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Around this time people thought that white men would be unable to work safetly in the north tropics, White labour that could be easily used was scare after the convict transportation ended and it became expensive to do. This led to the idea of using "coloured" labour to work in the tropics.
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South Sea Islanders arrive in Australia on slave ships to work on the plantations in QLD. Working in places where cheap manual labour was needed.
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In this time period the south sea islanders labour was unregulated and someone could import as many as they could without a license.
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First comprehensive legislation to regulate all aspets of traficking and employement of labour from the pacific islanders, with inspectors assigned to enforce it
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The polynesian labourers act was the first legisilation that was introduced to regulate the trafficking and employment of the polynesians. This meant that you would need a license to import labourers but it would only be granted for labourers working in tropical or semi-tropical agriculture.
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NSW was the first colony to ban non-white immigration. In 1881 they restricted chineese imigrants and in 1896 they extended the act to people of other races.
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This act was model on the 1880 version and orderd the recruitement of south sea islanders to end after 1903 and gave the federal authoroties the power to deport any islander found in australia after december 1906.
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7068 islands were derported between 1904 and 1908
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In response to humatarian concerns to see if investigate if there would be sufficient replacement labour for local industries..
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From 1909 to 1942 south sea islnaders living in Australia faced severe hardship. As legislation prohibited their employment in the sugar cane industry and unions resisted their employment elsewhere
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Aboriginals and south sea islanders first became eligible to a pension in 1942
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Australian south sea islanders were active in the movement for indigenous people equality.
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This is when the prohibition on coloured labor in the sugar industry was abolished
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In response to the call for recognition report. The commonwealth government officially recognised the Australian south sea islander community as a distinct ethic group
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In july 2000 the queensland government formally recognised the south sea islander as a distinc cultural and ethic group and acknowledged their contribution to queenslands development.
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The queensland goverenment endorsed an action plan designed to ensure australian south sea islanders have the opportunity to participate and contribute to the economic,. social, political and cultural life of Queensland.
