How did these hardworking people arrive in this area and what contribution did they play in the Kingscliff area?
The hardworking Kanaka's, as they were then known, were brought in by blackbirders (pirate kidnappers) that used many means to procure their cargo of black labour. Between 1860 to 1890 approximately 50,000 South Sea Islanders arrived thru the Queensland Indenture Act. These happy go lucky people filled a niche where white labour was not available.
They tendered gardens, grew vegetables, planted cut and cared for the sugar cane plantations. While at the same time their womenfolk kept house for themselves and the "White Missus". These selfishness people contributed also to the increase of the population of the area for which if their numbers had not been included at the time, many a public amenities would not have been built, for example, the Cudgen Public School.
The mixing of the cultures proved not too difficult as picnics were held on Sutherland Point (Kingscliff) for both races.
The Islanders, although a separate cultural identity to the Aboriginals, were denied the same rights as the Aboriginals community. For example, voting and census information. Recognition of their status did not arrive until the 1960's. Other contentious issues were in 1917 and 1925 when the Education Department answered a call by a white minority to separate the Cudgen Public School. However they deemed it unnecessary as the coloured children were seen to be as high in academic standard and health as those of the white children. And that in some cases the petition could be taken into account against some of the white children. Another problem of acceptance that the coloured men found most disturbing was the fact that when they volunteer for the World Wars early in the piece, their application of volunteering overseas were revoked. It as not until we were a couple of years into the war and met some defeats, that the coloured volunteers were truly accepted to fight for their country's' soil in the army.
The coloured community was to add their own distinct brand to the area by the sweat of their backs, cheerfulness and their natural sporting abilities.
Soon the majority were forced back as repatriation to their home islands. All this was not welcome by all due to the retribution by their own people and because they had invested years toiling under the sun in the fields around Kingscliff and Cudgen. However, today a number of people of South Sea origin can be seen, descendants of those who remained here, and in the Cudgen Cemetery, the odd grave of a South Sea Islander who was ever to remain.