South Sea Islanders
Australian descendants of Pacific Islanders / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about usage in Australia. For other uses, see Pacific Islander.
For a general context to this article, see White Australia policy.
South Sea Islanders, formerly referred to as Kanakas, are the Australian descendants of Pacific Islanders from more than 80 islands – including the Oceanian archipelagoes of the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Gilbert Islands, and New Ireland – who were kidnapped or recruited between the mid to late 19th century as labourers in the sugarcane fields of Queensland. Some were kidnapped or tricked (or "blackbirded") into long-term indentured service. At its height, the recruiting accounted for over half the adult male population of some islands.
Quick Facts Regions with significant populations, Languages ...
South Sea Islander labourers on a Queensland pineapple plantation, 1890s | |
Regions with significant populations | |
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Mackay · Bundaberg · Townsville · Brisbane · Gold Coast · Sydney | |
Languages | |
Australian English · | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Austronesian peoples |
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