Rubber

Rubber Plantation Worker

One of the bonuses of researching family history is that it connects you with others who are also investigating their own families. That is how I met Susan Compton, who has been researching her family’s history for over three decades. We share an interest in uncovering untold stories about the past — the kind of stories that too often go unspoken but help us better understand where we come from. This week, I am pleased to share Susan’s guest post on Lost Voices Unearthed Stories. I hope you enjoy reading it:

RUBBER

by Susan Compton

I only think about it when I need new tyres.

That's certainly the case today but in the early 1900's it was a wonder material. Here was a substance that transformed industry as well as everyday life. It didn't look very special and unless treated properly it could be very messy but with vulcanisation rubber became revolutionary. It was used to make hoses, seals, gaskets, shoes, balls, bicycle tyres and car tyres. With the growth of the automobile industry rubber was in high demand.

Everyone knows what rubber is don't they? It's all around us but do we know where it came from? Or how it was sourced? Today it's harvested from large plantations in southeast Asia but in the 1800-1900's it was harvested from the Amazon. There's a tall spindly tree that grows in the Amazon rainforest that the indigenous people harvest sap from. They slice the bark which results in the "bleeding" of sap called latex. They form this sap into balls which they use for games. Early European explorers as far back as Columbus had seen this. It was only with modern technology that the sap could be stabilised and have a wider use. The demand for rubber in the late 1800's to early 1900's became excessive and the growth of the industry gave rise to greed, corruption and exploitation. The indigenous people were the predominant work force coerced into an indentured labour arrangement. Resistance to this system was met with torture and murder by the all powerful plantation owners. The "rubber barons". These men were not held to account or the industry's morals questioned until taken up in the British Parliament in the early 1900's. Debate about this situation was still being tabled in Parliament in 1942. The main concern for the British Parliament was that British ships were transporting rubber produced by companies with a history of human rights abuse. The largest company involved in this transportation was the Booth Steamship Company. They had a large number of ships, offices along the coast of Brazil and employed British workers. 

My grandfather was one of the Booth Steamship Company employees. He was employed by the company for 9 years and he did go to South America as a young man. He came from a religious family, had a good education and was thoroughly middle class, if somewhat protected from the realities of the world. How did he view South America? Was it, initially at least a grand adventure? Did he know what was happening to the local indigenous people? Did he care? He must have heard rumours even if he didn’t see the decimation? Did he feel powerless to interfere? What sort of a man was my grandfather? Was his religious calling just a front with no meaning? His life in Australia was as a respected man in the community. There was no hint of callousness or lack of care. In fact, it was the opposite. So, did South America change him? 

I find this family history very disturbing, but I can't answer these questions based on a paper trail or family stories, but I can think about them. 

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