Shotaro TACHIBANA built quite a few luggers we know of, at least fourteen ( list in next paragraph) including HB, which was his last. BANZAI was his first, in 1904. When FLORIA was re-registered in 1956 TACHIBANA was listed as her builder, but her original registration (in 1914) says FURUTA Tsugitaro was her builder, so I expect that is correct. HB is the only vessel built by TAHIBANA that is still in existence.
The luggers that Tachibana built are: BANZAI (1904), FRANCIS PRITT (1908), KOZA (1911), DERIH (1911), ALEXA (1913), LEELA (1913), CATON (1913), DINTON (1913), LEYTON (1913), HESPIA (1914), YATTON (1914) NESTON (1914), ADIANA (1929) and HB (1938). FRANCIS PRITT is the odd one out here, she must have been built as a pearling lugger but wasn’t registered until 1934, when she was bought to be used as a Mission lugger, one of a long line of boats that carried the name of the Archbishop who died in 1903.
Shotaro was born on 22 Nov. 1877 and first arrived in Australia on 24 October 1895 (before the Immigration restriction Act). He was from Koza in Wakayama. He departed in 1939 and his ship-building tools were left at the Bowden Pearling Co. premises on TI.
