Nineteenth-century Japanese manuscripts with text and illustrations depicting the arrival of a foreign ship, identified as the hijacked Australian convict brig Cyprus in 1830.

4 Mar

Tim Stone: The Fate of the Cyprus and its Pirate Crew

Tim Stone, Churchill Fellow and documentary film producer, discusses the improbable, dramatic, and evolving 1830 tale of the brig 'Cyprus', from colonial supply ship to pirate ship.

Late in 2025, news arrived of a remarkable gathering at Tokushima, on the southern coast of Japan, to commemorate the 195th anniversary of Australia’s astonishing first contact with Japan way back in 1830. This was a time in which Japan was effectively ‘closed’ to the world by its strict isolationist policy (1639–1853), restricting foreign trade, banning most foreigners, and prohibiting Japanese citizens from leaving.

By chance, a recent discovery in Japanese archives has revealed coloured drawings and a detailed account of a ‘mysterious’ vessel arriving in Japanese waters between Tokushima and the tiny island of Tebajima, and the Japanese response.

Tim shares his latest research into the fate of the Cyprus and its pirate crew.

Presented by the Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network.