Pacific colours in Fiji
THE colonial-era spawned a kaleidoscope of Pacific colours in Fiji.
The reason for this congregation of people from Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia were mainly because of the bringing of foreign labourers to work on Fiji’s plantations, many of which were scattered in outlying islands.
“In the early days of the colony at Levuka, one could differentiate almost at sight, the natives of the various races who were numerous,” Arthur Griffiths noted in his book, Memories of Fiji.
Arthur was a son of The Fiji Times founder, George Littleton Griffiths. He took over the running of this newspaper when his father died in 1908.
Arthur said the universal use of the vernacular Fijian language started when the white man found it quicker to learn the native language than wait for native Fijians to learn to speak English.
All household servants, including the Fijian nurses, spoke Fijian which resulted in white children learning the language as soon as they learned to speak English.
“And as a very good example of the claim that what you acquire at an early age is likely to be indelible for the rest of your life, today I can speak Fijian fluently and without hesitation, though it is now over 30 years since I left Fiji,” Arthur said in his book.
“The general use of the Fijian language was carried to all arrivals of “foreign labour” and thus it became the common lingo at the capital of the South-West Pacific.”
Solomon Islanders formed the largest number of Levuka Melanesians, many of whom worked as town labourers. There were others from Vanuatu and Santa Cruz Islands.
“Conspicuous among the dark skins were the light coloured Rotuman islanders. Also among the lighter-skinned races in Fiji were the Tongans, many of whom were employed by the Armed
Constabulary and Police Force,” Arthur said.
He said among other native Pacific islanders who were in Fiji during the colonial days were those from Samoa, Tokelau, Gilbert Islands (Kiribati), Wallace islands (Wallis and Futuna).