The Member for Burnett has made an emotional plea in parliament to acknowledge the historic brutality of ‘blackbirding’ in Bundaberg and call for more action to support vulnerable farm workers and the South Sea Islander community.
Burnett MP Stephen Bennett spoke in support of a motion that aims to recognise the past cruelty, wrong doings, and suffering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. *
Mr Bennett said the story of blackbirding was far from ‘sweet’ but needs to be told.
“150 years ago, South Sea Islanders were coerced, tricked and kidnapped before being bought to the shores of the Burnett River,” he said.
“They were sold in the slave trade market to build our sugar industry.
“While some came willingly, many did not.
“Of the 62,000 Islanders who were bought here, 16,000 died.
“That’s a mortality rate of around 25 percent.
“Sadly, the records for the Islanders who were transported to our coast were destroyed.
“Back in 2013, I worked with former Hinkler MP Brian Courtice to commemorate 29 of the Pacific Islanders who called Bundaberg home through obtaining heritage listing for their grave sites.
“Their graves are located on Sunnyside Farm, a property surrounded by a drystone wall built by South Sea Islander labour.
“That heritage listing was a small step in the right direction to recognise the strong and special spiritual association that Sunnyside has with our South Sea Islander ancestors who lived, worked, and died on the plantation.”
Mr Bennett said he had hoped to never see the horrific practice of blackbirding in the Burnett electorate or anywhere in the world.
“Despite our terrible past, it’s recently been revealed that several South Sea Islanders have been subjected to ‘slave-like’ treatment once again here in the Burnett.
“We cannot let history repeated itself.
“We must stand together against cruelty and show some humanity.
“I’m calling on all levels of Government to not only acknowledge past wrongs against South Sea Islanders, but to pledge to do more to protect the financial, physical, and mental wellbeing of vulnerable backpackers, seasonal farm workers and our South Sea Islander community.”
Please see the attached transcript of Mr Bennett’s speech.
* Notice of motion: page 74 https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/events/han/2022/2022_08_31_DAILY.pdf
ENDS.
01/09/2022