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I was doing some research about the Fiji Methodist Church the other day at Deakin University and came across some interesting photographs from the archives - from 1890onward. The photo of the large group includes men and women ready to be missionaries in Papua New Guinea. Another is of Fijian minister at Davuilevu about the 1930s. Also, two of the photos were given to us from an elderly woman in Geelong, photos taken in the 1930s of Fijian ministers on deputation. The photo of Daniel Mastapha, Ramsay Deoki and Edward Caleb was taken in the 50s.
25 comments:
Thank you for posting those historical pictures of pioneer missionaries of the methodist church. Although I belong to another denomination, I have great appreciation and respect for the methodist church because it was the religion of my birth and have some relatives who were pioneers in Fiji in the very early years of the church in Fiji. My great great grandmother is a sister to Joeli Bulu (Sioeli Pulu).
i know anonymous Sioeli PULU IS MY greatgreatgreatgreat grandfather.
Hello, that's really nice. I've read of his commitment and adventures and what a wonderful life he had. I hope you have copies of some of the stories.
w.
Hello again,
I found this about Joeli Bulu on a Levuka website:
1865: Tongan, Joeli Bulu came to Fiji with James Calvert; Bulu was later, “ chaplain to Cakobau”
Posted on February 6, 2008 by levuka
1865: “Joeli Bulu came to Fiji with Calvert. He was with John Hunt at Rewa, and later on Viwa at the time of the revival and the conversion of VaraII. He spent eight years on the small island of Ono in Lau where he was ordained and put in charge. ` I used to think Ono was a little heaven, ‘ he said. He served twice at Nadi in western Vanua Levu, where his dual allegiance - to his own Tongan chiefs and to the mission - made it hard for him to avoid suspicion of entanglement in the wars of Ma’afu’s ruthless Tongan henchman Wainiqolo”
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Between 1863 and 1866, following the death of his first wife, he was in charge of a training institution for Fijian pastors and evangelists at Waikava (Fawn Harbour) on Vanua Levu. He trained Fijian catechists to carry forward the circuit work he knew well in many parts of the group. Some conception of the brotherhood between early Tongan and Fijian missionaries in Fiji is conveyed by the names of a group of thirty of them who in 1869 signed a message to their departing chairman, William Moore.
In 1865, when Bulu was at Waikava, 100 villages, with about 10,000 people, accepted Christianity in Fiji. Much of the hard work at local level was done by the kind of catechists he trained. The catechist (uakatawa) remains today an important figure in village church life; his name describes him as the sentinel of the lotu.
Bulu’s second wife, Akesa, was a Fijian from Vanua Balavu in Lau, Ma’afu’s headquarters, where Tongan influence was strong. By the time he remarried he had become part of the Fiji scene. When he described how two heathen chiefs made peace with him by the traditional presentation of a whale’s tooth (tabua) he said: “They kissed my hands, sniffing at them, after our fashion in Fiji and Tonga. ‘
His arm bore the scars made by a shark during his early ministry at Rewa; the shark bit him on the thigh when he was swimming in the river after playing with a group of boys and a young chief, who were diverting themselves by pushing toy canoes. The shark transferred ; its jaws from thigh to arm. Bulu roused himself to anger and fought it. He pushed his hand down its throat, raised it out of the water, dragged it ashore ‘ and collapsed unconscious.
Bulu recovered from the shark bite to live on into mellow later years on Bau as chaplain to Cakobau. There Miss Constance Gordon Cumming. a guest of Gordon, “a very tall, plain woman, a regular globe-trotter,” rhapsodized about him in 1875: His features are beautiful, his colour clear olive, and he has grey hair and a long silky beard. He is just my idea of what Abraham must have been, and would be worth a fortune to an artist as a patriarchal study.
Miss Gordon Gumming was present during Bulu’s last days and at his funeral in May 1877 . ` He has been the old king’ s special teacher ‘ she wrote. “- and many a difficult day he has had with him and all his handsome; strong-willed sons and daughters. They are al lvery much attached to him; and some of them are generally with him now, fanning or just watching beside him. Lady Gordon, the governor’s wife, sent him a parcel of jujubes and acid drops. He was buried beside his friend John Hunt on Viwa. Many other Fijian and Tongan ministers and teachers who were his friends have grave-sites effaced by hurricanes or lost in scrub. When Bulu died some of Fiji’s most able evangelists were going to New Britain. At home in Fiji the ardor of a second generation was cooling off. The mission met problems in the mountainous interior of Viti Levu, a region suspicious of the influence of Bau”.
