History of Pearling

Warrior Island was the site of the first commercial pearling station in the Torres Strait region in 1868. Captain Banner was credited with finding a significant amount of pearl shell while searching for beche-de-mer. News quickly spread about the profitable alternative because pearl shell was a more valuable commodity than beche-de-mer. More than 1,000 men were employed in the industry by 1876, and over 100 boats were in operation.

Unpredictable price or demand swings or a lack of qualified, suitable labour are just a few of the challenges the pearl industry has frequently faced. For example, during the ten years between 1881 and 1891, prices dropped sharply, driving out many experienced operators. In their place, Japanese divers and other labourers established themselves as a mainstay of the industry until the start of World War II. An additional disruption to the industry happened in 1885 when a sizable portion of the Torres Strait fleet relocated to Western Australia in order to exploit the abundant pearl shell resources near Broome.

Coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were greatly impacted by pearling, which in the 1890s grew to be the largest industry in far north Queensland. Because it was the economic backbone that provided the far north with inexpensive labour from Asia and the South Pacific, it was the only industry ever exempt from the White Australia policy’s provisions. In contrast to the conventional historical perception of a white Australia, its legacy is a history of mixed populations in the far north.

Factors that influence technology:

The pearl-shell that was easily obtained through swimming dives with goggles was soon depleted, prompting the introduction of an experimental diving suit by Siebe and Gorman to the Torres Strait fishery in 1871. This innovative suit allowed divers to descend to depths of 15 fathoms (27. 4 meters) by supplying compressed air to the submerged individual through a pumping mechanism.

By the year 1877, over half of the fishery operations were carried out using pump boats. This alteration shifted the labour demands within the industry, leading to a focus on the productivity of the dress diver. These individuals were required to possess superior training and motivation compared to traditional swimming divers. Malay and Filipino divers were enlisted and compensated through incentive payments, whereas by the 1890s Japanese divers and tenders came to predominate the upper echelon of the pearling labour force. The organizational approach transitioned from shore-based stations to floating stations, incorporating a sizable mother vessel for the purpose of provisioning and storage, allowing fleets to extend their duration and distance from the shoreline.