Australia’s Asia Pacific Relations
Historical Overview
Pre- settlement and Early Settlement
Pre -Settlement
MAKASSAR FISHERMEN
Trepan 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’s
Troops 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”(18831960”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.