While Indian Ocean historical research explores ‘the links, circuits and exchanges that both unite and divide different regions,’[1] Australia was a site of truncated circuits and exchanges, with the White Australia Policy severely restricting travel.

Focussing upon ‘the spectre of race’ in Indian Ocean studies, the paper looks at the lives of three figures, Alibhai Mullah Jeevanjee 1856–1936, an Indian who briefly lived in Adelaide later becoming a prominent business figure in East Africa and founder of East African Indian National Congress, Major Victor Marra Newland 1876–1953, a South Australian veteran of the Boer War and World War One, who became a major business and political figure in East Africa and campaigned in Australia against East African Indians’ campaigns for more rights and V. S. S. Sastri 1869-1948, liberal Indian politician who advocated for Indian rights in both Africa and Australia.

This is a tale of interlocking biographies, criss-crossing the Indian Ocean, linking the histories of Australia, India and Africa with a focus upon the contestation of the global colour line in the 1920s.

[1] All references to Pamila Gupta, Isabel Hofmeyer & Michael Pearson (eds) Eyes Across the Water, Navigating the Indian Ocean, Pretoria, Unisa Press, 2010.