Chinese in Fiji

[cieart]

My name is Dulcie Stewart . I was born and grew up Suva, Fiji and now reside in Brisbane, Australia.

My mothers father, Mar Yook, was Chinese. I’m not 100 percent sure of the spelling of his first name.

He arrived in Fiji in the 1940s and died in the 1960s. He had a copra plantation and general store in Lekutu, Bua.

I've created a blog, which aims to provide a resource for the Chinese community in Fiji. chinesefiji.wordpress.com/

I still haven’t figured out how I’ll post the information/resources I come across. I have started with:

Shipping Intelligence.
I came across Chinese names on the Passengers list on the Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters database. They were either on their way to Fiji or from Fiji back to China and mostly from 1922. I’ll so look up the Fiji Times from that period as well when I get a chance.

Name Index.
An index of names on this blog. Names are listed as Surname, Firstname e.g. Mar Loy. Names could be listed by mistake as Firstname Surname depending on original source, so check for firstname first. e.g Loy Mar.

Resources.
A list of books, book chapters, articles and thesis.


If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Regards,
Dulcie
chinesefiji.wordpress.com/
fragmentedidentities.wordpress.com/

[NZBC]

Thank you Dulcie. I'm really glad that you are doing this work on the Fiji Chinese. There are not many Chinese Family Historians/Researcher out there. It is up to us as individuals to help other who want to research their families.

Many Chinese came to Fiji via Auckland. I came across some of them recently in a shipping list from Archives Auckland.

A couple of sites I recommend - siyigenealogy.proboards.com/index.cgi

and a NZ Chinese digital one chinesecommunity.org.nz/

[NZBC]

A success story

Elenoa Baselala
Friday, April 06, 2012

Joes Farm's Vicky Pene and Michael Kafoa at work in the Tomato greenhouse in Colo-i-Suva. Picture: IVAMERE ROKOVESA+ Enlarge this image

Joes Farm's Vicky Pene and Michael Kafoa at work in the Tomato greenhouse in Colo-i-Suva. Picture: IVAMERE ROKOVESA

FROM its humble beginnings as a fresh produce shop at the Suva Harbour Centre three decades ago, Joes Farm has continued its success story.

Yesterday, Agriculture Minister Joketani Cokanasiga was part of the first harvest of tomatoes ù grown off season and in a newly built greenhouse.

The $500,000 investment is a far cry from what the farm or the business started with. The son of a Chinese migrant who came to Fiji in 1956, Michael Joe was perhaps forced into farming at a young age, clearing acres of heavy forest with an axe and, grassland with cane knife.

An exporter of cassava and dalo, Joes Farm is now a leader in hydroponic farming. His success in this type of farming could be replicated by farmers across the country, Agriculture permanent secretary Colonel Mason Smith said. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil.

A visit to Honolulu in 1987, drew Mr Joes attention to hydroponic farming where he saw lettue being grown in water. His first farm, after careful research, established in 1992, was destroyed by a hurricane in 1997 and in 1999 it was closed.

Mr Joe now has re-established his hydroponic farms in Nausori Highlands and in Colo-i-Suva planting tomatoes and lettuce. "There must be a feasibility study carried out," Mr Joe said when asked on his view of hydroponic as an option for farmers.

"They must be built on higher ground." There are about 5500 tomato plants in the new greenhouse. Each plant is expected to bear at least five kilograms of tomatoes. Col. Smith said the return in investments for such projects was very good. Imported tomatoes are being sold at $17.99 a kilo.

"This is a private sector-led project, which was carried out in co-operation with the ministry, the Fiji Development Bank and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. We are trying to get farmers to diversify their risks. We are try to encourage them to grow off-season vegetables as they will earn more money."

www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=197889

[NZBC]

WHEN the first two Chinese arrived in Fiji aboard the Eliza in 1808, they could not have known what an impact their compatriots would make on this island nation.

The fortunes of this small but resilient community have waned at times but they have soldiered on to carve a specific niche in the country they now call home.

Fiji's new Chinese community consists, in the main, of bakers, restaurateurs, farmers and general shopkeepers in urban areas.

www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?ref=archive&id=80720