South Sea Islanders

South Sea Islanders in Australia

Flag of the South Sea Islanders
South Sea Islander labourers on a Queensland pineapple plantation, 1890s
Regions with significant populations
Mackay  · Bundaberg  · Townsville  · Brisbane · Gold Coast · Sydney
Languages
Australian English ·
Related ethnic groups
Austronesian peoples

South Sea Islanders, formerly referred to as Kanakas, are the Australian descendants of Pacific Islanders from more than 80 islands – including the Oceanian archipelagoes of the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Gilbert Islands, and New Ireland – who were kidnapped or recruited between the mid to late 19th century as labourers in the sugarcane fields of Queensland. Some were kidnapped or tricked (or "blackbirded") into long-term indentured service. At its height, the recruiting accounted for over half the adult male population of some islands.