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Australia is not typically considered a Pacific Island nation. The Pacific Islands are a geographic region of the Pacific Ocean, comprising three ethnogeographic groupings: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. While there is some debate over the exact scope of the region, Australia is generally excluded from the definition. However, Australia does have a significant population with Pacific Island heritage, including Australian South Sea Islanders, who are the descendants of people brought to Australia as indentured labourers during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pacific Islanders | The people of the Pacific Islands |
| Australian South Sea Islanders | Australian South Sea Islanders |
| Number of Australian South Sea Islanders | Around 10,000 in 1992; fewer than 3,500 in 2001 |
| Pacific Islanders in Australia | 337,000 people of Pacific heritage in 2021, about twice as many as in 2006 |
| Pacific Islanders' share of Australia's population | 1.3% in 2021 |
| Australian South Sea Islanders' cultural recognition | Recognised as a distinct cultural group by the Queensland Government in 1994 and 2025 |
| Pacific Islands | Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia |
| Pacific Islands exclusion | Australia, Indonesian, Philippine, and Japanese archipelagoes |
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What You'll Learn
Pacific Islanders in Australia
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original inhabitants and diasporas of any of the three major subregions of Oceania (Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia) or any other island located in the Pacific Ocean.
Australia has been described as both a continental landmass and a Pacific Island. The Official Journal of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) considers the term Pacific Islands to encompass islands such as American Samoa, Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea, and groups Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia under the more restrictive label of the "South Pacific Islands".
Historically, Australia has had a significant population of South Sea Islanders, the descendants of Pacific Islanders from more than 80 islands in Oceania, who were kidnapped or recruited in the mid-to-late 19th century as labourers in the sugarcane fields of Queensland. Many were repatriated by the Australian government between 1906 and 1908 under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901, but some resisted and escaped deportation, remaining in Australia. Today, the descendants of those who remained are officially referred to as South Sea Islanders, and number around 10,000 in Queensland, according to a 1992 census.
In recent generations, Australian South Sea Islanders have faced discrimination similar to that experienced by Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, and have become prominent figures in civil rights and politics. They have also excelled in sports, particularly rugby league, with several Australian international representatives being members of the community.
According to the 2021 census, there were 337,000 people of Pacific heritage in Australia, constituting about 1.3% of the total population. This is almost twice as many as in 2006, indicating that the Pasifika share of Australia's population is growing faster than the total population. Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands have long had full or significant access to New Zealand, and many migrate there before migrating to Australia. Two-thirds of the increase in the Pasifika population in Australia between 2006 and 2021 is from these three nations.
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Australian South Sea Islanders
Australia is considered a Pacific Island by some definitions, and it is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the major governing organisation for the Pacific Islands. However, Australia is a continental landmass, and the Pacific Islands are generally considered to be American Samoa, Cook Islands, Easter Island, the Galápagos Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Salas y Gómez Island, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United States Minor Outlying Islands, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.
The term 'Kanakas', derived from the Hawaiian word for 'man', was historically used to refer to these blackbirded and recruited islanders, but today it is considered offensive by many Islander descendants. In recent generations, Australian South Sea Islanders have faced similar forms of discrimination as Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders and have been prominent figures in civil rights and politics.
Organisations such as the Australian South Sea Islanders United Council (ASSIUC) and the Queensland United Australian South Sea Islander Council (QUASSIC) have been instrumental in advocating for national recognition and promoting cultural awareness. After decades of community advocacy, the Commonwealth Government recognised Australian South Sea Islanders as a distinct cultural group and a unique minority group in 1994.
Today, Australian South Sea Islanders have excelled in various fields, including rugby league and visual arts. They have contributed significantly to the social, cultural, and economic development of Queensland, providing labour for local economies and key industries such as farming, maritime, and mining.
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Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an intergovernmental organisation that works to enhance cooperation among countries and territories of Oceania. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum (SPF) and changed its name in 1999 to be more inclusive of its Oceania-spanning membership of both North and South Pacific island countries, including Australia.
The Forum's mission is "to work in support of Forum member governments, to enhance the economic and social well-being of the people of the South Pacific by fostering cooperation between governments and between international agencies, and by representing the interests of Forum members in ways agreed by the Forum". The Pacific Islands Forum is considered the major governing organisation for the Pacific Islands and has been labelled the "EU of the Pacific region".
The Forum currently has 18 members, including Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Japan and Malay Archipelago countries such as East Timor, Indonesia, and the Philippines are dialogue partners, with East Timor having observer status.
The Forum's decisions are implemented by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), which works with the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP). The Forum Secretariat has technical programmes in economic development, transport, and trade, and plays a role in harmonising regional positions on various political and policy issues. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General is the permanent Chairman of the CROP.
The annual Forum meetings are chaired by the Head of Government of the Host Country, who remains as the Forum Chair until the next meeting. Decisions are made by consensus and are outlined in a Forum Communique, which guides policy development and implementation.
