Aboriginal Studies
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Social Justice & Human Rights Issues:
A Global Perspective
Responses and initiativesIndigenous Australian Case Study: Torres Strait
Mer (Murray Island) and Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo6. Employment
Traditional employment was subsistence based on agriculture, hunting and fishing. The majority of time was spent preparing, planting and harvesting gardens. This was especially so on Murray Island as it had fertile soil and sufficient rain. Men would prepare the area by cutting down tress and burning the undergrowth. The women would then till the soil as the men stood guard in case of attack by off-Islanders.
In areas were crops grew poorly, the western and northern islands, greater emphasise was placed on fruit gathering, collecting shellfish and fishing. Hunting dugong and turtle was important throughout the Torres Strait and still is today. Islanders also snared and netted birds such as herons, terns and the Torres Strait pigeon.Due to the fact that a subsistence lifestyle was restrictive there was little opportunity for Islanders to change. It lead to a repetitive society where tradition and religion played a vital role. Due to subsistence based culture there was little need for change and development of new resources.
The traditional subsistence existence changed as the Torres Strait was seen as a source of wealthy for non-indigenous ship owners and traders. Trade began with turtle shell to Europe and beche de mer (trepang) to China.
The greatest change, and change to employment, was the discovery of pearl shell in 1861. The first pearling station was established on Warrior Island in 1868. The station was established by a Captain Banner, who employed Islanders to collect shells by hand in the shallows. Captain banner treated his Islander divers well but other pearlers forced many Islanders to dive for shell at the point of a gun. By 1877 there were over 100 boats in the area and over 1000 crew. White divers earned up to $1000 per year while Islanders received a payment of a $1 per month in food. In 1897 the Torres Strait was placed under the Queensland Coastal Islands Act and under the control of a government representative on Thursday Island. In 1881 the 'Pearl Shell and Beche de Mer Fishery Act' provided Islander workers with regulations regarding their treatment, wages and employment guarantees. The pearling industry reached its peak in 1897 and then declined. Japanese boats moved into the area due to the need to dive deeper for shells.
In 1901, under the Aborigines Protection Act of 1901, the government official on Thursday Island was given powers to ensure that private employers or traders did not exploit Island people. After World War II a full time Protector was appointed to the islands. His powers included the supervision of Islanders wages. Islanders' wages were deposited into a bank account and any purchases from specific stores were debited against this account. Islanders could only withdraw small amounts from their accounts if they had the permission of the Protector. In 1936 the Islanders refused to work on company boats due to the lack of control over their own wages. The Islanders took on the Queensland Government and won limited concessions. The Queensland Government also gave some authority back to community councils including control over the Island police and courts.
Under the protective policies there was growth in the business of the islands. Islanders were able to borrow money and purchase their own boats. This provided employment for most men on either the Islanders own boats or those of the private fleets, mostly owned by the Japanese. Companies employed Islanders as shipwrights, carpenters and sail makers.
In World War II the pearl shell fishing practically ceased. The Islanders volunteered to assist with watch keeping under the Australian Army. Over 700 Islanders joined the coastguard and were known as the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion. They formed a defence garrison based on Thursday Island. Other Islanders mined tungsten at Moa to assist with the war effort. Islanders ran the schools and all essential services as all non-indigenous civilians had been evacuated to the mainland.
After World War II the traditional gardens, which had been abandoned, and the marine industries were placed back into production. However, many Islanders were now seeking other opportunities. Despite full employment on the islands the standard of living was very low compared to mainland Australia. In 1947 men from the eastern islands were contracted to cut cane on the mainland. Many of these men remained on the mainland and gained other work working on the railways. In 1963 Islanders were recruited to work on the Townsville Mount Isa railway. They worked in all islander gangs and gained a reputation for endurance and teamwork. Islanders were given preference over other workers due to their skills. Many Islanders also moved to the Pilbara region of Western Australia to work at the iron ore mines and railways.
In the 1960s and 1970s a declining economy and population accelerated the migration of Islanders to the mainland, mostly to Cairns and Townsville. Many these immigrants found it difficult to gain work as they had a basic education or few marketable skills. Many found unskilled work but faced prejudice by employers or were involved in seasonal work.
The statistics on Indigenous employment tell us the following:
Labour Force
52.7% of Australia's Indigenous population aged 15 years and over were in the labour force (61.9% for non-indigenous).
Unemployment
22.7% of the Indigenous labour force were unemployed (double the unemployment rate for the total population at 9.2%)
Full Time Employment
56.6% of employed Indigenous people were employed full-time (compared to 67.8% for the non-indigenous population).
(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics - 1996 Census)The Queensland Government has attempted to address the issue of employment in the Torres Strait by employing Islanders through the Community Housing Management Strategy. The Government has provided training opportunities to Indigenous people through targeted apprenticeship and traineeship programs under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing construction program and Housing Industry Trade Training Scheme (HITT). These programs have provided Indigenous people with 160 first year apprenticeships through the core HITT program and 200 new apprenticeship positions through the HITT Plus Scheme. It has also provided 12 new apprenticeship positions through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing program.
(Source: Queensland Department of Public Housing)Not all of these positions are in the Torres Straits. What will these people do with their new skills?
What employment opportunities will exist for their skills in the future?
Are they more likely to find suitable employment on the mainland?
Activity
Research and answer the following questions on Torres Strait Islander employment.
1. What has been the impact of colonisation and subsequent events on Islanders' work patterns?
2. What do the statistics tell us about Islanders' employment issues?
3. What mainstream government employment programs and strategies are there to address Islanders' employment issues, including culturally appropriate programs and strategies?
4. What has been the impact of employment on Islander lifestyle factors
5. What is the importance of regaining land, and cultural maintenance, in improving the employment status of Islanders?
6. What Islander initiatives are there to improve employment, including community-based programs?
7. What social and political changes are necessary to improve Islanders' employment status
8. What similarities and differences in employment issues exist for Islander and Aboriginal peoples?
Click on the links below to investigate other topics in this Indigenous Australian Case Study:
1. Overview of the Torres Strait Islands
2. Overview of Mer (Murray Island)
