Misplaced Pages

#66933

37-567: The reefs were named after the whaleship Minerva , wrecked on what became known as South Minerva after setting out from Sydney in 1829. Many other ships would follow, for example Strathcona , which was sailing north soon after completion in Auckland in 1914. In both cases most of the crew saved themselves in whaleboats or rafts and reached the Lau Islands in Fiji . The reefs were first known to Europeans by

74-590: A libertarian country on the reefs. Oliver formed a syndicate, the Ocean Life Research Foundation, which had considerable finances for the project and had offices in New York City and London . In 1971, the organization constructed a steel tower on the reef. The Republic of Minerva issued a declaration of independence on 19 January 1972. Morris Davis was elected as the President of Minerva. However,

111-783: A part of the Lau Province ever since. Since they lie between Melanesian Fiji and Polynesian Tonga , the Lau Islands are a meeting point of the two cultural spheres. Lauan villages remain very traditional, and the islands' inhabitants are renowned for their wood carving and masi paintings. Lakeba especially was a traditional meeting place between Tongans and Fijians. The south-east trade winds allowed sailors to travel from Tonga to Fiji, but much harder to return. The Lau Island culture became more Fijian rather than Polynesian beginning around 500 BC. However, Tongan influence can still be found in names, language, food, and architecture. Unlike

148-720: A religious war on the island. Using his alliance with the Tui Cakau and Tui Bua , or Paramount Chief of Bua , Ma'afu defeated Ritova , the Tui Macuata or Paramount Chief of Macuata , Ma'afu extended his influence through the northern island of Vanua Levu . When Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau , the Vunivalu , by then the Paramount Chief of Bau , made his first offer to cede Fiji to the United Kingdom in 1858, William Thomas Pritchard ,

185-474: Is 80 percent. Both North and South Minerva Reefs are used as anchorages by private yachts traveling between New Zealand and Tonga or Fiji. North Minerva (Tongan: Teleki Tokelau ) offers the more protected anchorage, with a single, easily negotiated, west-facing pass that offers access to the large, calm lagoon with extensive sandy areas. South Minerva (Tongan: Teleki Tonga ) is in shape similar to an infinity symbol , with its eastern lobe partially open to

222-670: The Lau Group , the Eastern Group , the Eastern Archipelago ) of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean , just east of the Koro Sea . Of this chain of about sixty islands and islets, about thirty are inhabited. The Lau Group covers a land area of 188 square miles (487 square km), and had a population of 10,683 at the most recent census in 2007. While most of the northern Lau Group are high islands of volcanic origin, those of

259-610: The Lau Islands in 1848. Aligning himself with the Tui Nayau , the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands , he went on to conquer the Moala Islands and placed them under the Tui Nayau's authority. In 1850, Enele Ma'afu gave the Tui Cakau a canoe and in return the Tui Cakau gave the island of Vanua Balavu to Ma'afu. He went on to Vanua Balavu and took up residence in Lomaloma , after suppressing

296-612: The Strathcona . The crew and passengers survived by living in the remains of a Japanese freighter. There they remained for three months and several died. Without tools, Captain Tēvita Fifita built a small boat using wood recovered from the ship. With this raft, named Malolelei ('Good Day'), he and several others sailed to Fiji in one week. 23°38′S 178°54′W  /  23.633°S 178.900°W  / -23.633; -178.900 Lau Islands The Lau Islands (also called

333-605: The Tovata Confederacy , covering most of northern and eastern Fiji. This arrangement was not a success, however, and Ma'afu retired to the island of Vanuabalavu. He maintained his claim, however, to be the overseer of the Tongan population, and when the Tui Nayau raised the Tongan flag over Lakeba, Ma'afu took control of the Lau archipelago on the pretext that its Paramount Chief had declared it be Tongan territory, rather than Fijian. Ma'afu

