Daily Life In Ono-i-Lau, Fiji 50 Years Ago

Telegraph Operator In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
A great friend. Photo of Epeli. M-130

Copyright © 1970-2019, Northcountry Communications, Inc. These photos were taken on Ono-i-Lau by LInda Weld. All rights reserved. Photos & stories cannot be used without written permission. Contact Linda by email.

Woman Making A Basket

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Busy putting together a basket under a tree. W-133

Watching The Lovo

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Men prepare a lovo for Sunday meal. PF-134

Carrying Water Home

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman hauls water in buckets down an Ono path. PA-226

Kerosene Lamp & Pineapple Dangle From A Beam

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Inside an Ono kitchen. VL-257

Search Terms: Fijian bure, thatched palm, kerosene, pineapple.

Bure Under Construction

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Traditional bure, before thatching. BUR-138

Search Terms: Bure, construction, framework, wood.

Men Lift Thatching For A Bure Roof

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Roof thatching. BUR-134

Search Terms: Roof, thatching, sticks, men, building. a

Root Crops For Children's Feast At School

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
The table is being set. PF-241

Schoolboys

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Six boys at the Onolevu District School. SC-242

Thatching For A Bure Roof

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Thatching dries in the hot sun. BUR-140

Search Terms: Thatch, bundles, bure roof.

Girl Chops Coconuts With An Axe

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Girl cuts coconuts for supper. PF-236

Thatched Bure

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
In the village. H-258

Search Terms: Banana plants, tin, building, stovepipe, thatching, bure.

Children, By The Dozens, Fish Together In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Adults lead children in fishing expedition. FIS-177

Search Terms: Ocean, shallow, coastline, spear, coconut fronds, children, fishing, Lau.

Minding The Store

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
The Vasara Store in the 1970's. AH-132

Search Terms: Shelves, young man, cloth, clothing, for sale, store, counter, Fiji.

Young Girl

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Delighted little girl. SC-154

Straightening The Spear On A Fishing Expedition

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Homemade spears made of wood and umbrella spokes or coat hangers. FIS-191

Search Terms: Boys, girls, fishing, shallow waters, spear, Fiji.

At Home In Ono, 1971

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two bures in Ono. AH-260

Search Terms: Tin roof, bure, trees, open lawns, Fiji.

Women & The Wash

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Washing by the cistern.. W-263

Working Outdoors

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Woman in Ono-i-Lau. AH-261

Search Terms: Coconut palms, outdoors, Fiji, woman, working.

Sister Takes Two Little Children Down The Trail

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Going down the path. PA-227

Ono-Made Stencils For Tongan Style Masi

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Tongan style stencils for tapa. MAS-196

Little Girl, Thinking

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Small child, portrait. SC-156

Woman In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Elder in bure. W-264

Man With Stick

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Heading along the shore. PA-228

Starting Up The Lovo

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Man obscured by smoke from his lovo. PF-132

Takia By The Shore

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
At work on an outrigger. TAK-250

Man With Axe & Machete

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Walking through the village toward another chore. M-210

Very Young Boy In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Little boy. SC-157

Woman In The Square Under The Trees

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young woman, dressed for church. W-265

Families At A Picnic

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Men, women and children enjoy an outing. FAM-170

Search Terms: Trees, mats, families, temporary sun shelters.

Boys With A Bat

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Excited boys display a bat they caught in a papaya tree. BG-158

Search Terms: Bure, trees, 4 boys, large bat, Fiji Islands.

Men With Roofing For A Bure Under Construction

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two men with bure thatching. BUR-141

Search Terms: Bure, roof thatching, sinnet rope, machete, builders.

Woman Making A Mat In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Outdoor mat making. MAT-187

Woman Of Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Working at home in Ono. W-166

Photo of Saleseini Talebula

Kitchen Bure With Dish Drying Rack

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Typical kitchen under the trees. PF-132

Search Terms: Trees, palms, thatching, kitchen, bure, dishes, drying, rack.

Girls Gathering Fruit

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Girls with citrus. BGF-159

Search Terms: Fiji, girls, fruit, gathering.

Village Life: Part Two

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Village event. VL-279

Four Young Girls Looking Pretty

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
At the beach. SC-160

Detail Of The Edge Of A Takia

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Holes, drilled in outrigger for sinnet lashing.. TAK-251

Little Boy Watches Older Brother Work

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two boys gathering coconuts. SC-161

Woman With Laundry

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Wash day in Ono. VL-280

Doing The Dishes

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Outdoor drying rack. VL-281

Man Seated In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Ono elder. M-211

Hurry! Get Into A Circle!

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Young men give directions, as children rush to form a fishing circle. FIS-181

Search Terms: Ocean, palm fronds, children, takia, fishing, Fiji.

Women Under The Trees In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two women and a girl. AH-229

Search Terms: Women, path, coconuts, tropical trees, banana plant, kitchen, bure, coconut trees, drying rack, sunshine.

