Australian South Sea Islanders

Australian South Sea Islanders are the Australian-born direct descendants of people who were brought (in the main) to Australia between 1863 and 1904 to work as indentured labourers in the primary industries. There are no diversity targets for Australian South Sea Islanders, however, the capture of information on the experiences of Australian South Sea Islanders through WfQ is a key element of Queensland’s Multicultural Action Plan 2024-25 to 2026-27 (Focus Areas 2: Actions for 2024-25 to 2026-27).

Only 0.63% or 441 of 2024 WfQ respondents were Australian South Sea Islanders, while 6.5% indicated that they prefer not to say. The main reason respondents gave for not providing this information to their organisation’s payroll system was that they had never been asked for the information.

The inclusion of a question on being Australian South Sea Islanders was only introduced in Queensland payroll systems in 2021, and if people had already commenced employment or missed the associated communications, they may not be aware it is an option.

Employee engagement

The number of Australian South Sea Islanders in the WfQ data set is small, which means the associated data can be quite volatile.

That said, employee engagement for Australian South Sea Islanders in 2024 is the highest it has been for several years.

Overall employee engagement is slightly higher for Australian South Sea Islanders than for non-Australian South Sea Islanders. Inspiration, motivation and personal attachment are also higher for Australian South Sea Islanders than for non-Australian South Sea Islanders.

Employee engagement for Australian and South Sea Islander employees in 2024
Australian South
Sea Islander
Non Australian
SouthSea Islander
Employee engagement 63% 62%
I am proud to tell others I work for my organisation 64% 70%
I would recommend my organisation as a great place to work 62% 66%
My organisation inspires me to do the best in my job 66% 60%
My organisation motivates me to help it achieve its objectives 63% 59%
I feel strong personal attachment to my organisation 58% 56%

Source: WfQ 2024.

Safe, respected and included

Australian South Sea Islanders do not feel as safe, as respected or as included as non-Australian South Sea Islanders in their workplaces. The difference in terms of feeling included is particularly notable with 68% of Australian South Sea Islanders responding positively compared to 76% for non-Australian South Sea Islanders.

% positive Australian South Sea Islanders % positive non-Australian South Sea Islanders
As an employee of this organisation, I feel safe at work 73% 82%
As an employee of this organisation, I feel respected at work 71% 75%
As an employee of this organisation, I feel included at work 68% 76%
Safe, respected, included71%78%

Source: WfQ 2024.

The impact of feeling safe, respected and included for Australian South Sea Islander employees

When Australian South Sea Islander employees agree or strongly agree that they feel safe, respected and included at work, employee engagement increases from 63% to 82%.

  • Recommendation: increases from 62% to 82%.
  • Pride: increases from 64% to 82%.
  • Personal attachment: increases from 58% to 73%.
  • Motivation: increases from 63% to 85%.
  • Inspiration: increases from 66% to 86%.

Source: WfQ 2024.

Cultural safety

In the 2024 WfQ survey, new questions were introduced on the cultural safety of Australian South Sea Islanders. These questions were introduced to support Queensland’s Multicultural Action Plan and were developed through consultation between the Public Sector Commission and the Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism.

The following questions were asked only of Australian South Sea Islander employees.

The data indicates that more support is required to ensure the unique perspectives of Australian South Sea Islander employees is appropriately considered in workplaces and work programs.

Cultural safety of Australian South Sea Islanders
I feel culturally safe at work. 68%
My colleagues invite me to share my perspective when carrying out work. 44%
I feel comfortable sharing my perspective. 60%
I am aware of the history and cultural significance. 75%

Source: WfQ 2024.

Awareness of the significance of Australian South Sea Islander people’s history and culture was also asked of non-Australian South Sea Islanders. Sixty-five percent of non-Australian South Sea Islanders agreed that they understood the significance of Australian South Sea Islander history and culture, while 25% were uncertain.

Diversity as a barrier to success

Australian South Sea Islanders clearly perceive their cultural identity to be a far greater barrier to success than their non-Australian South Sea Islander colleagues.