Tonga’s coronation

They all want to film Tonga’s coronation

From “PlM’s” Nukualofa correspondent Arrangements for the world-wide television and film coverage of King Taufa’ahau’s coronation in Nukualofa on July 4 have reached an interesting stage.

THE Kingdom of Tonga intends to make the most of the publicity this important and glittering event in her history will bring; for with her five-year development plan develop ing well and the South Pacific being discovered by world travellers, Tonga —like other territories nearby—is anxious to cultivate the tourist in dustry and to get her share of people and profits.

The forthcoming celebrations are a better occasion than most to focus attention on the Friendly Islands.

First on the scene was the New Zealand Broadcasting Commission, based in Wellington and with a traditional link with Tonga broad casting. It showed keenness to do the job.

Then the BBC representative in Australia and New Zealand, the Hon.

Humphrey Fisher, on a tour of radio stations in the Pacifiic area, visited the kingdom, and undertook

to discuss the publicity problem with the head of the Commonwealth Tele vision Services in London, in April.

The Hon. Humphrey’s father, Archbishop Lord Fisher, was the man who crowned Queen Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, an independent Ameri can television producer and writer, Mike Grillikhes, arrived in Tonga seeking exclusive rights to do a main coverage for world cinema and tele vision. He planned to have named Hollywood stars to host and narrate the films. But it seems the “exclusive rights” clause was regarded as a stumbling block to the negotiations.

The Fiji Public Relations Office has offered to do the film work for her smaller neighbour, and several other European and Australian or ganisations are also interested.

It seems likely that much of the distribution (whoever does the actual filming) may be arranged by the

King Taufa'ahau at Pago Pago airport, American Samoa in April, after seeing off Queen Mata'aho on an Air NZ flight to Auckland. With him is Mrs. Owen S. Aspinall, wife of American Samoa's then-Acting Governor, and a Samoan policeman.

BBC and a major American organisa tion.

Press and magazine writers and cameramen from many countries, in cluding Australia, New Zealand, America and Britain, have booked accommodation for the celebrations.

Arrangements for cabling and tele phoning news, and the dispatch of photographs have been made.

In April, Radio Australia, from their Melbourne studios, instigated a radio circuit through Sydney, Suva and Nukualofa to carry a report on the currency changeover, as a test for similar on-the-spot reporting during the coronation.

King back from London

Radio New Zealand has already reserved daily radio-telephone links with the Tonga Telephone and Tele graph Department for the coronation.

King Taufa’ahau returned home in April from a visit to the United Kingdom, after an absence of seven weeks, and was given a traditional welcome. While in London he was fitted for his coronation robes.

Schoolchildren lined the route from wharf to palace and as the King stepped ashore, a 21 gun salute was fired. His brother, Tu’ipelehake, the Premier, who was Prince Regent during his absence, was there to meet him; also the British Consul, Cabinet Ministers, and members of the clergy and judiciary.

As the royal car passed, the chil dren cheered and threw flowers. The Police Band led the parade, followed by the Palace Guard, Boy Scouts and then the schools in their gaily coloured uniforms of blue, green, red, maroon, khaki and white.

That afternoon, despite a heavy

tropical downpour, a Royal ks: ceremony was held in the palsl grounds. This ancient ceremony is 1 same that will be performed, onn grander scale, during the Tongi version of the coronation.

It included the ha’unga. or pq sentation of foodstuffs, the centti piece of which was a huge cooked n accompanied by a large root of grei kava. About 100 chiefs drank ks: with, and paid homage to, thrl monarch.

It was significant that, for t first time since Queen Salote’s dess in December, 1965, the King was i wearing mourning.

One man in the crowd remarkd loudly, “When our King is away, o right hand is cut off; when he is hoic again, it is restored”.

The Tongan Government is buyiy a big house in London to houses; diplomatic representative and an Tongan students under training in t United Kingdom. On his visit, t King inspected a number of statdj homes near London and located b 10-bedroom mansion set in acres of grounds, approximately miles north-west of the city.

The purchase offer of £34,000 H been accepted by the owners, as following a survey by Crown agene negotiations will be completed for t purchase of the estate.

• See, "Coronation expected

boom tourism", p. 52.