A small collection of 8mm cine footage (silent) taken by Wes Graham, a New Zealand government administrator, during his tenure in the Cook Islands, late 1920s to mid 1950s. Most of these films feature footage from the Cook Islands (Rarotonga, Avarua, Atiu, Mangaia, Ngatangiia, Ma’uke).
This record combines two original 8mm reels onto one.
The Northern atolls (Cook Islands) seen from a sailing boat. Whitewashed stone buildings juxtaposed with small thatched roof huts under palms. Cleaning pearl shells. Mangaia (Cook Islands). Diving for shellfish. Paddling in canoes in a lagoon. Inland footage. A school yard with children. Village scenes. At sea in a fishing vessel. Grasslands. People swimming in clear blue water. Fruit harvesting. Papaya, oranges. Collecting and boxing. Pineapple plots. A local variation of basketball with a crowd of onlookers. People singing in the crowd. Makatea shots of steep cliffs and cave rising above lagoon.
Oneroa, official visits.
The cutting through to the Makatea at Oneroa. Pineapple plantation, processing and loading by hand. Oranges (still green), gathering and boxing. Seaplane at Noumea (New Caledonia). Sydney harbour. Wentworth Ballroom and Taronga Zoo (Sydney). Commonwealth Pacific Airlines plane. Headquarters South Pacific Commission, intergovernmental HQ building in Noumea. Mangaia (Cook Islands).