Most of the original labourers were recruited  from the Solomon Islands, the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), and New Caledonia, though others were recruited from the Loyalty Islands. Under the government-controlled terms of engagement in Queensland, Melanesian labourers signed on for three years and, at the end of that time, they received a pre-paid passage home. They had accumulated savings which they collected before departure from their bank savings accounts to spend on prized manufactured URL More than 60 ,000 Islanders had been brought to Australia after 1863, and about 10,000 were living in Queensland and northern New South Wales in 1901. The majority of those were repatriated by the Australian Government between 1906 and 1908, under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901, legislation that was an essential part of the White Australia policy. Some were exempted on various grounds, including marriage to Australians. References  
Most of the original labourers were recruited or Blackbirded from the Solomon Islands, the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), and New Caledonia, though others were recruited from the Loyalty Islands. Under the government-controlled terms of engagement in Queensland, Melanesian labourers signed on for three years and, at the end of that time, they received a pre-paid passage home. They had accumulated savings which they collected before departure from their bank savings accounts to spend on prized manufactured URL More than 62 ,000 Islanders had been brought to Australia after 1863, and about 10,000 were living in Queensland and northern New South Wales in 1901. The majority of those were repatriated by the Australian Government between 1906 and 1908, under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901, legislation that was an essential part of the White Australia policy. Some were exempted on various grounds, including marriage to Australians. References External Links Australian South Sea Islanders - State Library of Queensland Plantation Voices - State Library of Queensland exhibition Blog - Sugar Slaves
A
or Blackbirded
R
60
62
A
External Links
A
Australian South Sea Islanders - State Library of Queensland Plantation Voices - State Library of Queensland exhibition Blog - Sugar Slaves