Makassan contact with Australia

Historical intergroup relations

Makassarese merchants and Sama-Bajau fishermen from Southern Sulawesi in Indonesia began visiting the coast of Northern Australia sometime around the middle of the 18th century, first in the Kimberley region, and some decades later in Arnhem Land. They were men who collected and processed trepang (also known as sea cucumber), a marine invertebrate prized for its culinary value and medicinal properties in Chinese markets. The term Makassan (or Macassan) is generally used to apply to all trepangers who came to northern Australia, referring to both Makassarese themselves as well as the Sama-Bajau that followed suit.

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