“Ce souffle venu des ancêtres” [This breath came from ancestors] — Jean-Marie Tjibaou
Yesterday, as part of the Big Ride for Palestine Australia, a small group walked and rode through the bayside suburbs of Ormiston and Wellington Point. Two of us visited historic Ormiston House built in 1860s, next to the monastery of the carmelite nuns, built in 1959, and part of a large estate now owned by the Catholic Church.
In the 1860s, this was a sugar plantation in colony of Queensland, exploiting Kanaka labour to cut and mill more than 50 long tons of sugar every season, it’s manager Captain Louis Hope was part of an organised ring of deception and kidnapping of South Pacific Islander (so-called “Kanaka”) labour to these and other canefields. By the mid-1860s, Operation Ormiston was the largest sugar plantation in Queensland. Hope used local labourers to erect a crushing mill in 1864 and, from about September 1867, began employing islanders, recruited by ‘blackbirding’ (kidnapping and/or deception).
This practice of slavery was well documented at the time. Yet, only a few years ago, the prime minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, claimed there was no slavery in Australia.
THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS IN QUEENSLAND (From the Brisbane Courier, October 22, 1867.)
The more thoroughly the South Sea Island labour question is ventilated, the more clearly does it appear that it is nothing more nor less than a system of slavery very similar to that which existed in America a century ago, except that up to the present time men only have been brought away from the Islands, and they are under promise to be returned after serving a certain number of years to their Queensland masters ‘. The dispatches and correspondence in connection with the introduction of South Sea Islanders into this colony,” laid on the table of the Legislative Assembly last week are singularly confirmatory of this fact, and thorefore worthy of notice.
Nowadays, this estate has more than 27 acres under cultivation with fruit trees and natives. Beung a Camelite has its fringe benefits.
From Ormiston House we rode to Empire Point which overlooks Trafalgar Bay.
The Battle of Trafalgar
The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, which was naval engagement that took place in 1805 between the British Royal Navy and a combined fleet of French and Spanish navies. The British lost the battle and Admiral Nelson died during the fight. Only a few weeks earlier he had met the Duke of Wellington who went on to have great success and Fame in his land victories most notably the Battle of Waterloo.
Having revisited the sites of colonial conquest we repaired to Wellington Point for lunch. But not before visiting Ormiston College which has an Olympic standard athletics Oval. This was built no doubt at great expense despite strong opposition from the community dismayed by the clearing of the local koala habitat trees. This horrified passed parents of Ormiston College who believe that the education of children should include respect for the Koala habitat and the surrounding in environment.
Ormiston College a Christian Education Centre did not seem to observe and practice the values so important as sustainable development. A private school Ormiston college levies up to $20,000 in annual fees.
The naked values such colleges represent are founded in inequality, and it is little wonder how conservative the people are living in this tiled suburbia surrounded by paradise that was and always will be Aboriginal land.
One useful project for the kids at Ormiston College would be to find out the Aboriginal names of places mentioned in this discourse. Then, it’s up to the adults to change the names away from the symbols of empire and destruction.
Meanwhile the people of Gaza need our help and so next week on Sunday the 23rd of November will be doing the really big ride around the southern part of the Bay through boardwalks and Wetlands and along the seashore all the way from Victoria Point to Cleveland and up through Wellington Point onwards onto Manly and Wyndham over the Gateway Bridge and home to Brisbane CBD.
A big shout out to Claire, Susan, Katherine, and, of course, my guide Trevor who supported and came on this small section of the Big Ride for Palestine Australia. Always was always will be Aboriginal land.
Ian Curr, 19 Nov 2025
References
“Blackbirding”, a euphemism for enslaving people from New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, New Hebrides, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands to work in sugar cane plantations in Fiji and Queensland. The trade ceased at the start of the 20th century. The victims of this trade were called Kanakas like all the Oceanian people, after the Hawaiian word for ‘man’.
“Jean-Marie Tjibaou, Statesman without a State: a reporters perspective” by Sarah Walls