370-511: The British Consul , warned Ma'afu - by now the most powerful chief in northern Fiji - that under British rule, further attempts to expand his power base would not be tolerated. Ma'afu shrewdly signed an agreement denying sovereignty over Fijians and claiming to be in the islands only to oversee the Tongan population. Following Britain's decision in 1862 not to annex Fiji, however, Ma'afu resumed his attempts to extend his rule. In 1867, he created

407-627: The Lau Islands) and the founding father of modern Fiji who was Prime Minister for most of the period between 1967 and 1992, and President from 1993 to 2000. Other noted Lauans include Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna (1898-1958), who forged embryonic constitutional institutions for Fiji in the years that preceded independence. Other notable Lauans include: 17°50′S 178°40′E  /  17.833°S 178.667°E  / -17.833; 178.667 Enele Ma%27afu ʻEnele Maʻafuʻotuʻitonga , commonly known as Maʻafu, (circa 1816 — 6 February 1881)

SECTION 10

#1732852742067

444-641: The Lau Provincial Council. Many Lauans have Tongan ancestors and some Tongans have Lauan ancestors; Tonga's Lands Minister is named after Enele Ma'afu , the Tongan Prince who originally claimed parts of Lau for Tonga. Historically, the Minerva Reefs have been part of the fishing grounds belonging to the people of Ono-i-Lau , an island in the Lau Group. Just off the island of Vanua Balavu at Lomaloma

481-545: The Southern Lau Islands, and the Moala Islands . Around 1855, the renegade Tongan prince Enele Ma'afu with the help of Tui Nayau ’s army, conquered the region and established a unified administration. Tui Nayau then bestowed the title Tui Lau , or King of Lau, to Ma’afu, promulgated a constitution and encouraged the establishment of Christian missions. The first missionaries had arrived at Lakeba in 1830, but had been expelled. The Tui Nayau , who had been

518-466: The Tongatapu Group. The atolls are on a common submarine platform from 549 to 1,097 metres (1,801 to 3,599 ft) below sea level. North Minerva is circular in shape and has a diameter of about 6.8 kilometres (4.2 mi). There is a small sand bar around the atoll, awash at high tide, and a small entrance into the flat lagoon with a somewhat deep harbor. South Minerva is parted into The East Reef and

555-458: The West Reef, both circular with a diameter of about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi). Remnants of shipwrecks and platforms remain on the atolls, plus functioning navigation beacons. Geologically, the Minerva Reefs are of a limestone base formed from uplifted coral formations elevated by now-dormant volcanic activity. The climate is subtropical with a distinct warm period (December–April), during which

592-548: The arrival of the shipwrecked crew to Governor William Bligh in Sydney in a letter of 12 October 1807. On September 9, 1829, a whaling ship from Australia called the Minerva wrecked on the reef. On July 7, 1962, the Tuaikaepau ('Slow But Sure'), a Tongan vessel on its way to New Zealand, struck the reefs. This 15-metre (49 ft) wooden vessel was built in 1902 at the same yard as

629-498: The centre of the game of Cricket in Fiji. Cricket is the most popular team sport in Lau, unlike the rest of the country where Rugby and Association Football are preferred. The national team is invariably dominated by Lauan players. The Lau Islands' most famous son is the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (1920-2004), the Tui Lau , Tui Nayau , Sau ni Vanua (hereditary Paramount Chief of

666-692: The charts by Captain John Nicholson of LMS Haweis in December 1818 as reported in The Sydney Gazette 30 January 1819. Captain H. M. Denham of HMS  Herald surveyed the reefs in 1854 and renamed them after the Australian whaler Minerva which ran aground on South Minerva Reef on 9 September 1829. In 1972, real-estate millionaire Michael Oliver, of the Phoenix Foundation , sought to establish

703-508: The crew of the brig Rosalia , commanded by Lieutenant John Garland, which was shipwrecked there in 1807. The Oriental Navigator for 1816 recorded Garland's discovery under the name Rosaretta Shoal, warning that it was “a dangerous shoal, on which the Rosaretta, a prize belonging to his Majesty's ship Cornwallis, was wrecked on her passage from Pisco, in Peru, to Port Jackson, in 1807”. It noted that it

