past Polish and Russian voids are filled with meaningful truth. Interestingly, both the Decenoski and Dicinoski bloodlines experienced this false heritage.
My surname is “Dawson,” and, like Togawa Iwakichi, that name is borrowed because my father was adopted. My father’s ancestry has its own fascinating story of mainly Anglo-Saxon heritage, but I tend to identify more with my mother’s bloodline, and her maiden name “Dicinoski.” I am a proud Nikkei Australian great-grandson of Ewar Dicinoski, and great-great grandson of pioneering progenitor, Sakuragawa Rikinosuke.
© 2024 Steve Dawson
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