Tongan Language Week

Malo e lelei. Tongan Language Week is being celebrated from 1-8 September. The theme this year is Fakakoloa 'o Aotearoa 'aki 'etau Lea mo e Hiva Faka-tonga / Enriching Aotearoa with Tongan Language and Music. As part of the celebrations, there is a vibrant Facebook page.

Auckland Libraries has a number of heritage resources relating to Tonga. This include the following subjects: heritage and identity, the Birth Marriages Death index for Fiji and Tonga from 1858-1873, traditional medical practices, early photography in Tonga and Samoa from 1855-1900, Tongan art, early Tonga as the explorers saw it 1616-1810 and the biography of the King of Tonga.

In the Manuscripts Online database (simply enter the keyword Tonga into the search box), there are manuscripts relating to Tonga, including letters from Charles Douglas Whitcombe to Sir George Grey about his own appointment to Tonga (1890) and his time over there (GLNZ W30.2-27), letter from King George Tupou I to Sir George Grey in 1847-1848 (GL G10.1-2) and a letter from John Harley Roberts at the Tongan College to Sir George Grey in 1889 about Tongan beliefs and mythology.

Also held in the heritage collections are images showing Tonga, so step back in time and take a walk down memory lane ...

Royalty:



Ref: AWNS-19000831-5-6, Mafu Prince of Tonga, 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: 31-66995, Princess of Tonga, 1911, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-18990630-2-3, Princess Ofa of Tonga, 1899, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19000831-5-7, throne room in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Elders:

Ref: AWNS-19000831-5-4, elders at Nuku'alofa, Tonga, 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Royal wedding, 1899:

Ref: AWNS-18990630-2-1, European guests at the wedding of King George Tupou II of Tonga, 1899, Sir George Grey Special Collection

Ref: AWNS-18990630-3-1, bridesmaid at the wedding of King George Tupou II of Tonga, 1899, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Having fun:

Ref: AWNS-19000831-5-5, Children by a stream in Tonga, 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Special occasions:

AWNS-19140723-44-3, garden party in Nuku'alofa Tonga, attended by Hon. Dr Pomare and Tongan elders, 1914, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Natural disasters:

Ref: AWNS-19130227-5-4, hurricane damage, 1913, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19130227-5-3, hurricane damage on the beach at Nuku'alofa, Tonga, 1913, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Wesleyan College:

Ref: AWNS-19000817-8-1, roofing the Wesleyan College on Tonga, 1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections