Page 16 - eMuse Vol.9 No.09

Keep that stuff
away from me!

Kill

Devil

(Above Left) A stoneware jug, often used for rum. (Above right) Thorny Devil
It’s a bit before my time, but, they say that way, way back in the Any ambitions of establishing sugar cane plantations in New
seventeenth century when some clever Jamaicans invented the South Wales failed miserably with their first crop in 1821. Their
earliest versions of a new sugar cane based drink they called it “Kill first sugar mill was built in 1842. It refined imported sugar only.
Devil”. Today we call it rum. I’ve been drinking it for years and I’ve Subtly and seemingly unnoticed between these dates, things start-
never seen a devil yet. (Apart from a Thorny Devil at Alice Springs ed happening up north .
and a Tasmanian Devil near Launceston — but I don’t think they In 1824 the worst of the worst convicts were sent to Moreton Bay,
count.) Anyway, back to the point. I think it works. So, as far as I’m which in spite of having nothing going for it, grew and grew to became
concerned, the old name has merit . a colony anyway. The official separation from New South Wales taking
Being a self-confessed, rabid Queenslander, with my bias totally place in 1859 and the name Queensland appeared on maps. Sugar
intact, I’m naturally attracted to rum. It is in our DNA. Now I know cane fortunes began in 1862 with an experimental farm started by
New South Wales has a prior claim to the liquid gold. They even Capt. Louis Hope and John Buhot at Ormiston near Brisbane.
had sugar cane for planting in the cargo of the First Fleet in 1788. The new crop was a success. From 1863 labourers from the
And history books are full of stories about the infamous Rum Traffic South Sea Islands were “recruited” for the hard manual work at
in early colonial times. I freely acknowledge all that. However, a clearing land and establishing sugar cane plantations. Much of
lot of water has passed under the metaphorical bridge since then this recruiting was blatant kidnapping. The practice was known as
and, I firmly believe, the cockroaches have lost their advantage for “blackbirding.” This is regarded as Queensland’s slave trade.
all time. Thus it gives my home state a higher priority to any claim Technically they were not slaves as the were paid a wage. How-
for the “Rum State of Australia”. ever the “wage” was a farcical racket with little or no benefit to
the recipients. Some 62,000 Kanakas were bought here by 1904.
Many were returned home but some of the many who wanted to
stay were permitted to remain.
Their descendants are proud Queenslanders today who are will-
ing to brag at the achievements of their ancestors caving an indus-
try in a wilderness.
Incidently, in spite of political correctness, “Kanaka” is the cor-
rect name for these pioneers. It is not a demeaning insult as inac-
curately claimed .
Plantations and sugar mills quickly became the growth industry.
In the process of crushing sugar cane and making sugar molasses
was wasted by-product. It was useless as stock food as it cost too
much to covert and transport. Then the penny dropped. Molasses
can be made into rum .

Above an right: Various labels used by Bunderberg Rum.
16 eMuse September 2020