Biographical entry: Ramoitau, Joe

Details

Joe Ramoitau was born in 'Oloburi village in the Kwara'ae language area of Malaita. In 1968, he was living in a small village near Levuka, in his mid-80s, the last survivor in Fiji of more than fourteen thousand Solomon Islanders who were recruited to work there as labourers between 1870 and 1911. He had first travelled to Queensland for four years, returned to Malaita, and then in the mid-1880s was recruited for Fiji with 150 other men from Kwara'ae. He also visited Tonga and Samoa. He married a woman from Erienifou on Malaita and worked as a carpenter for the Fiji Government before retiring. He could still remember the Kwara'ae language. (NS 15 Dec. 1968, photo)

Published resources

Journals

  • British Solomon Islands Protectorate (ed.), British Solomon Islands Protectorate News Sheet (NS), 1955-1975. Details