‘Lugger Language: isolation and collaboration’

Lugger Language celebrates the multicultural and multilingual nature of Broome’s pearling industry. Crews of the pearl luggers were of many ethnic groups: Japanese, Malay, Koepangers, Ambonese, Manilamen, Chinese, Aboriginal and more, who spoke a variety of languages. In this environment Broome Pearling Lugger pidgin developed. The isolation that men experienced on the luggers, and the tyranny of distance experienced by those on land back in port, brought people from all these backgrounds together in a variety of ways