[1] The majority were repatriated by the Australian Government in the period between 1906 and 1908 under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901,[2] a piece of legislation related to the White Australia policy.

The extent to which Islanders were recruited legally, persuaded, deceived, coerced or forced to leave their homes and travel to Queensland is difficult to evaluate and also controversial.

Official documents and accounts from the period often conflict with the oral tradition passed down to the descendants of workers.

For many years, Queensland's South Sea Islander communities sought acknowledgement for past treatment, and recognition as a distinct cultural group.

28617) includes documents, research papers, photographs, recorded interviews and other material relating to the work of the Australian South Sea Islanders United Council (ASSIUC) from the mid 1970s.

29744) also include documents such as meeting minutes and correspondence relating to the Australian South Sea Islanders Secretariat Inc., and photographs and interviews conducted by Nic Maclellan on 13 August 2013 at the Australian South Sea Islander 150th Anniversary event at Ormiston House, Brisbane.

Nasuven Enares is a direct descendant of Australian South Sea Islanders (ASSI), people who were forcibly brought to Australia at the turn of the century as indentured labour This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Sugar slaves (15 April 2021) published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 19 May 2021.