Window to the past for Vanuatu PM

Window to the past for Vanuatu PM

Visiting Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai discovered a unique piece of his country’s history at the University of Auckland last week.

Mr Salwai and his delegation visited the Western Pacific Archives, held in the University library’s Special Collections, as part of a general visit to the University where they took the opportunity to meet students from Vanuatu and strengthen educational ties between the two countries.

The archive is a record of all aspects of colonial administration in the Western Pacific from 1877 to 1978 and includes the records of the Western Pacific High Commission, the British Consul in Tonga, and the New Hebrides British Service.

Among its 2,800 boxes of material are highly valuable letters, maps, civil and criminal legal records, black and white photos and other documents recording a colonial life long past.

Those relating to Vanuatu – the New Hebrides British Service - date back to 1902, shortly before it became an Anglo-French Condominium.

The Prime Minister’s party were fascinated to see places and names they recognised, like a plan for a prison in Port Vila which separated ‘whites’ from ‘natives’ that still exists - although not segregated by race – today; old photos showing traditional thatched houses and an original map of the island of Pentecost, Mr Salwai’s home island.

After a movement for independence in the 1970s, the country became the Republic of Vanuatu in 1980 and now has three official languages; Bislama, French and English.

Welcomed by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Adrienne Cleland, head of Pacific Studies Damon Salesa, Special Collections manager Stephen Innes and staff at the NZ Institute of Pacific Research, the delegation were also impressed by the Fale Pasifika, the iconic building that acts as a touchpoint between the University and Pacific communities.

Mr Salwai wished the Ni-Vanuatu students, who study across a range of disciplines, every success and told them “their country was waiting for them”.

The official visit was the first since Mr Salwai became prime minister in February this year, and involved talks with Prime Minister John Key and a series of events in Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga.

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