‘Always was Always will be Aboriginal Land’

Acknowledgement of Country

Australian South Sea Islanders – Port Jackson (ASSIPJ) recognise the traditional owners of the lands of which we operate from known as the Gadigal People who are one of twenty-nine clans of the Eora Nation in Sydney New South Wales, Australia.

Aboriginal groups in the Sydney area can be found HERE.

A detailed map depicting the locations of various tribes, languages and national indigenous groups was created by David R. Horton and can be viewed by clicking this LINK.

Australian South Sea Islanders have an evident kinship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as they were absorbed under the 1930s Aboriginal protection Act on missions, stations, plantations and reserves.

Our People:

Australian South Sea Islanders – Port Jackson represent the descendants of the Blackbirding trade that saw some 62,500 Pacific Islanders trafficked from the eighty islands of Vanuatu and Solomon’s to established sugar, maritime, pastoral, cotton and railways industries.

In 1847 NSW received the first 119 Sugar Slaves with the influx to Queensland between 1863-1908. Through community advocacy and support from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission the 1994 Commonwealth recognised Australian South Sea Islanders as ‘a distinct cultural group’.

Our Mission:

Australian South Sea Islanders – Port Jackson were voted the official representative voice as the ASSI National Secretariat in 2012. Today we continue to advocate on behalf of our people to be included more prominently as part of the great Australian narrative.

An effective leadership organisation, Australian South Sea Islanders – Port Jackson ensure full and fair participation for communities at large and Australian South Sea Islander’s on a state, national and global scale through sharing of knowledge and resources as a means of capacity building and cultural significance to sustain, educate and support generations to come.

Our Vision:

Our aim is to ensure that Social Justice needs for the Australian South Sea Islander community can be achieved through mutual respect and building on meaningful community partnerships.

ASSIPJ draws on culturally appropriate methods to ensure our respected Elders, leader’s, youth, individuals and broader community come together to foster healthy relationships and a greater understanding of our shared history.

Our Focus:

• Leadership and innovation;
• Education and engagement;
• Cultural Maintenance;
• Intercultural dialogue;
• Economic Sustainability;
• Kinship and Identiy.