Samurai In The Surf

the long version

"In the 1980s, property prices on the Gold Coast reached unprecedented heights. Glamorous high-rises etched the skyline, coastal swamps were replaced by immaculate golf-courses and mansions jostled for position along canal estates. Spurred by a flood of Japanese tourism followed by a wave of Japanese investment, the region witnessed a grand transformation that enthusiastically applied the theory of Australia as part of Asia. However, World War II sensitivities were stirred up. Many were energized into action that had repercussions for all levels of Australian life. Furious debate was sparked about Australia's national identity." "Samurai in the Surf explores the history of this investment, following a money-trail that leads back to a ballooning Japanese economy and a colourful array of Japanese who put their money into Gold Coast property. The book also explores the local community's views of this unprecedented stream of foreign investment and provides a convincing illustration of the links between 1980s Queensland and Pauline Hanson's One Nation movement of the 1990s."--BOOK JACKET.