Blackbirding of South Sea Islanders

A delegation of people from Vanuatu has been visiting the Queensland capital, Brisbane, to re-establish relationships with their long lost blood relations, the descendants of the blackbirded South Sea Islanders from Vanuatu who were brought to work on Queensland’s sugar cane plantations more than a century ago. That was during the infamous blackbird trade from 1863 to 1904.  One of the Members of the Vanuatu parliament, David Abel said according to their oral history there were more than 39,000 brought to Queensland.  For full story click here.