740-667: The death of Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba II in 1966. The title Tui Lau was left vacant from his uncle, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna , in 1958 as referenced in Mara, The Pacific Way Paper. The Northern Lau Islands, which extended as far south as Tuvuca , were under the overlordship of Taveuni and paid tribute to the Tui Cakau (Paramount Chief of Cakaudrove ). In 1855, however, Ma'afu & Tui Nayau gained sovereignty over Northern Lau, establishing Lomaloma , on Vanua Balavu , as Ma”afu’s capital . The Southern Lau Islands extended from Ono-i-Lau , in

777-466: The far south, to as far north as Cicia . They were the traditional chiefdom of the Tui Nayau , but with proper consultation between Ma'afu & Tui Nayau in the 1850s, united them to the Lau Province . The Moala Islands had closer affiliation with Bau Island and Lomaiviti than with Lau, but Ma'afu & Tui Nayau ’s conquest united them with the Lau Islands. They have remained administratively

SECTION 20

#1732852742067

814-464: The island of Lakeba in the chiefly village of Tubou . The cousin and official representative of King George Tupou I , who wished to keep him away from Tonga as a potential rival for the throne. In 1847, King Taufa'ahau of Tonga included his cousin Ma'afu in an expedition sent to Vanua Balavu to investigate the killing of a preacher. Ma'afu established himself at Lakeba as leader of the Tongan community in

851-518: The islands were also claimed by Tonga. An expedition consisting of 90 prisoners was sent to enforce the claim by building an artificial island with permanent structures above the high-tide mark. Arriving on 18 June 1972, the Flag of the Tonga was raised on the following day on North Minerva and on South Minerva on 21 June 1972. King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV announced the annexation of the islands on 26 June; North Minerva

888-508: The killing of a preacher. He was born in Tongatapu , Tonga, in 1816, as the son of Aleamotu'a , Tu'i Kanokupulu . In 1840 he married ʻElenoa Ngataialupe Lutui , with whom he had one child, Siale 'Ataongo , in Nukuʻalofa . Also a Christian, 'Enele (Henry) Ma'afu introduced Methodist Christianity to eastern Fiji. Ma'afu died 6 February 1881 in Lomaloma , Vanua Balavu , and was buried on

925-456: The nominal overlord of the Lau Islands, became subject to Ma'afu. The Tui Nayau and Tui Lau titles came into personal union in 1969. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara , who had already been bestowed the title of Tui Lau in 1963 by the Vuanirewa Clan on the approval of his father Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba II (the reigning Tui Nayau during that time), was also installed as Tui Nayau following

962-666: The ocean on the northern side. The reefs have been the site of several shipwrecks. The brig Rosalía was wrecked on the Minerva Reefs on 19 September 1807. After being captured by HMS Cornwallis at the Peruvian port of Ilo on 13 July, the Rosalía , 375 tons, was dispatched to Port Jackson with seven men on board under the command of Lieutenant John Garland, master of the Cornwallis . Captain John Piper, Commandant at Norfolk Island , reported

999-519: The proposal to Fiji's Minister for Foreign Affairs , Ratu Inoke Kubuabola . Some Tongans have Lauan ancestors and many Lauans have Tongan ancestors; Tonga's Lands Minister is named after Enele Ma'afu , the Tongan Prince who originally claimed parts of Lau for Tonga. Area: North Reef diameter about 6.8 kilometres (4.2 mi), South Reef diameter of about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi). Terrain: two atolls on dormant volcanic seamounts. Both Minerva Reefs are about 485 kilometres (301 mi) southwest of