John Garrett, “To Live Among the Stars”(book reviewed in the Journal of Pacific History, Sept, 1998, by Roderic Lacey) . Geneva/Suva: World Council of Churches in Association with the Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific. 2-8254-0692-9
Hi anonymous, please allow me to introduce myself as I am also a descendant of the great pioneer Sioeli Pulu. My late grandmother Moala Tufutele was a grand daughter of Sioeli Pulu. Moala was born and raised in Fiji until she moved back with her parents 'Ilaisaane and Noble Niukapu Viliami Mahe. 'Ilaisaane was a daughter of Neomai daughe of of Siolei Pulu.
My grandmother had 2 siblings also born and raised in Fiji, her sister Salote Nanasi and their brother Tevita Po'ese. Their youngest sister Mele Vaisioa was later born in Tonga.
My youngest son is now 16 years attending Newington College carries the name Sioeli Pulu with pride.
I would love to hear from families and relatives connected through Sioeli Pulu.
'Ofa lahi atu
wow! Im a fijian desendant of joeli bulu....we still carry the bulu last name....would love to hear if you know of his conection with mataiasi vave....or anything else about him!
ello TB
I think there would be plenty of information in various archives e.g. in Sydney at the Mitchell library, and in Fiji at the Fiji Archives and also at the USP Pacific Collection. Good luck with your search.
w.
re.....tb's comment,regarding Mataiasi Vave,
I am part of the Vave's from the Solomon Islands, we spread to the Solomon Islands as a continuation of the same missionary work done earlier in fiji by our forefather Soeli Pulu, we are descendants of Soeli Pulu,
But as for how the geneology connections/links, and our relatives is also my question, i would love to know more.... my lau, fijian/tongan grandfather who came to the Solomon Islands name is Vilisoni Mataiasi Tuwai Vave,
and most of us carry the mataiasi vave surname.
Regards,
Thank you for your post. I've just got back from Fiji and just caught up with the blog. Are you descended from the nurse who was at Lelean Memorial School in the 1950s, maybe 1956? I think she was the daughter of Mataiasi Vave.
Peceli
Aw wow this is awesome. More relatives :) soooo exciting. I'm also another PULU. I'm one of the 7th generation :) I had the honour of going over to Fiji last year (2o13) & did my outreach missions out there & it was just soooo good having to hear soooo much more of thy Grandfather's history & what he's started in Fiji. I also had the honour of being honoured as the 7th generation returning to Fiji as a missionary continuing on what our Grandfather had started. I'm also now 6th months pregnant & I really felt the need to name my son after SIOELI. Continuing on the family gene. It would be awesome to get to know & meet more of the relatives. Please if you're another relative please do feel free to get in contact. I would love to know more & meet more of the family. 7 generations down the line & gosh the blood is going strong. PRAISE THE LORD!
Fb: facebook.com/Phalaliku4 or Phalaliku4@facebook.com
Email: leti_halaliku4@hotmail.com
P.S - Does anyone know how I can get a hold of a copy of Gramps book?
"JOEL BULU: The autobiography of a Native Minister to the South Seas"
Hi Guys,
I'm a 5th generation of Sioeli Pulu my great Granfather Ratu Penaia Cakau or Peni Cakau (in Tongan "PENIAKU")
My GreatGrandfahter Peniaku was the first grandson of Sioeli Pulu and first wife Melaia. His Daughter Ne'omai is their only child had a son to Goleavanua the 7th Tui Cakau.
But she was sent back home with her child by her father.
My Grandfather Mailekulikefu was Peniaku only child with his wife Tuútanga Hunuhunu.
Peniaku was a Methodist Minister too in Tonga and a Director for Education in his times.
I love to hear from everyone connection to this man mountain of Christianity especially from my great Granfather Peniaku's Cakau family side.
sii_ofa@yahoo.com.au
God bless you all.