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Pacific Islands definition
The Pacific Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. There are about 20,000 to 30,000 islands that are sometimes collectively called Oceania. The Pacific Islands are divided into three main traditional regions or ethnogeographic groupings: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
Melanesia, derived from the Greek words "melas" (black) and "nesos" (island), refers to the predominantly dark-skinned peoples of New Guinea Island, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides), New Caledonia, and Fiji. Melanesia also includes the Louisiade Archipelago, the Admiralty Islands, Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, Western New Guinea (part of Indonesia), Maluku Island, Aru Islands, Kei Islands, the Santa Cruz Islands (part of the Solomon Islands), Loyalty Islands (part of New Caledonia), and various smaller islands. East Timor, though considered geographically Southeast Asian, is generally accepted as being ethnoculturally Melanesian.
Micronesia forms an arc north of the Equator and east of the Philippines, ranging from Palau, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands in the west to Kiribati in the east. This region includes the Federated States of Micronesia (the Caroline Islands), Nauru, and the Marshall Islands.
Polynesia lies in the eastern Pacific, enclosed within a triangle formed by the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, and Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Other islands in Polynesia include Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, Tokelau, Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, the Cook Islands, and French Polynesia (including the Society, Tuamotu, and Marquesas islands).
The term "Pacific Islands" may refer to several concepts depending on the context. It can refer to countries and islands with common Austronesian origins, islands that were once colonized, the geographical region of Oceania, or any island located in the Pacific Ocean. The term has taken on several meanings and can sometimes refer specifically to islands lying within Toa Samoa.
The Pacific Islands Forum is the major governing organization for the Pacific Islands and has been described as the "EU of the Pacific region". Its member nations and associate members include many islands within Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, such as American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Australia and New Zealand have been described both as continental landmasses and as Pacific Islands. New Zealand's native population, the Maori, are Polynesians and thus considered Pacific Islanders.
Australia is not typically considered part of the Pacific Islands or Oceania, though some definitions include it. Historically, Australia and the Pacific Islands were grouped into a region called Oceania by geographers in the 19th century. This definition encompassed the Malay Archipelago and ended near the Americas. In the 19th century, Oceania was further divided into mostly racially-based subdivisions, including Australasia (which included Australia), Malaysia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Today, Australia is considered a dialogue partner of the Pacific Islands Forum and engages in elevated diplomatic engagement with the region.
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Pacific Islander ethnicity
Pacific Islanders are the peoples of the Pacific Islands, an island geographic region of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Islands comprise three ethnogeographic groupings: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The term 'Pacific Islanders' is used as an ethnic/racial term to describe the original inhabitants and diasporas of these three regions or any other island located in the Pacific Ocean.
Melanesians include the Fijians (Fiji), Kanaks (New Caledonia), Ni-Vanuatu (Vanuatu), Papua New Guineans (Papua New Guinea), Solomon Islanders (Solomon Islands), West Papuans (Indonesia's West Papua), and Moluccans (Indonesia's Maluku Islands). Melanesians are so-called because of the predominantly dark skin of the peoples of New Guinea Island, the Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Fiji.
Micronesians include the Carolinians (Caroline Islands), Chamorros (Guam and Northern Mariana Islands), Chuukese (Chuuk), I-Kiribati (Kiribati), Kosraeans (Kosrae), Marshallese (Marshall Islands), Nauruans (Nauru), Palauans (Palau), Pohnpeians (Pohnpei), and Yapese (Yap).
Polynesia, in the eastern Pacific, is largely enclosed by the Hawaiian Islands to the north, New Zealand to the southwest, and Easter Island (Rapa Nui) to the east. New Zealand's native population, the Maori, are Polynesians, and thus considered Pacific Islanders.
Australia is not considered part of the Pacific Islands. However, Australian South Sea Islanders are the Australian-born direct descendants of people who were brought to Australia between 1863 and 1904 to work as indentured labourers. Over 50,000 people, mainly men, came from some 80 Pacific Islands, primarily Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The majority were kidnapped, 'blackbirded', or deceived into coming. Today, the descendants of those who remained are officially referred to as South Sea Islanders. Facing similar forms of discrimination as Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, Australian South Sea Islanders have been prominent figures in civil rights and politics.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Australia is not considered a Pacific Island. The Pacific Islands comprise three ethnogeographic groupings: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. While Australia is geographically close to these islands, it is considered a separate continent.
Pacific Islanders are the people of the Pacific Islands, an ethnic term for the original inhabitants and diasporas of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, or any other islands in the Pacific Ocean. Australian South Sea Islanders are the Australian-born descendants of people brought to Australia as indentured labourers in the 19th century, primarily from the Pacific Islands.
Yes, according to the 2021 census, there were about 337,000 people of Pacific Island heritage in Australia, which is about 1.3% of the total population. This includes people with ancestry from countries like Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands, among others.
New Zealand is often considered part of the Pacific Islands, and it is included in the broader term Oceania, which encompasses the Pacific Islands. However, some definitions of the Pacific Islands exclude New Zealand, particularly when referring to the three main traditional regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
The Pacific Islands Forum is the major governing organization for the Pacific Islands. It functions similarly to the EU for the Pacific region. The forum's member nations include many Pacific Islands, and Australia and New Zealand are considered dialogue partners.
