Polynesian Labourers Act

The Polynesian Labourers Act of 1868 was Australia's first attempt to regulate the treatment of South Pacific islanders, known as Kanakas, who were brought to Queensland to work on sugar plantations and cattle stations. This act theoretically provided for the regulation of their treatment and the licensing of recruiters, aiming to ensure they worked of their own free will for a specified period.12

However, the Queensland government lacked the constitutional power to enforce these regulations outside its borders, and the practice of blackbirding—enslaving islanders through force and deception—continued to flourish. Many islanders were subjected to near-slave status and abuse. The demand for cheap labour in Queensland fueled this practice, which was prevalent between 1847 and 1904. The act was eventually superseded by laws from the new Commonwealth of Australia, which called for the abolition of recruitment after 1904 and the deportation of most South Pacific labourers after 1906.21