Makassan contact with Australia

Makassarese merchants and Sama-Bajau fishermen from Southern Sulawesi in Indonesia began visiting the coast of Northern Australia sometime around the middle of the 18th century, first in the Kimberley region, and some decades later in Arnhem Land. They were men who collected and processed trepang (also known as sea cucumber), a marine invertebrate prized for its culinary value and medicinal properties in Chinese markets.

Source: Wikipedia — Makassan contact with Australia (CC BY-SA 4.0)