Memories Of Tonga

By A. Cowley

MY friend, Mr. A. Hettig, has asked me to write a few notes to accom pany his reproduced photo of the Committee of the Victoria Memorial Hall.

This hall was erected by the Europeans of Tonga, to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria, and to serve as a school for the numerous European children, who at that time were without any local provision for their edu cation.

The original photo by our local photographer, of that time, Mr. Marcus Hamilton, depicts the members (with one invited guest, W. von Treskow) of the Committee.

They were grouped in the grounds of the British Resi dency, where they were as sembled to bid farewell to Mr. Hamilton Hunter, CMG, who as British Agent, and Consul 1901-1909 has sug gested the erection of the hall. The cost was defrayed

by donations from British and foreign residents and the Tongan Government generously granted a long lease of a good site in the centre of the town at a peppercorn rental. A spacious hall, built of heart of kauri, was erected and opened free of debt, without delay.

The names of the assembly were, from left to right: Standing W. Tarr, A.

Riechelman, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Howard, Dr.

Maguire. Sitting —W. Von Treskow, H.

Hunter, CMG (Chairman), A. Cowley (Vice Chairman).

It is doubtful, if there are any sur vivors of the Committee, other than the writer, who is now 89. None of them were young in 1909, when the photo was taken. They represented, in the first de cade of the present century, British in fluence and prestige in a Tonga that is past.

The hall, having out-lasted its useful ness, was purchased by the Methodist Church, and re-erected in a small village on the Liku side of the Island. It is extremely unlikely that any further pub lic building will be erected in Tonga by European residents.

The reproduction of the photo has served to recall kindly memories of a time, a people, and a Tonga, that was —but which, alas, is now no more.

Mr. Stuart Mill, a New Zealander who is a member of the South Seas Evange lical Mission in the Solomons, revisited southern New Zealand in March. During his visit he was guest-speaker at the In vercargill Travel Club, where he spoke about life among the Solomon Islanders.