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South Sea Slavery: Voices From The Dark, Gemma Tamock, Soraya Hosni, Thomas Dick

Thomas Dick

The status of South Sea Island sugar cane labourers in 19th century Queensland has been hotly debated since the very beginning of the labour trade in 1863.

The official historical perspective is that Island labourers were indentured workers, recruited and contracted in their native lands, brought to Australia to work for three years and then returned to their islands. Though acknowledging that kidnappings were common in the early years of the labour trade, historians maintain that the labourers signed contracts and were paid, therefore negating the claims of Islander descendants that they were slaves. There are many stories passed down …