Youse, Zia, MacLaren, David, Lindsay, Daniel, and Redman-MacLaren, Michelle (2025) Australian South Sea Islander Communities in Queensland: 2016 and 2021 Census. Report. James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

This Report provides a comprehensive analysis of Australian South Sea Islander Communities in Queensland, Australia based on data from both the 2016 and the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census of Population and Housing.

Australian South Sea Islanders descend from the 62,000 South Sea Islanders blackbirded, coerced, taken and recruited into forced and unforced labour on Queensland’s sugar and cotton plantations between 1863 and 1904. Blackbirding is a term used to describe the enticement or ambushing of Melanesian people onto ships in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Paua New Guinea – many were brought against their will to work in Australia1.

On 7 September 2000, the Queensland Government recognised the historical, traumatic experiences of Australia South Sea Islanders, and continued contributions of Australian South Sea Islanders to the culture and economy of Queensland.

The Queensland Government’s Recognition Statement, coming six years after Commonwealth Government Recognition, stated:

“The Government acknowledges and regrets that Australian South Sea Islanders experienced unjust treatment and endured social and economic disadvantage prejudice and racial discrimination… The Queensland Government is committed to ensuring that present and future generations of Australian South Sea Islanders have equality of opportunity to participate in and contribute to the economic, social, political and cultural life of the State…”2

Twenty five years on from this official Queensland Government Recognition, targeted, persistent and evidence-based efforts are required to ensure all Australian South Sea Islanders are able to realise the equality of opportunity committed to in the Recognition Statement.

The unique circumstances of Australian South Sea Islanders living in Queensland is clearly apparent through an analysis of demographic and socio-economic data, and trends, from the 2016 and 2021 ABS Censuses. This Report therefore includes Australian South Sea Islander population demographics, family and household characteristics, education levels, employment patterns and health status from 2016 and 2021 and compares them with the general Queensland Population. This Report also seeks to inform an understanding of Australian South Sea Islander communities living across the entire state. Part II of this report outlines characteristics of Australian South Sea Islander communities across Queensland in 2021, using the five ABS Remoteness categories (Major City; Inner Regional; Outer Regional; Remote; Very Remote).

Item ID:	84340
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Keywords:	Australian South Sea Islander, Census, ABS, Queensland
Copyright Information:	This document has been developed by the College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University with our partners from the Australian South Sea Islander Education and Research Institute, Queensland United Australian South Sea Islander Council. This work is licensed under the Creative Common Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), except for any third-party material as noted below.
Funders:	Queensland Government, Department of Communities
Date Deposited:	14 Apr 2025 04:11
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4499 Other human society > 449999 Other human society not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1399 Other culture and society > 139999 Other culture and society not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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