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Resources for Fijian family history research

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Naigani 101-0172_IMG_300x200A collection of resources and ideas for tracing your family tree and researching your family’s history in Fiji. Whether your ancestor was a temporary visitor who married or died in Fiji, or whether you are descended from a long line of settlers or native Fijians, you will find something here to help you.

My name is Carole Riley, and I am collecting websites, books, and repositories of records and microfilmed records to help you find what you are looking for, collected whilst researching my own family. I add to the website whenever I can, so please come back often. You can also subscribe to updates as they are added.

Native Land Records 1890-1980

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Native Land  Records 1890-1980

The Family History Library has microfilmed 117 reels of records from the Native Lands Commission at the Ministry of Fijian Affairs in 1981-1982.

Includes evidence books, clan genealogies, and registers of native land owners. The evidence books consist of sworn testimony on the extent of the communal land holdings of Fijian clans. Clan genealogies consist of sworn statements and pedigree charts. The land owner registers list the members of each clan along with their birthyear or birthdate, references to parentage and death date if known. In most cases there is an original set of land owner registers that was updated with a supplement; and a second set of registers that were continuously updated with new children born into the clan. Also includes evidence books for reserve lands and fishing rights.

The set of registers listed under each province as “Land owner registers (new)” is indexed by a card file that was also filmed. The index cards include information on birthdate and family relation- ships. The index number on each card consists of a: clan no., line no., and province abbreviation. For example: (7-676)Tl refers to clan no. 7, individual on line no. 676, in Tailevu Province

Land records were generated by the Native Lands Commission to provide legal title for clans to their traditional land holdings. A land commissioner was sent to each province to obtain oral testimony on holdings and clan genealogy. Information was then compiled into registers (Vola ni Kawa) of clan members that shared in the communal ownership of the clan. Vital information goes back to early 1800’s.

They are not available for loan within Fiji. See Film Notes for details of each reel.