[4] A handful of people from Papua New Guinea, crew members of boats and mission-sponsored villagers, visited Australia in the 1870s.

In the early 1880s, more than 3000 Papuan workers were recruited to work in the sugarcane industry in Queensland.

A majority of these labourers later returned to Papua New Guinea, but a minority remained in Australia.

As a result, only limited numbers of Papuans were allowed to enter the rest of Australia, notably to work in the Queensland pearling industry.

[6] The number of Papua New Guineans in Australia is considered relatively small, given the countries are neighbours and PNG's status as a former Australian territory.