Bringing the ‘Lugger Bort’ story into view

Across northern Queensland, the pearling, Beche-de-Mer and trochus industries helped shape the region's economic, social and cultural development. Yet the stories of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose labour sustained these industries have too often remained under-recognised. 

My project

The Lugger Bort project seeks to bring these histories into clearer view. Enhanced through the Monica Clare Research Fellowship, my research continued to explore the working lives of First Nations seafarers and industry workers who contributed significantly to Queensland’s maritime history, while also examining the labour systems and government policies that limited their rights, recognition and benefits. 

At the centre of the project are the stories carried by families, communities, Elder Seafarers and their descendants. These histories continue to live through memory, artwork, song, dance, cultural practice and community knowledge. By listening to and recording these voices, the project honours lived experience and strengthens public understanding of First Nations contributions to Queensland’s development. 

Getting into the archives

I completed research into State Library of Queensland's collections that helped me identify articles, journals, books, diaries, photographs, and other materials that reveal both the scale of the maritime industries and the conditions experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. This work has added cultural context to collection material and opened new pathways for community-led interpretation. 

Working with State Library of Queensland collections opened new ways of understanding the pearling, Beche-de-Mer and trochus industries. The materials I found helped build a stronger research foundation and revealed how much more there is to learn, record and share. 

New community connections
 
The project has also generated strong public and community interest. It has encouraged people to share knowledge, request research materials, consider donating pearling-related items, and connect with cultural institutions. These responses show the continuing importance of the Lugger Bort story and the need to preserve it for future generations. 

The Fellowship also created new relationships by connecting the project with community members, researchers, cultural organisations and people with family or historical links to the lugger industry. These networks help to encourage knowledge sharing and support future collaboration. 

Research funding and support

The Monica Clare Reseach Fellowship has been a deeply valuable experience, providing the time, support and access to collections needed to strengthen the Lugger Bort project. It also gave me greater confidence to continue researching the histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples connected to Queensland’s maritime industries. 

One of the most meaningful parts of the Fellowship was the culturally respectful support provided by State Library staff. Their guidance made it easier to navigate collections, follow new research leads and think carefully about how First Nations voices and lived experiences can be represented with care, respect and accuracy. 

On a personal level, the Fellowship strengthened my confidence in the value of this research. It confirmed the importance of continuing to bring forward untold stories, particularly those held by First Nations Elders, families and communities whose knowledge is vital to understanding Queensland’s social, cultural and economic history. 

Looking ahead with ‘Lugger Bort’

Future opportunities have opened up for Lugger Bort, including further academic research, community-led interpretation, oral history recording, exhibitions, educational resources, books and cultural programs. These next steps could help the Lugger Bort story reach wider audiences while remaining grounded in First Nations knowledge, relationships and cultural protocols. Most importantly, the Fellowship has shown how mainstream cultural institutions and First Nations community researchers can work together to make space for stories that have too often been overlooked.  

Looking ahead, Lugger Bort offers opportunities for exhibitions, oral history projects, education resources, creative works, tourism initiatives and national partnerships. It is a project grounded in truth-telling, cultural respect and shared learning, with the potential to deepen Queensland’s understanding of its maritime past and the First Nations peoples who helped shape it. 

For the Lugger Bort project, State Library’s support has strengthened the foundation needed to carry the work forward. 

Nerelle Nicol

The Monica Clare Research Fellowship is generously supported by The Siganto Foundation.

Read more blogs by Nerelle Nichol

• Diving Into History: Unearthing Queensland’s Forgotten Seafarers
• Keeping the stories of the “Lugger Bort” seafarers alive