Join HGRC Visiting Fellow Dr Henry Reese at the Queensland State Archives on Thursday 20 July as he explores the life and actions of Captain Joseph Vos who allegedly used a phonograph to induce several people from the island of Malaita in the Solomon Islands to board his labour-recruiting ship, the ‘William Manson,’ in the early 1890s.

Upon their return to Queensland, Vos and several of his colleagues were arrested and tried for kidnapping in Brisbane. The trial galvanised Queensland society in 1894 and 1895 and contributed to a growing opposition to the indentured labour trade. Henry’s presentation attempts to reconstruct, through archival records and recordings, the soundscape and context of this moment in colonial Queensland history.

Attend in person at the QSA in Runcorn or tune in to the livestream on Thursday 20 July 2023 at 11.00am. Please note that in person capacity at the QSA is limited; register now to secure your seat. For more information and to register, go to: https://bit.ly/3NjqSJb.

Images:

(1) State Library of South Australia, PRG 1373/4/68, ‘William Manson’ (vessel).