South sea islander

History of South Sea Islanders in Australia

  • Opening up of the tropical North

    Opening up of the tropical North
    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.
  • South Sea Islanders arrive in Australia

    South Sea Islanders arrive in Australia
    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.
  • Period: to

    Unregulated Labour of South Sea Islanders

    In this time period the south sea islanders labour was unregulated and someone could import as many as they could without a license.
  • Pacific Island Labourers Act

    Pacific Island  Labourers  Act
    First comprehensive legislation to regulate all aspets of traficking and employement of labour from the pacific islanders, with inspectors assigned to enforce it
  • Introduction of the Polynesian Labourers Act

    Introduction of the Polynesian Labourers Act
    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.
  • Period: to

    New Guinea Labourers Brought in Illegally

  • Queensland Bans future Importation of South Sea Islanders

  • Coloured Races Restriction and Regulation Act

    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.
  • Pacific Islanders Labourers Act (Australia)

    Pacific Islanders Labourers Act (Australia)
    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.
  • Commonwealth Deporations Begin

    Commonwealth Deporations Begin
    7068 islands were derported between 1904 and 1908
  • Royal commision into reparitation of south sea islanders

    In response to humatarian concerns to see if investigate if there would be sufficient replacement labour for local industries..
  • Period: to

    Community facing severe discrimintation

    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
  • Age Pension Granted to Aboriginals and South Sea Islanders

    Age Pension Granted to Aboriginals and South Sea Islanders
    Aboriginals and south sea islanders first became eligible to a pension in 1942
  • Period: to

    Fghting for indigenous justice.

    Australian south sea islanders were active in the movement for indigenous people equality.
  • Ban on Coloured Labour is abolished

    This is when the prohibition on coloured labor in the sugar industry was abolished
  • Recognition by the commonwealth government

    Recognition by the commonwealth government
    In response to the call for recognition report. The commonwealth government officially recognised the Australian south sea islander community as a distinct ethic group
  • Recongition by the Queensland Government

    Recongition by the Queensland Government
    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.
  • Queensland government's action plan

    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.