‘Socialist paradise’ or ‘inhospitable island’? Visitor responses to Palm Island in the 1920s and 1930s

Abstract

Tourists visiting Queensland's Palm Island in the 1920s and 1930s followed a well-beaten path. They were ferried there in a launch, either from a larger passenger ship moored in deeper water, or from Townsville on the mainland. Having made it to the shallows, tourists would be carried 'pick a back' by a 'native' onto a 'palm-shaded' beach. Once on the grassy plains that stood back from the beach, they would be treated to performances such as corroborees, war dances and spear-throwing. They were also shown the efforts of the island's administration: schools full of happy children, hospitals brimming with bonny babies, brass band performances and neat, tree-fringed streets with European-style gardens. Before being piggy-backed to their launches, the tourist could purchase authentic souvenirs, such as boomerangs and shields. As the ship pulled away from paradise, tourists could gaze back and reflect on this model Aboriginal settlement, its impressive 'native displays', its 'efficient management' and the 'noble work' of its staff and missionaries.