1760: Bau chief Nailatikau seized Ulu-ni-vuaka, expelled the Butoni; rise of Bau rapid partly to the advantages gained from the first use of firearms

Sea warriors/fishermen of yavusa Nabou of Lasakau, who trace their roots to Delailasakau Naitasiri and the Nakauvadra foothills, were brought to Bau from Beqa by the Vunivalu Ratu Banuve.
Levuka and Butoni people exit Bau: This was after the banishment of the Levuka and Butoni people from Bau around the 1760’s. About 1760, the Bau chief [...]

1808: Peter Dillon – 6ft 4in red-haired Irish Catholic, arrived in Fiji from India on a vessel trading for sandalwood

“Peter Dillon (1788-1847), adventurer, (and entreprenuer) was born (by his own account) of Irish parents in Martinique on 15 June 1788 and taken by his father, also Peter Dillon, to County Meath, Ireland, as a small child.
A big man: As a youth he served in the navy. He arrived in Fiji from India [...]

1869: Suez Canal aided European influence in Pacific: new era of European influence: journey from Asia to Europe reduced by 6,500 km

The Suez Canal was constructed between 1859 and 1869 by French and Egyptians interests with a cost of about 100 million dollars.  It removed the need to go around Africa to get the Asia and the Pacific, The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 brought forward a new era of European influence in Pacific [...]

1865: Birth of BLAKELOCK James Thursfield -1865

Birth, BLAKELOCK James Thursfield -1865
- parents Thomas and Elizabeth BLAKELOCK
Fiji Births/baptisms registered at British Consul, prior to 1870. This reference comes from Christine Liava’a, member of the NZ Genealogical Society and founder of the Pacific Islands Interests group. She says: ” All of these, plus others from 1870 – 1873 are registered in the 4 [...]

16 December, 1859: Fijian chiefs sign over to total power to govern Fiji to William Pritchard

On December 16 , the Fijian chiefs in council unanimously agreed:
” That we hereby delegate, cede and makeover to and vest in the said William Thomas Pritchard the full unreserved, entire and supreme right, authority and power to govern Fiji, according to the broad and plain principles of justice and morality.
“That this enactment [...]

20 July 1871: Hennings, Sagar and Woods create Fiji “Government”, at Levuka, fund private army; drill 29 Fijians to fight “Ba mountaineeers”

The North Otago Times, reported “A body of over over 29 natives were being put through their facings in July 20 ( 1871), by Lieutenant Woods and the fact of discplining them in the white man fashion caused much indignation”.
1871 image?  This unsourced image shows about 29 soldiers at a place that [...]

28 September, 1857: W. T. Pritchard arrrives in Levuka as British representative for Fji: reports only 40 Europeans in Levuka

“In December, 1856, my father sailed from Samoa for England, leaving me as Acting Consul. On the 28th of September, 1857, I was appointed H. M. Consul at Fiji, though I still served in Samoa until the middle of 1858. Prior to my appointment there had not been a British Consul resident in Fiji, for [...]

1853: [Ma'afu] “has introduced order, proprietery and rule” wrote Lyth after the arrival of Ma’afu amd Sefanaia Laulua

‘Wesleyan missionary, Lyth wrote repeatedly to King George Tuopu of Tonga asking for his intervention to control the behavour of Tongans in Fiji. …Ma’afu played no particularly prominent role in in Fiji until 1853, when Tupou ,at the request of the missionaries, appointed him and Lualala (the former Vava’u rebel) jointly to govern the [...]

1858: Ma’afu the most powerful man in Fiji

Heneli Ma’afu was son of Josiah Tupo’u, the previous Kanokupulo. It is often suggested that George Tupou, King of Tonga sent Ma’afu to Fiji to make a kingdom for himself in in 1947 because he was a potential rival whose high birth and cleverness could make him a leader for the Kings energies. [...]

From July 1840 to July 1853 Thomas Williams served successively at Lakemba, Somosomo and Bua

‘Disillusioned by wars, cannibalism, widow-strangling and general opposition Williams broke down and left the mission, reaching Sydney with Rev. Walter Lawry in December 1853 after several months in New Zealand.
Ex-printer, Calvert aids publication: While in Fiji Williams developed an interest in ethnography, illustrating his material with detailed sketches. His manuscript ‘The Islands and their Inhabitants’ [...]