AWP-07-Sugar Slaves and the Eurovision Song Contest

This deplorable part of Australian history is not widely known about. Between 1863 and 1904, some 62,000 South Sea Islanders were brought to Australia as indentured labour, and some say as slaves, to work on the cane fields in Queensland. It was on their backs that the Queensland sugar industry was built.

Despite the hardships, many Australians of South Sea Islander heritage have achieved a high profile in the community as civil rights activists, in politics and sport. We focus on one of the great Rugby League players of all time Mal Meninga.

Then we turn our attention to the Eurovision Cong Contest. Every year, around a million Australians tune into Eurovision. This year was special as Australian singer Jessica Mauboy was given the honour of performing at Eurovision as a guest artist.

Check out:

‘Sugar Slaves’ by Imelda Miller (2010) http://www.qhatlas.com.au/content/sugar-slaves

George Negus Tonight interview first broadcast on 13/09/2004. Transcript at: http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1197807.htm

The ABC article ‘A Form of Slavery’:

http://www.abc.net.au/federation/fedstory/ep2/ep2_people.htm

Jessica Mauboy’s appearance at Eurovision:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUsJi8nKsj0

Email me at: [email protected]

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.