A landmark James Cook University (JCU) study has laid bare the systemic disadvantage and racism experienced by Australian South Sea Islanders in Queensland – and called for dedicated “navigators” to help communities access essential services.
Commissioned through a Queensland Government research tender, the JCU-led project partnered with the Queensland United Australian South Sea Islander Council (QUASSIC) and combined ABS Census analysis with in-depth, story-based interviews to document the lived experiences of Australian South Sea Islanders (ASSI) across the state.
Qualitative research used the story-based, Pacific method of “tok stori” to document people’s lives, and helped lay a foundation for future improvements in identity, greater opportunities in housing and higher education, and improvement of gaps in health and aged care.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Michelle Redman-MacLaren said the study found that while South Sea Islanders are often more likely to be employed than Queenslanders overall, home ownership rates and equitable access to services remain issues.
“Australian South Sea Islanders helped build Queensland’s agricultural economy, yet they have only been officially recognised as a distinct people group for 25 years – and the systems that should support South Sea Islanders still aren’t designed with them in mind,” she said.
“The systems we have – especially in education, health and housing – are not set up for Australian South Sea Islander communities or a collective way of life, and yet community members are trying to navigate systems built for individuals and nuclear families.
A key recommendation of the JCU report is the creation of funded Australian South Sea Islander “navigators” – trusted community-based workers who can help families navigate education, health, housing and other government systems.
“We already see elders informally guiding people through hospitals and services,” Assoc Prof Redman-MacLaren said.
“Formalising and funding these roles is a practical, evidence-based way to improve outcomes for Australian South Sea Islanders.”
Proud ASSI woman and newly enrolled JCU PhD candidate Zia Youse was a key member of the research team, and she has further research planned to build on the findings of this study.
“The report shows the community is calling for stronger recognition of Australian South Sea Islander identity,” she said.
“Promoting the visibility of the Australian South Sea Islander flag builds pride and belonging and expanding initiatives like the Kanaka Proud Cup will strengthen opportunities for young people to express their identity through football.”
Despite strong employment, particularly in education, health, mining and trades, South Sea Islanders have lower rates of home ownership and are also under-represented in university-level qualifications, even as participation in trades and technical education grows.
The project also highlighted serious undercounting in census data, contributing to under‑recognition and a lack of dedicated government support.
In the 2016 census 6826 Queenslanders identified as Australian South Sea Islanders but by 2021 that figure had dropped to 5562, despite the community clearly not shrinking – a problem linked to how identity is recorded on census forms.
“With the Australian Census taking place on 11 August this year, QUASSIC will be leading a public education campaign to ensure our community understands how to correctly identify as Australian South Sea Islander,” President of QUASSIC, Mr Clacy Fatnowna, said.
“Accurate identification is critical, as government resources and future service planning are directly linked to these Census numbers.”
The full report is available online here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61d66cbe1da7096634e2b6e5/t/6909a8a90c47440d9d8c95cc/1762240681031/Lived+ExperiencesStudy_Final+Report.pdf