‘Cane’ tours to Rockhampton Museum of Art

Published on 13 February 2026

Hervey Bay Regional Gallery is proud to announce the tour Cane to Rockhampton Museum of Art, launching Saturday 28 February.

Cane explores the history of indentured South Sea Islander workers in the Queensland sugarcane industry.

This exhibition brings together personal accounts with contemporary artworks from local, national and international artists including Shivanjani Lal, Dylan Mooney, Shari O’Dywer, Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Jasmine Togo-Brisby, Luis Vasquez La Roche and Jon Vea Vea.

Bringing local stories into dialogue with international perspectives, this exhibition makes connections between agricultural and labour practices across colonies of the British Empire in the 19th century.

First shown at HBRG in 2024 with a focus on the Fraser Coast, the RMOA iteration of the exhibition includes new collaborations with the South Sea Islanders communities of Central Queensland, including a series of photographic portraits and commissioned essay responses from three Australian South Sea Islander writers.

The tour of Cane links South Sea Islander communities across our broader region, acknowledging the shared history and impacts of indentured labour through diverse modes of artistic reflection.

Through a process of truth-telling and creative exchange, Cane celebrates the enduring spirit and cultural legacy of Australian South Sea Islanders in Queensland.

Cane is Hervey Bay Regional Gallery’s first touring exhibition and was curated by Llewellyn Millhouse with Keely Eggmolesse.

Image: Eden 2024 watercolour and digital print, Courtesy of N.Smith Gallery