Ofa atu
Hi Guys,
I'm a 5th generation of Sioeli Pulu my great Granfather Ratu Penaia Cakau or Peni Cakau (in Tongan "PENIAKU")
My GreatGrandfahter Peniaku was the first grandson of Sioeli Pulu and first wife Melaia. His Daughter Ne'omai is their only child had a son to Goleavanua the 7th Tui Cakau.
But she was sent back home with her child by her father.
My Grandfather Mailekulikefu was Peniaku only child with his wife Tuútanga Hunuhunu.
Peniaku was a Methodist Minister too in Tonga and a Director for Education in his times.
I love to hear from everyone connection to this man mountain of Christianity especially from my great Granfather Peniaku's Cakau family side.
sii_ofa@yahoo.com.au
God bless you all.
Ofa atu
MY FATHER'S NAME MAILEKULIKEFU HIS FATHER'S PENIAKU AND HIS MOTHER'S NEOMAI DAUGHTER OF SIOELI PULU
Hi everyone I came I'm a descendant of Sioeli Pulu too my great grandmother is MoalaTufutele id love to kno more of Any families or relatives connected to Sioeli Pulu
ofa lahi atu
Hi there.
I am A descendant of Sioeli Pulu too. My Grandmother is Amelia Sioeli Pulu, I know her as (aka) Otolose Amelia Moala Tupou (married name).
She is from the line of Sioeli Pulu and Mele Finau.
someone needs to put all these families together into a family tree in one document. That woild be great to see!!
He sounds like a great man. I wish I knew more!! I dont know much at all about my Tongan History side of my family. After reading these post I think it is time to find out.
My grandfather told me the story of our great great great grandfather long ago when i was still in high school back in Tonga and you all know being young and esp a teenager his stories just comes through one ear to another I wasnt interested but sat there only knowing names. ANYWAYS, we come from Neomai's line,The great Sioeli Pulu's daughter but not sure where does 'Akau and Siosifa fit in? If 'Akau was the husband or son? OR Sifa was? Or maybe they werr her grandkids??..but yea i also was told, since Sioeli didnt have a son or.married son but only a daughter(Neomai) he asked that Neomai's child carry thr Pulu lastname? and Neomai's husband or whatever agreed to to it. I forgot what was the husbands lastname, hoooi. IF ONLY, i payed more attention to the stories. My grandpa has the tohi hohoko but sucks its all the way in the islands with him. Well, anyways, good to know all the talk about our great grandfather! Havint heard of Peniaku surname before, and this is why its good we'r all sharing and trying to connect the dots.
Ofas to all
Hi there,
I'm a descendant of Sioeli Pulu, through his daughter Neomai. My grandfather is Sione Lopeti, and his Mother's name is Moala Tufutele. It would be awesome to collaborate all these connections (so far) onto a huge family/extended relatives - chart? It's so good to see our Fijian connections interested in our genealogy research!
Just adding to my comment just above this one..
Sioeli Pulu -> Neomai -> 'Ilaisaane -> Moala Tufutele -> Sione Lopeti -> Meleane Lopeti Kavakiholeva -> Me.
:)
Does anyone know if Neomai, Sioeli's daughter got married or was with another other than Golravanua (Tui Cakau) which she had his son and was sent back to Tonga. Tryna connect the dots here.
My relatives say Neomai became pregnant by Goleavanua the 7th Tui Cakau maybe they kidnapped her and not sure if they were actually together or what happened but she was sent back to Tonga after she gave birth to the son, Peniaku.
Wooow data very interesting and i wud love to kno more about my fijian relative peniaku family
Hi my name Is Nicole, I am just learning more about my family history and I think the son of the 7th Tui Cakau and Neomai eventually married a woman named Tu'utanga Hunuhunu Tuiha'angana who is the daughter of the 38th/39th Tu'i Tonga (I'm not sure which number, he had many wives) and they only had one son named Maile Kulikefu Peniaku. I will find more information
Hi nicole im Lesieli can u email me more info about sioeli pulu to sieli2175@gmail.com
Hi Nicole any updates?
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