Who were the indentured South Sea Islanders?

Who were the indentured South Sea Islanders?

Australian South Sea Islanders are the Australian-born direct descendants of people who were brought (in the main) to Australia between 1863 and 1904 to work as indentured labourers in the primary industries.

Are South Sea Islanders indigenous?

Irrespective of their differences, the fact remains that Islanders, are indigenous inhabitants of parts of Australia, who, like Aborigines, have been greatly affected by European settlement.

Who kidnapped the South Sea Islanders?

South Sea Islanders came from 80 different islands including Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji, the Gilbert Islands, New Ireland, and Papua New Guinea. Many were kidnapped or ‘blackbirded’ by labour agents, others were told lies about what they could expect in Australia.

Why did South Sea Islanders come to Queensland?

They are the descendants of South Sea Islanders brought to Queensland from 1863 to 1904 from 80 Melanesian islands to work the State’s cotton and sugar plantations. The 62,000 men, women and children were considered a cheap source of labour, with many being kidnapped, tricked or blackbirded.

Who started slavery in Australia?

The first shipload of 65 Melanesian labourers arrived in Boyd Town on 16 April 1847 on board the Velocity, a vessel under the command of Captain Kirsopp and chartered by Benjamin Boyd. Boyd was a Scottish colonist who wanted cheap labourers to work at his expansive pastoral leaseholds in the colony of New South Wales.

Why were Pacific Islanders called Kanakas?

Between 1863 and 1904, an estimated 55,000 to 62,500 Islanders were brought to Australia to labour on sugar-cane and cotton farms in Queensland and northern New South Wales. [1] These labourers were called ‘Kanakas’ (a Hawaiian word meaning ‘man’) and their recruitment often involved forced removal from their homes.