Australian South Sea Islanders are the proud descendants of the original

ADE South Sea Islanders who were brought here between 1863 and 1904 to work the cotton and sugar plantations, pastoral and beche-de-mer industries, in the late half of the 19th Century. OUR TR This trade in Islander labour had notorious During this time, some 62,000 South Sea Islanders

AB beginnings. One of the most controversial aspects were brought to Australia to work in the Australian L of the labour trade was the kidnapping of Islanders sugar industry. They predominately came from from their island homelands, referred to as Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands but they also blackbirding . came from New Caledonia, Fiji, Gilbert Islands, New Ireland, and Milne Bay Provinces of “The exploitation” of the young Islanders and the way Papua New Guinea. in which they were 'recruited' into becoming labourers, is still debated and the question remains; South Sea Islanders were referred to as Kanakas a were they forced, coerced, deceived or persuaded term often considered derogatory by members of to leave their island homes at a young age and today's Islander communities. travel by ship to Queensland? The answer is yes, Today, the descendants are known as Australian all of those methods were used. South Sea Islanders.

Main recruiting routes “South Sea Islanders were brought to Australia as a source of cheap labour for Queensland’s primary industries. Many people were tricked into coming, others were kidnapped or ‘blackbirded’.” Queensland Government’s Recognition Statement, September 2000.

Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands

Port Moresby Vanuatu

Cairns Innisfail MAIN Townsville RECRUITING ROUTES Bowen New Caledonia Mackay Queensland Rockhampton Bundaberg Maryborough Brisbane PEOPLE & PLANTATION “ Y 1 oztobacco,2ozssaltand4cakesofsoap. after inthePlantationhospital…Weeklytheyreceived the cropsgrown…Ifamanwasill,helooked Sweet potatoesandbananaswerethemainstayof gardens. rice…they werealsoallowedtogrowtheirown 2lbs vegetablesand8ozsmaizemealor4of 1lb. beeformutton,1lbofbreadflour Government Regulations;eachmanreceiveddaily ASouthSeaIslanderdietwaswellbalanced,under was suitable. Authorities believedthatthespecifiedIslanderdiet Sea IslanderscomparedtothatofEuropeans. result ofthiswasaveryhighdeathrateforSouth paddocks oratthefarmswheretheyworked.The was littleornorealhealthcare,manydiedinthe Islanders hadtoworkwhilesickandbecausethere potatoes, bread,teaandsugar inadequate diet,consistingofbeeformutton, This combinedwithaculturallyandnutritionally the Islanderswerevulnerabletoforeigndiseases. Hard labourandpoorlivingconditionsmeantthat paid inweeklyrationsand£6peryear akin toslavery labour The QueenslandsugarindustrywasbuiltonthebacksofSouthSeaIslander afternoon. day In returntheSouthSeaIslanderworkeda10hour matches andknives. trousers, apairofblankets,hat,shoes,pipes, health wasseverelycompromised. early theyweresuppliedwith3shirts,4pairsof Source: plantation inHalifax,Queensland. South seaIslanderlabourersgatheredtogetherona Neg: 18057 , startingearlymorningandfinishinglate . Men,womenandchildrenhadtoworklonghoursinharshconditions JohnOxleyLibrary ”

Robertson, 1991,page10. . Whilewhitelabourersreceived£30eachyear , StateLibraryofQueensland. , meanttheIslander , 5ozssugar , , paidattheendofthreeyearcontracts. Some generalhospitalshad'Kanaka'wardssetup. including Maryborough,InghamandMackay South SeaIslandersinvariouspartsofQueensland Eventually Source: Bingera, Queensland,ca.1898. South SeaIslanderlabourerinthesugarcanefieldsat Neg: 2252 Source: a sugarcaneplantationnearCairns,Queensland,ca.1895. Group ofAustralianSouthSeaIslanderwomenlabourerson Neg: 63220 JohnOxleyLibrary JohnOxleyLibrary , inthe1880s,hospitalsweresetupfor , StateLibraryofQueensland. , StateLibraryofQueensland. , Islanderswere .