Individuals in Kulkalgal history

This paper explores the lives of three individuals and their impact on the history of the Torres Strait and on world events. While this is an international history, it is centred on travels near Warrior Reef, a large reef system in central Torres Strait used by Kulkalgal and others. The three individuals whose histories are given here come from three different places (Mowata village, Papua New Guinea; Tudu Island, Torres Strait; and Tongatapu Island, Tonga), but they are interconnected through the maritime road they travel and through the relationships that drive their actions across the seas. In written historical narratives, these men have a marginal impact on commerce, science, religion and international politics. This paper gives a central place to these men, and their agency in past events is made explicit. In concluding, we consider their actions as purposeful gifts for future generations.