Earlier this month, Rockhampton played host to the 'Recognition, Reclamation and Determination' conference—a landmark gathering for the Australian South Sea Islander (ASSI) community.
This historic conference brought together community leaders from across Queensland, as well as dignitaries from the South Pacific, government representatives, academics, and young and emerging leaders from the Australian South Sea Islander (ASSI) community.
Organised by the Queensland United Australian South Sea Islander Council (QUASSIC), and sponsored by the Queensland Government, the event has been described as an inspiring and important cultural milestone. It was especially significant because this year also marks 25 years since the formal recognition of Australian South Sea Islanders as a distinct cultural group in Queensland.
Three representatives from our Multicultural Affairs Queensland (MAQ) team attended:
Learn about the event through their eyes, as they share their personal reflections and insights.
It was an absolute privilege for me to attend the conference.
I was there both in my capacity as a Senior Community Engagement Officer with Multicultural Affairs Queensland, and as a proud member of the ASSI community.
I’ve been working with the Queensland United Australian South Sea Islander Council (QUASSIC) closely over the past three years, but even so, I was still inspired to hear of the progress they’re making.
Their work collaborating with the Queensland Museum to repatriate our ancestral remains, as well as repatriating artefacts, that’s really important. Additionally, the ASSI Education and Research Institute provided an update on the ARC funding received to commence work on embedding ASSI history and culture into the National Curriculum. Having the broader community know our history, it cements our identity within the Australian story, and it also creates room for understanding and for empathy.
But I think the absolute highlight of the event for me was seeing such a great representation of young people from the ASSI community, really engaging with QUASSIC’s work and exploring ways they can contribute moving forward.
These are our community’s future leaders and having them involved at this early stage means we can really prepare them to advocate for their community.
In the long term, it means that our history, culture, traditions, and the identity of Australian South Sea Islanders is in good hands. That’s so heartening to see.
I came to this conference as someone from outside the Australian South Sea Islander community, and to be honest, it felt like a great privilege. Being able to listen to the important community conversations that were taking place, and to participate over the two days, was a fantastic experience.
And I was really impressed with the way QUASSIC ran the event. There were plenty of presentations from community members and experts in their respective fields, but there was also a lot of space made for dialogue. People were able to comment and ask questions.
Listening to the presentations, particularly on the progress that QUASSIC has been making, it’s really apparent that they’re working very hard to champion their community. They’re firmly focussed on the work that needs to be done to ensure a successful future for current and future generations of Australian South Sea Islanders.
As a person of Pacific Islands descent, the conference reinforced how important it is that Australian South Sea Islander history is taught to all Australians. Recognising this vital part of our nation’s past is a crucial step in fostering greater understanding and recognition of Australian South Sea Islanders.
The conference was wide-ranging. We of course reflected on Australia’s troubling history with blackbirding and the legacy from that period that remains today, but there was a lot of looking forward, a lot of celebrating the resilience, strength, and hope of ASSI descendants.
What I saw was overwhelming positivity from the attendees. There was a lot of gratitude for the opportunity to connect, learn, and share experiences, and people were really eager to engage and work towards the future.
There were plenty of highlights, but I think a standout for me was a presentation on the Kanaka Proud Cup.
The Kanaka Proud Cup is a bi-annual rugby league derby between ASSI teams from Mackay and Rockhampton. The first one back in 2017 had Australian South Sea Islander league legends Mal Meninga and Sam Backo watching on from the sidelines, and it’s since grown into a really important cultural event for the community.
The Queensland Government is proud to have sponsored this event, which contributes towards building an inclusive, harmonious and united Queensland.
Last reviewed:04 December 2025
Last modified:04 December 2025
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence
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