How baseball helped shape Japanese migrants’ experiences during the White Australia policy

In 1917, Japanese migrants in Sydney formed the Nippon Baseball Club, playing in the NSW Baseball Association until 1919. During the White Australia policy era, the team provided a rare avenue for inclusion, drawing large crowds and raising funds for Australia’s war effort. They received a framed illuminated address in 1918 and gifted the Nippon Cup in 1919, which became the state league’s top trophy for 20 years. Despite positive coverage, racist language and stereotypes persisted in media. The club dissolved due to player absences and the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. After Japan’s 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, the cup became controversial, with proposals to melt it down. The story, rediscovered in 2025 via archival research, highlights sport’s role in bridging communities under systemic racism and offers new insights into pre-WWII Asian migrant life in Australia.