Laborie District – 'Turtle Island Anchorage', renamed for a governor
Laborie was once called Rade et Anse de l'Ilet à Caret, meaning 'Turtle Island Anchorage and Beach'. It was later renamed in honour of the Baron de Laborie, Governor of Saint Lucia from 1784 to 1789. Long before the colonial era, Amerindian peoples lived here, as archaeological finds and petroglyphs outside the village show.
During colonial times the region became a major centre of the sugar industry, with many plantations and estates, and the work of enslaved Africans on these lands shaped the district's history and culture. Today Laborie is a friendly village community of around 8,500 people on Saint Lucia's south coast. Do you know a Laborie story or family memory? Share it with the community!