Between 1863 and 1908, a brutal practice known as blackbirding saw tens of thousands of South Sea Islanders kidnapped from their homelands and brought to Queensland to work as slaves on agricultural plantations, particularly in the sugar industry. This trade, which primarily targeted men from the islands of Melanesia—such as the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea—affected up to 62,500 individuals, many of whom were deceived or coerced into coming to Australia.

The process of blackbirding was a systematic operation, with many of the victims sold as "Kanakas," a term used for South Sea Islanders at the time. Most of the workers were male, and about 25% were under the age of 16. These workers faced deplorable conditions, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 South Sea Islanders dying while laboring on Queensland's plantations. This high death rate—around 30%, not accounting for those who died in transit or during the kidnapping process—was comparable to the mortality rates of enslaved Africans taken to the Americas in the same era.

The Queensland government officially sanctioned and regulated this human trafficking under the law, turning a blind eye to the exploitation of workers who were essentially enslaved. Prominent businessmen, including Robert Towns, profited immensely from the labor of these South Sea Islanders, helping to establish the state's economy. Towns’ agents described the blackbirded workers as "savages" who were unfit to earn wages, perpetuating the notion of their subjugation.

The practice of blackbirding continued until the early 20th century, when, following Australia’s Federation in 1901, the White Australia policy was introduced. This policy led to the deportation of most Pacific Islander workers under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901, rapidly decreasing the number of South Sea Islanders in the region.

The legacy of blackbirding remains a dark chapter in Queensland’s history, highlighting the inhumane treatment of South Sea Islanders and the exploitation that fueled the state's growth. Today, their descendants continue to contribute to the cultural fabric of Queensland, while efforts to recognize and address the historical injustices of blackbirding persist.