South Sea Islanders Cane-Cutters, 1899

Please note: this clip is silent

Almost 60,000 Melanesians, also known as Kanakas were used for cheap labour (most were taken against their will) during the expansion of the Queensland Sugar Cane Industry.

This footage was taken at Nambour, Qld.

the Pacific Island Labourers Bill was enacted to phase out the recruitment of Islanders by 1903, and from 1904 most workers were deported. Descendants of those who stayed in Australia number around 20,000 today.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Queensland
• farming
• Sugar Cane
• harvesting
• 1890s
• agriculture

[smdvs]

Very interesting. Do you know of any books that document this aspect of the sugar industry in NQ?

[islandwarrior16]

Faith Bandler wrote a book about it

[peteacher52]

What a bastard of a bloody job! Cuts to skin from serrated cane leaves, accidents with machettes, constant danger from snakes, spiders and dehydration, and that bugger of a foreman telling them "More speed!" all the time.

A superb historical clip. Thanks.

[masterpeacehomes]

@THRASHFKINFILLETS I'm currently doing my Masters at CQU and am wanting to write a story about life for South Sea Islanders in Queensland around the early 60s during the time when there was ban on South Sea Islander labour and many were being deported, even if it was against their will. I am really keen to learn from you so that the story I write can be as accurate as possible, and so that young people can learn more about the history of the terrible injustices of those days.

[massingfali6]

You can also find further information at the webstie blackbird.vu about the history and what is being done

[THRASHFKINFILLETS]

Here we were slavin' for the white man .....and for what...so they could

oppress us more.... my ancestors.I tell many white young people from

down about the story about the Kanaka/SouthSea Island people .............

and they don't know what you're talkin' about.The Australian Goverment

has a lot to answer for.......this is not a grudge.....many people don't about the

Kanaka/SouthSea Island people.

[missmelman89]

I've only ever seen photo's of this, not many! THANKYOU for sharing that footage...

[smdvs]

Thank you, I'll chase it up.