Kanaka Labour in Queensland, [Ises-Mi]

140 Kanaka Labour in Queensland, [ises-mi] Mr. B. H. MOLESWOETH, M.A. (Bead at a meeting of the Society on 6th July, 1916.) . Kanakas, as labourers from the Pacific Islands have been termed, were imported into Queensland during 42 years, viz., 1863-1904. For the subject of my paper to night I have selected that period of their labour here, viz., 1863-1871, during which their introduction was not regulated by the <xovernment—the period during which it was not certain whether the Government intend ed to permit the kanakas to remain in the colony or to order their immediated repatriation. These island "boys" were first brought to Queens land in response to a demand which was made continu ously in these northern districits of New South Wales from the first year that squatters selected areas for pas ture on the Darling Downs—the demand for a supply of labourers. A sufficient supply of white men could not be obtained at any wage. Experiments with aboriginals and with Chinese failed, both types of labourer proving useless as shepherds, while petitions to the Imperial Gov ernment for the revival of transportation were fruitless. A similar lack of labourers existed throughout the whole of the pastoral areas of New South Wales after the cessation of transportation in 1840, and led to the first trial in Australia of kanaka labour, which was used first in the Riverina district. The man responsible for the experiment was Mr. Benjamin Boyd.* It failed, be cause in the first place the cold of the Western winter and the loneliness of the work of shepherding caused sickness, and in many cases death to the kanakas, and in the second place the New South Wales Government ex empted the "boys" from the operation of the Masters and Servants Act, enabling them to desert if they so wished. The majority of those who survived the first winter took the opportunity thus afforded them. The experiment was labelled a failure, and no more kanakas were introduced into New South Wales. As soon as Queensland entered upon its existence as a colony separate from New South Wales (on 10th De cember, 1869) the flrst task of those who (controlled its * Benjamin Boyd (1796-1850). See Henniker Heaton, Austra lian Dictionary and Dates, pt. 1, p. 23. 141 fortunes was to make it self-supporting. It was recog nised that the colony could not thrive while producing only pastoral products, and the early legislators turned their attention to the encouragement of agriculture on the coast lands. The first thing to be done in the promotion of agri culture was to supply the necessary factors of production. The land was at once supplied by the Government by means of the Crown Lands Alienation Act, while cotton was suggested as a crop by means of a bonus offered to the cultivators of the cotton plant. But in turning to afford a supply of the next factor—labour—the Government were confronted by the same problem which had been puzzling the squatters for several years—the non exist ence of the requisite type of colonist. The contribution of the Government to the solution of this problem was the Coolie Act of 1862, empowering the Governor-in-Coumoil to make regulations for tht intro duction of immigrants from British India.* But a few private capitalists proved the possibility of another and a different solution, by bringing to Queensland cheap black labourers from some of the South Sea Islands. The first kanakas brought to Queensland arrived in the schooner Don Juan, on August 14th, 186'3. The man responsible for this first shipload was Captain Robert Towns, t Formerly he had been a merchant and shipper in Sydney, and his business caused him to make several trading voyages to some of the Pacific islands. WhilvJ on these voyages he had employed South Sea Islanders on his vessels and in other ways, and learning soon to esti mate the worth of these men, decided to repeat Boyd's experiment, while at the same time attempting to avoi<l the causes of the latter's failure. He decided to avoid the exemptions from the New South Wales Masters and Ser vants Act, and also the Southern cold by taking the islanders to Queensland. He therefore acquired land on the Logan River, and immediately despatched an agent • These regulations will be found in the Qd. Govt. 'Gazette of 11th February, 1863; for the corresponding Indian Legislation and Eegulations see ib. 8th July, 1864. t Bobert Towns (1794-1873). See Henniker Heaton, Australian Dictionary of Dates, pt. 1, p. 206. He is said to have appeared after his death to members of his family. See Gurney, Phantasms of the Living, vol. II., p. 2'13. 142 to obtain islanders for. him. This agent, Mr. Ross Lewift, made a sucicessful voyage and reached Moreton Bay on August 14th, with 67 labourers on board. The fact that this news was communicated to the city during the day accounts for the following paragraph in the Brisbane "Courier" of August 17th, under the heading "Shipping Arrivals":—"August 15th, Don Juan, schooner, Captain , from Sydney." From Brisbane the natives were taken by Captain Towns to his land on the Logan River, and there set to work on the cotton plantation which he was making. Sleeping huts and a large mess room were erected, and the men at once settled down to their new mode of life. The wages stipulated in their agreements were 10/- per month and rations. Such are the circumstances which attended the arrival of the first body of kanakas in Queensland, their introdulction being carried out by a private capitalist. But public attention was very soon to be called to these new labourers, and at once it was evident that there were two opposing opinions concerning the principle of their introduction. An article appeared in the "North Australian" on August 20th, and was copied by the "Courier" on the 22nd, entitled "The Slave Trade in Queensland." This article was based upon what it termed a "mysterious dialogue" between Mr. Pugh and the Colonial Secretary in the House. The dialogue referred to had caused the writer to make enquiries, through which he ascertained the facts of the arrival of the kanakas. The article then proceeded violently to attaiek Captain Towns for institut ing the "slave trade in Queensland," and ended by ac cusing the Government of "winking at" the whole trans action. A reply to this article was written to the "Courier" of August 24th, and a further letter on 28th by Mr. W. H. Palmer. These letters pointed out that the transaction was perfectly lawful, that the natives had been properly hired and were well provided for, and spoke of the kanakas as "British subjects," and "fellow colonists hired for 12 months." This argument during August, 1863, shows that from the very fiirst introduction of the kanakas there were two distinct and opposing bodies of opinion in regard to the principles involved. 143 From the various articles written against the impor tation of the new labour, the chief reasons for opposition during the early sixties seem to have been economic; it was not opposed on sentimental, religious or humanitarian grounds until a few years later. For this reason the opposition at the outset made little headway because the efoonomic facts were all in favour of the introductiou. The opposition centred mainly around the argument that coloured aliens induced to spend a few years in Queens land were not such useful colonists as Europeans, who bring with them their wives and families with the inten tion of making a permanent home in the land, and that the latter kind of immigration would cease if the former were permitted. It was forgotten by such arguers that the former kind of immigrants would quickly make pro ductive large tracts of country upon which the latter kind of immigrants, with their wives and families, could then settle. It is significant that the "Courier," which had been opposing the importation of kanakas, speaking in an article on December 10th, 1863, of the great sicarcity of labour, asks "where can we get labourers to meet our requirements?" An answer was soon given and acted upon by other private persons, and during the ensuing few years the scarcity of labour and the necessity for obtaining it somewhere led to the further importation of kanakas in gradually increasing numbers. On August 18th Captain Towns had landed the 67 kanakas at his plantation on the Logan River and set them to work. In spite of the controversy in the Press and the questions in the Assembly, it was only when some months later Towns despatched to Brisbane bullock teams driven by kanakas, that the majority of the city residents fully realised that these men had been landed and were working in the colony. The realisation of the fact caused no small amount of excitement, and many persons paid a visit to the plantation, which was de scribed with glowing terms in letters to the Press. The apparent .success of the experiment formed the subject of a despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, while a large grant of land was at the same time made by the Government to Captain Towna for experimental cul tivation. 144 During the following year, Towns' example was followed by Captain the Hon. Louis Hope* who, obtaining land at Ormiston, near Cleveland, took there in July, 54 kanakas who had been landed by the schooner Uncle Tom from the islands. With these men he speedily cleared the land, but then, instead of planting cotton, as had Towns, he planted sugar-cane.

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