1036-565: The reef to replace the equipment, and to reassert Tonga's claim to the territory. Fijian Navy ships in the vicinity reportedly withdrew as the Tongans approached. In an effort to settle the dispute, the government of Tonga revealed a proposal in early July 2014 to give the Minerva Reefs to Fiji in exchange for the Lau Group of islands. In a statement to the Tonga Daily News , Lands Minister Lord Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi announced that he would make

1073-730: The sea". In 2005, Fiji declared that it did not recognize any maritime water claims by Tonga to the Minerva Reefs under the UNCLOS agreements . In November 2005, Fiji lodged a complaint with the International Seabed Authority concerning Tonga's maritime waters claims surrounding Minerva. Tonga lodged a counter claim. In 2010 the Fijian Navy destroyed navigation lights at the entrance to the lagoon. In late May 2011, they again destroyed navigational equipment installed by Tongans. In early June 2011, two Royal Tongan Navy ships were sent to

1110-515: The south are mostly carbonate low islands . Administratively the islands belong to Lau Province . The British explorer James Cook reached Vatoa in 1774. By the time of the discovery of the Ono Group in 1820, the Lau archipelago was the most mapped area of Fiji. Political unity came late to the Lau Islands. Historically, they comprised three territories: the Northern Lau Islands,

1147-449: The square-shaped ends characterizing most houses elsewhere in Fiji, Lauan houses tend to be rounded, following the Tongan practice. In early July 2014, Tonga's Lands Minister, Lord Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi , revealed a proposal for Tonga to give the disputed Minerva Reefs to Fiji in exchange for the Lau Group. At the time that news of the proposal first broke, it had not yet been discussed with

Minerva Reefs - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-459: The temperatures rise above 32 °C (90 °F), and a cooler period (May–November), with temperatures rarely rising above 27 °C (81 °F). The temperature increases from 23 to 27 °C (73 to 81 °F), and the annual rainfall is from 1,700 to 2,970 mm (67 to 117 in) as one moves from Cardea in the south to the more northerly islands closer to the Equator. The mean daily humidity

1221-546: Was a Pacific islander who held important titles in two countries in the Pacific. He was a traditional Tongan Prince and a Fijian chief nominated and installed by the Tovata chiefs of Lakeba and Vanua Balavu as 'Tui Lau' in 1869. This title was ratified by a wider council of Fijian chiefs and subsequently formalised under British colonial administration. In 1847, Maʻafu went to Fiji in an expedition to Vanua Balavu to investigate

1258-585: Was faced with a crisis in June 1868, when the Tongan government disclaimed all sovereignty over Fijian territory, including the Lau Islands. Ma'afu could no longer exercise authority over Lau as a Tongan Prince. Lauan chiefs met in Lakeba and February 1869, and granted Ma'afu the title of Tui Lau , or King of Lau, Levuka , and Ovalau . He was subsequently recognized as such by the chiefs of Cakaudrove and Bua in May 1869. Ma'afu played

1295-474: Was the Yanuyanu Island Resort, built to encourage tourism in what has been a less accessible area of Fiji, but the small resort failed almost immediately and has been abandoned since the year 2000. An airstrip is located off Malaka village and a port is also located on Vanua Balavu, at Lomaloma . There are guest houses on Vanua Balavu and on Lakeba , the other principal island. The Lau Islands are

1332-461: Was to be renamed Teleki Tokelau, with South Minerva becoming Teleki Tonga. In September 1972, South Pacific Forum recognized Tonga as the only possible owner of the Minerva Reefs, but did not explicitly recognize Tonga's claimed sovereign title. In 1982, a group of Americans led again by Morris Davis tried to occupy the reefs, but were forced off by Tongan troops after three weeks. According to Reason , Minerva has been "more or less reclaimed by

1369-428: Was “composed of hard coarse sand and coral”, a description that must have come from Garland's report. It also said that “from the distressed situation of the prize-master, Mr. Garland”, the shoal's extent could not be ascertained, and concluded: “The situation is not to be considered as finally determined”. It cited different coordinates from those given by Garland: 30°10 South, longitude 173°45' East. The reefs were put on

#66933