Emelda Davis is a South Sea Islander woman and the president of the Australian South Sea Islanders Project Jackson. She joined Amy McQuire to discuss her own family history, and the other black history in Queensland and New South Wales.
The Qld government has records of 62,475 Pacific Islanders who came over as indentured labourers from 1863-1904. Their hard work helped build the economic base of the colony. Although it was termed as ‘indentured labour’, South Sea Islanders widely view it as slavery. Throughout the ‘labour trade’ there were allegations of kidnapping and slavery.
For more information check out ASS-PJ’s website, which has information sheets and articles on Australian South Sea Islanders.
