Why Did South Sea Islanders Migrate To Australia

Approximately 55, 000 to 62, 000 South Sea Islanders were recruited to Australia during 1863 to 1904. The majority were forced out of their homes and others were bribed with things such as mirrors, knifes and other possessions that assist with their survival. The South Sea Islanders migrated to Queensland and northern New South Wales from over 80 Pacific Islands. They were known as the ‘Kanakas’ which is a Hawaiian word that defines to ‘man’. South Sea Islanders had a huge impact on Australia but were treated poorly and went through a high level of racism and general discrimination. This essay will present an overview of the historical and social contributions, their importance and lastly their employment role, beginning with how they aided …show more content…
The majority of the south sea islanders were blackbirded or deceived into coming. The minority that chose to migrate did not know what was to come. They were treated just as horribly as the others who were forced; they were all obliged to sign contracts that they couldn’t read since it was all in English. Regarding the people that were deceived into coming they were usually lured in with mirrors, knifes and other possessions that they believed would help them survive. 50, 000 people who were mostly men and relatively women had come from 80 Pacific Islands which encompassed Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. South sea islanders were mainly blackbirded to work in Cotton fields but by 1868 most were recruited to work on sugar …show more content…
Blackbirding was most popular during 1847 and the first attempt to stop it happened during 1904. The south sea islanders were locked into boats and carted to Australia, Queensland. Blackbirding was practiced so white people could use the south sea islanders to their advantage and not have to work in the worst conditions. Coming to Australia had a major negative effect on the south sea islanders because many were forced to migrate. The negative effects include being forced to leave their families behind, never seeing their families again due to it being impossible for them to return to their home countries. Having a lower income rate compared to the average worker being paid only 12 pounds a year. Also they had to leave at the young ages between 9-30 years old. They had to complete work in the tropics since white people believed they could not work in such conditions. Finally, 5% were abducted and 20%-50% of the south sea islanders were obtained by methods that are illegal