PaCSIA has been contracted by the Historial Society of Beaudesert and Scenic Rim Regional Council to facilitate community consultations and dialogue in preparation of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first Australian South Sea Islanders (ASSI) in Queensland.
August 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the first arrival of South Sea Islanders as indentured labourers on a plantation in what is now Veresdale, Beaudesert Region. Between 1863 and 1901 more than 60,000 South Sea Islanders worked in Queensland and contributed to its early development and economic growth. The Beaudesert district was the first place where South Sea Islanders were used on a systematic scale of indenture and their contribution forms a unique piece of its history. As part of the consultation process we have started a dialogue with the Mununjali Aboriginal Traditional Owners, the descendants of South Sea Islanders living in South Brisbane and Logan, the descendants of the plantation owners and current landowners and other important stakeholder groups. We will organise and conduct a series of public meetings and dialogues to inform about the project and the outcomes of consultations and stakeholder meetings.
It is evnisaged that the dialogues will help the stakeholder groups to plan and organise a commemoration event which is meaningful to all people involved and helps raise awareness of the contributions of South Sea Islanders to the development of this state in the general public. Serge Loode and PaCSIA associate Brad Lewis are leading this project.
Below is a a picture showing the land that was occupied by the original plantation belonging to Captain Robert Towns:
For more information on the project please click here to access Scenic Rim Regional Council’s project page.
