Australia’s Asia Pacific Relations

Historical OverviewPre- settlement and Early Settlement

Pre -Settlement

MAKASSAR FISHERMENTrepan or sea cucumber was the main product that the Makassar fishermen

from modern Indonesia came to fish across northern Australia

The fisherman smoked or dried the trepan for the market in China and Japan where it was a luxury food. Aboriginal groups across the north often traded

trepan for other goods with the fishermen.

Aboriginal people were recorded by the Dutch in the Makassar islands.

1800’s

NEW ZEALAND MAORI WARS 1840’s / 1860’sTroops from New South Wales aided the British settlers in their fight for land

with the Maori. Soldiers were offered grants of conquered Maori land to encourage their participation.

CHINESE GOLDMINERS -1850-1890’s

The largest gold rush in the world brought 40,000 Chinese miners to Australia, mainly Victoria, where they made up 10% of the population. They were resented, often badly treated and the new Victorian government used various methods to restrict their entry. Other colonies followed. By the time of Federation in 1901 most Chinese had left but this influx of such a large number of alien people had a great influence on the first law of the new Australian parliament “ The Immigration Restriction Act”

Chinese goldminer with essential mining equipment

Cartoon from the Bulletin which was strongly anti-Chinese and both influenced and reflected feelings at the time.

Afghan cameleers 1870’s to 1890’s

Transport in the Outback depended on camels and their drivers who came from British controlled India and were generally known as Afghans. They were particularly important in the building of the railway line to Alice Springs (now known as the Ghan) and the overland telegraph line that linked Australia to India then London. The truck replaced the camel and most left but a few families stayed to form the first Moslem community in Adelaide and the camels were set free to become a major pest problem for Central Australia.

A camel train taking supplies to desert settlement

Typical group of “Afghans” in 1900

Pearl fishermen in the Torres Strait and NW Australia, particularly Broome

Pearl fishing began in the 1850’s and by 1910 was a large industry with 400 luggers. Pearling was very dangerous and mainly the ships were owned by Europeans and the divers Japanese, Pacific Islanders and Torres Strait Islanders. Pearling was so valuable that an immigration exception was made for Japanese divers after 1901.

Even after diving suits were introduced pearl diving was a very dangerous occupation

Japanese diver gravesite at Broome

Kanakas on Queensland sugar plantations from the 1840’s

Workers were brought from Melanesia to establish the sugar cane industry in North Queensland. In the early days the Kanakas were virtual slaves although later the Queensland government controlled the industry to some extent. The Pacific workers were the centre of union movement dispute in the 1890’s that objected to “cheap coloured labour” In 1904 the Federal Government deported most of the Kanakas and those allowed to stay could not work on the sugar cane.

Worker in the sugar cane fields

Housing for Kanaka farm workers

Trading and missionaries in the South Pacific

An Australian Company “Burns Philp”(1883-1960”s) came to dominate the trade and plantation development in the South Pacific. With the traders came the missionaries from UK, NZ and Australia to convert the “heathens”. Most South Pacific nations are now Christian and have combined aspects of the original culture with Christianity.

Discussion Questions

How did Australian colonial governments view migrants from Asia or the Pacific?How did the colonial governments interact with surrounding countries in the 1800’s?What attitude did Burns Philp and other Australian businesses have towards the peoples of the Pacific islands?Why do you think Australian colonial governments were so uninterested in Asia?Relations with Asia and the Pacific were part of the discussions to form a Federal Government. What aspect of the relationship was being discussed?

Australian Attitudes to the Asian and Pacific Regions in 1900

• Economically and politically unimportant; little interaction except with some British colonies and then from the colonisers point of view (civilise and/or exploit)

• Socially very different – “inferior” / excluded in Australian society

• Asia is perceived as one amorphous area; little knowledge or interest especially outside the British sphere of influence.

• The Pacific Islands seen as either “romantic” or “primitive”; main link through the churches where support missionaries civilising the natives or through trade and plantations that exploit the native workforce.

• Foreign policy, investment and trade is based in the UK • Australian priorities and emotional ties are strongly linked to Britain.

• Attitudes in Australia reflect its isolation and colonial status. The federation movement in the 1890’s is based on the pioneer spirit, British heritage and maintaining a “white” Australia.