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WELCOME! Ritual presentation of yaqona drink (kava - Piper methysticum) that begins any ceremony of significance. It may or may not be followed by goods presentations, depending on the purpose of the ceremony. |
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Ritual presentation (itautau), Lau. Such presentations celebrate and reinforce alliegances and bonds of kinship. The presenter group of men sits behind their (male) presentation of sanctioned foods , a large yaqona root (see above) , and a cooked feast (magiti). Their spokesman or matanivanua makes the highly ritualised speech to accompany the presentation. Women's presentation goods (such as mats, barkcloth, pots, and today, various Western domestic items) invariably accompany these male presentation goods, but are presented in a different manner and at a different stage in the ceremonial. |
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Group of elders seated in village. Not localised, but from the architectural style of the vale vakaviti, probably West to North Vitilevu or offshore islands. |
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Washing day in the river |
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"This village school, on the island of Moturiki is centrally located between five villages, and children travel [walk]distances of from three to four miles to attend classes." This is the typical situation on all of Fiji's smaller islands, only the larger of which have vehicular roads, and fewer still have school buses. |
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Copra agent weighing copra in Malakati village, Yasawa, prior to transport to Suva or Levuka for processing |
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Loading copra onto inter-island ketch, Taveuni island |
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Transporting bananas down the Waidina R., Vitilevu, on bamboo rafts (bilibili) |
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An Assistant Medical Practitioner taking blood samples in filariasis survey, Lau, 1950s |
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Performing surgery at CWM Hospital. The surgeon appears to be Dr Hemming. The anaesthetist and assisting surgeon are qualified Assistant Medical Practitioners, graduates of the Medical School |
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Sisters of the Society of Mary working with patients at the Fiji Leprosy hospital on the island of Makogai. Many patients lived in villages along the shore of the island, carrying on normal village lives fishing, growing food crops and so on. |
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An Indian tenant-farmer wearing turban and dhoti, plowing his zamin with a pair of zebu-cross working bullocks. Unidentified location, but probably Dry Side (perhaps Nadi area), Vitilevu |
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The Governor, His Excellency Sir Ronald Garvey, inspecting the guard at the opening of Legislative Council. His ADC (Aide-de-Camp), walking behind him, is Inspector Adrian Keelan, and the Captain of the Police Guard (carrying ceremonial sword) is Inspector Dudley Pyster. |
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"A bevy of local girls stroll along the beach which circles the island" of Nukulau. Actually, the young woman in the middle was not a "local girl" but an Australian girl, Maureen Duval. She was from the North Shore in Sydney. She had won the trip to Fiji in 1950 as part of her prize for winning the Miss Neptune competition sponsored by the Australian Women's Weekly. She subsequently became Miss Australia and married a Sydney solicitor. She went on to have a long career as a high-profile media personality in Australia, including being the face of David Jones for many years. Her career was still going as recently as 2000. There is another picture of her on the "Towns" site, sitting on the balcony of the BNZ overlooking the Suva Triangle. However, the other women in the photo were local, and I have been given partial identifications for them: L to R - Emily "Bubsy" Bentley (later Mrs. Julian Beddoes), Lena MacGregor (Mrs. Peter Sellars) Maureen Duval (married name unknown), Bette Wright (Mrs. Henry Jones) and Viti Fenton (Mrs. Sonny Whiteside). I am indebted to Bette Wright Jones for the identifications of all of the women in this photograph. |
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In July 1954 my parents, David ("Pinch") and Lily ("Billie") celebrated their silver wedding and my sister Beverley threw a party for them at our home, Manoca Estate (see photo on "Scenery" page). She invited many Nausori CSR friends, and other close friends, including Rob Wright, who took this photo. To identify those in the photo, please click to check the KEY. Of peripheral interest, the painting of frangipani above the doorway (top right, most clearly visible in photo #3) was painted by Mrs Una Stinson. |
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Silver wedding photo #2. The same KEY may be used for identification. |
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Silver wedding photo #3. Modified KEY for identification. |