Men Dancing A Meke In Ono

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Men crouch in meke. MEK-212

Woman, Young Child In A Bure

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Mat making. MAT-188

Takias In The Water, Ono-i-Lau

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Two Ono takias, pulled up near shore. TAK-252

Storekeeper At Ono-i-Lau Vasara Store

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji

Storekeeper: Luke Cakau
Matches, aspirin, kerosene, soap, mackerel, tea…. AH-262

Search Terms: Shelves, store, items, island life, Coleman lantern, counter, shopkeeper.

Washing The Clothes

Ono-i-Lau, Fiji
Laundry time. VL-282

Background

Ono-i-Lau is, by far, the remotest community in Fiji. There are six tiny islands within the reef at Ono-i-Lau. On Onolevu, the largest island, there are three villages: Nukuni, Lovoni and Matokana. There's a fourth village, Doi, on another island. These photos were all taken on Onolevu.

From 1970 to 1972, Ono was reached by either copra boat or a larger boat, the Uluilakeba. Boats came very rarely, every few months, bringing mail and goods for the store, and taking back copra and other items, along with passengers. Tragically, the Uluilakeba sank in a storm, with Ono people on board, in December, 1973. The ship went down only a year after the last of these photographs was taken.

Although sugar, salt, tea, and other basic items entered the island through the store, much of what people ate came from the island itself: Shellfish, fish, octopus, land crabs, bananas, leafy vegetables, coconut, root crops, breadfruit… and, during special times, pork, chicken and beef.

In the early 1970's, copra was the cash crop. Many residents were Methodists, and attended the Methodist church. Onolevu District School, which ended in Class 8, had a large number of students. In October, 1970, Fiji gained independence from Great Britain.

Everyone in Ono walked everywhere; there were no vehicles. Sometimes older boys rode the family horses. All boats were classic takias, or outrigger canoes, in the Fijian tradition.

Fiji's indigenous people come from two different roots. Western Fiji is Melanesian. The islands in the eastern, or Lau group, are Polynesian. In some ways, Ono is almost Tongan. Its art, the physical appearance of its people, and even the language all tend toward the Polynesian.

For example, the Fijian "v" was not used in Ono. It was replaced by the very Polynesian "p." In Western Fiji, that most basic of foods, the pig, is known as "vuaka." But, in Ono, a pig is a "puaka."

About These Photos

When we went to Ono 50 years ago, we were very young and just married. The people of Onolevu taught us many things. We hope this portrait of local life reveals the warmth, capabilities, dignity and confidence that we saw in the people of Ono. We think these photos of everyday life show the lessons we learned:

1. Working together is important.

2. Division of labour gets the job done.

3. Make time for yourself, your family, and your community.

4. Men, women and children all have equal value.

5. Respect tradition.

Linda & Jeremy Weld

Peace Corps Volunteers, Fiji IV

Onolevu District School

Sitiveni Gaunavinaka, Headmaster

Ono-i-Lau, FijiA great friend. Photo of Epeli. M-130

Ono-i-Lau, FijiBusy putting together a basket under a tree. W-133

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMen prepare a lovo for Sunday meal. PF-134

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman hauls water in buckets down an Ono path. PA-226

Ono-i-Lau, FijiInside an Ono kitchen. VL-257

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTraditional bure, before thatching. BUR-138

Ono-i-Lau, FijiRoof thatching. BUR-134

Ono-i-Lau, FijiThe table is being set. PF-241

Ono-i-Lau, FijiSix boys at the Onolevu District School. SC-242

Ono-i-Lau, FijiThatching dries in the hot sun. BUR-140

Ono-i-Lau, FijiGirl cuts coconuts for supper. PF-236

Ono-i-Lau, FijiIn the village. H-258

Ono-i-Lau, FijiAdults lead children in fishing expedition. FIS-177

Ono-i-Lau, FijiThe Vasara Store in the 1970's. AH-132

Ono-i-Lau, FijiDelighted little girl. SC-154

Ono-i-Lau, FijiHomemade spears made of wood and umbrella spokes or coat hangers. FIS-191

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTwo bures in Ono. AH-260

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWashing by the cistern.. W-263

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWoman in Ono-i-Lau. AH-261

Ono-i-Lau, FijiGoing down the path. PA-227

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTongan style stencils for tapa. MAS-196

Ono-i-Lau, FijiSmall child, portrait. SC-156

Ono-i-Lau, FijiElder in bure. W-264

Ono-i-Lau, FijiHeading along the shore. PA-228

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMan obscured by smoke from his lovo. PF-132

Ono-i-Lau, FijiAt work on an outrigger. TAK-250

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWalking through the village toward another chore. M-210

Ono-i-Lau, FijiLittle boy. SC-157

Ono-i-Lau, FijiYoung woman, dressed for church. W-265

Ono-i-Lau, FijiMen, women and children enjoy an outing. FAM-170

Ono-i-Lau, FijiExcited boys display a bat they caught in a papaya tree. BG-158

Ono-i-Lau, FijiTwo men with bure thatching. BUR-141

Ono-i-Lau, FijiOutdoor mat making. MAT-187

Ono-i-Lau, FijiWorking at home in Ono. W-166