The Malays: The First Muslim Visitors (1700s - 1906)
“It has arguably been the most successful encounter ever between any two cultures on this continent. Two cultures who met to trade and exchange commerce, two cultures that showed mutual respect and understanding of each others’ values, language, customs and laws.”
Patrick Dodson Key Note Address, MUSLIM STUDENTS – ACCESS, INCLUSION AND SUCCESS CONFERENCE, University Western Sydney, 2007.
The first known Muslims to visit Australia were Malays from the southern peninsular of Sulawesi Island in present day Indonesia. They were commonly referred to as the Makassans. These seafarers collected trepang (sea cucumber) from surrounding Islands in the archipelago. However, the abundance available from Australia brought Malay seafarers to Australia’s northern coastline every year.
The industry became a source of livelihood and likewise provided opportunities for the many Aboriginal tribes of Australia’s north. Through these interactions, strong bonds of friendship were forged and many Aboriginals travelled to Sulawesi.
Experts have differed as to how early this contact dates back. However, it is clear that contact took place before the British colonisation of New South Wales (1788). Dutch records from 1754 confirm sporadic visits with Australia were taking place for the collection of trepang.
A little village was formed: The Makassans would make temporary camps while stopping at locations along the coast on their way to Arnhem Land (Marege’). The Port Essington commandant noted how quick the crew set up camp while the rest of the crew collected trepang. He observed how “…a little village was formed, the fires were burning with their kettles [cauldrons] and a party had gone out to fetch trepang, while those in the camp were busy in arranging everything necessary for preparing it.” (In ‘Encounters in Place: Outsiders and Aboriginal Australians 1606-1985,’ Mulvaney, p 24. 25.) The Makassans visited Australia’s northern coastlines for four months at a time – from December through to March.
Many Aboriginals considered the Makassans “good people” who they referred to as “our friends.” The Makassans were known to get along well with the Aboriginals and in many cases, they formed strong friendships. Aboriginal youth and men were hired to help prepare the trepang. Encounters between the cultures were overall amicable and hundreds of Malay words were absorbed into the Aboriginal languages.
Matthew Flinders circumnavigated Australia and mapped the Australian coastline. When he reached Arnhem Land (in 1803) he came across men with boats and canoes. In Flinders’ own words, “These people were Mahometans” [i.e. Muslims]. These men were “Malays” from Makassar. Flinders then spent two days with the Muslims to record their activities.
The Makassans did not consume trepang themselves, rather, they collected tons from Australia’s coast to trade with Chinese bidders who docked at the Port of Makassar City in Sulawesi. In China, trepang was considered a delicacy.
Muslim Convicts, Lascars and Indentured Workers While the British established settler colonies in Australia, many Muslims sailed to Australia as Convicts, Lascars and Indentured Workers. Those who stayed became the first Muslim settlers. Given that many convicts were captured near busy seaports and flourishing exotic societies, one can only wonder as to how they adjusted to working in the colonies of Australia at the time. From among the indentured workers were the Malay pearl divers. They came from Java, Timor, Koepang and elsewhere in the archipelago including Singapore. They settled in coastal regions such as Broom, Darwin and Thursday Island. Deep sea pearl diving was a dangerous job and one that very few Europeans were willing to do. Due to the high demand of such workers, the White Australia Policy did not directly apply to the Asian pearl-divers.
Other indentured workers in the latter part of the 1800s included Javanese sugar cane cutters, Indian banana plantation workers, cotton pickers and shepherds. Cameleers From the 1860s to the 1930s, camels and their experienced handlers criss-crossed the harsh outback of Australia. The Australian continent is about 50% greater in size than Europe, yet the greater portion of Australia is arid. In such a climate, camels outperformed the bullocks and horses that inland townships had relied on for their livelihood.
Initially, cameleers assisted European explorers, delivered supplies for infrastructure projects (like the train-lines and the Overland Telegraph Line), and carried goods to and from outback regions. Contracts were made to deliver goods from all over mainland Australia, especially wool from pastoral lands. Before the introduction of trucks, Australia became the world’s largest supplier of wool and needed reliable delivery of wool bails to ports or train-lines. Where exactly did the Cameleers come from? Australia’s cameleers came from various provinces, ethnicities and tribes. They spoke several languages. A great number who worked in Australia came from Afghanistan including Kabul and Kandahar. However, the majority of cameleers (and camels) did not come from Afghanistan. Many cameleers came from Sindh, the Punjab, Baluchistan and what was regarded as the Western Frontier of India (including present day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) during the time of the British Empire’s rule in India. Many of these regions came under the state of Pakistan in 1947.
Over many years, ships carrying camels and their expert handlers landed at various ports around Australia. No doubt, the cameleers were an asset to settlers of inland townships, the economy, and the advancement of Australia. It was the same men who establish Australia’s first permanent mosques. The cameleers faced many challenges in a “White Australia,” and much of their hard work has been widely overlooked in Australia’s history. From the gold rush in W.A. to delivering life-saving supplies as drought relief in rural QLD, the cameleers served as an economic facilitator and lifeline for isolated regions.
Hawkers were an integral part of inland townships since the 1860s, providing a diverse array of merchandise to local communities. While many hawkers relied on camels for transportation, most utilised horse-drawn carts. A significant proportion of these hawkers were Muslims from India.
Waves of Muslim migrants from various regions followed, enriching Australia's cultural tapestry. Albanians began arriving in the 1920s, followed by Bosnians from the 1940s, Turks in the 1960s, and Lebanese in the 1970s, contributing to the country's vibrant multicultural landscape. The addition of external territories like Christmas Island in 1955 and the Cocos Islands in 1984 allowed many Muslim residents to move to the Australian mainland for education and work opportunities.
Today, Australians can trace their ancestry to a diverse array of ethnicities and cultures. While this vast landmass of Aboriginal land was initially colonised by the British, it has since evolved into one of the world’s major immigration nations. Muslims have been part of the Australian landscape contributing to nation building prior to Federation.
Nowadays, in addition to enriching cultural diversity, Muslims continue to make significant professional, economic, charitable, and educational contributions to the nation. Australia stands as a successful example of a multicultural country (since the 1970s), boasting a populace representing 270 or so ethnicities. According to the 2021 Census, Muslims comprise over 3.2% of the population.
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female (Adam and Eve) and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed, God is Knowing and Aware.” [Qur’an: 49:13]