This amateur film is a travelogue produced by Richard Piper of the Australian Methodist Overseas Mission. It documents his trip to Fiji and the various charitable and educational endeavours which the group were involved in, including the Dilkusha Girls Home, Suva Methodist Boys School and the Dudley Memorial Church.
B&W TITLE: “Australian Methodist Overseas Mission present a travelogue by Richard Piper.”
COL INTERTITLE: “Indians of Fiji”.
COL: GV Fijian Indians selling fruit, vegetables and produce at markets - okra, eggplant, silverbeet, radishes, bundles of dalo (taro).
GV Europeans, Asian, Indians and Fijians buying produce and walking around open market.
GV Suva city - locals walking in town and at Suva market.
WS Pink bus with SIGN “SUVA - LODONI MAIL SERVICE”.
Van with SIGN “ROYAL MAIL” driving on street.
MAP showing route from Suva to Ovalau, also shows other villages such as Tailevu, Rewa, Navua and Nausori where the Suva airport is located and various rivers.
WS Nausori Bridge spanning crossing wide river.
GV Crowds of Fijian Indians near tents erected in open ground.
MS Man seated under awning with scales and piles of sun cured copra.
GV People walking in Nausori township.
MS Family smiling for camera (may be of Asian descent).
COL: MAP showing route to Dilkusha Girls’ Home near Nausori and Davuilevu.
HS GV Overlooking Dilkusha Girls Home buildings.
HS Overlooking girls playing in clearing near buildings.
GV Man walking up towards Girls Home buildings.
MS Man talking with Nuns at Girls Home.
MS GV Indian woman sewing as chid watches sewing machine mechanism.
GV Children seated on ibe (mat) on lawn. MS Nun standing holding infant flanked by 2 children.
GV Man, Nun and group of children walking towards camera.
WS Crowd of children and teenagers running across lawn to buildings.
GV Indian girls walking from buildings and doing exercises - callisthenics on lawn. PHOTO BW “Hannah Duddley” [Methodist Mission Sister who worked amongst Indo-Fijians in Suva for 13 years from 1900-1913].
GV Fijian Indian girls walking on lawn.
GV Older European man talking with young girl near crowd of Fijian Indian female students.
GV Fijian Indian girls standing talking and smiling at camera.
GV Young Fijian Indian women performing dance in circle - wearing saris.
GV Indian women in Girl Guides uniform with saris worn over the top - Girl Guides give salute.
Indian girls smiling for camera.
PAN R Across buildings of Suva Methodist Boys School.
SIGN “Suva Methodist Boys School - Mo Mai Vuli” and also Hindi script.
WS GV Fijian boys performing war dance - Male Fijian students from Suva Methodist Boys school perform the cibi while others seated nearby in uniform accompany performers by singing, clapping and playing guitars.
GV School teachers posing for camera. Schoolboys playing game [vidi].
GV Columns of schoolboys marching onto playing fields.
GV Fijian boys performing exercises - callisthenics on playing fields of school.
GV Schoolgirls performing meke. Two girls in the front take part in the qiri lali - playing traditional Fijian drums.
GV Female teachers standing behind students performing meke.
MS School girls performing meke.
WS Fijian school girls running up and down porch outside classroom.
NS WS Setting sun obscured by clouds.
GV Europeans, Indians and Fijian Indians walking outside Dudley Memorial Church.
GV Congregation exiting Dudley Memorial Church in Sunday best and posing for camera.
WS Girls placing garlands of flowers around necks of 2 European men outside Methodist Church.
GV Congregation standing talking outside church and walking from church grounds.
MAP “Little India’ near Nadi”.
GV Young women walking besides river followed by infant holding umbrella.
WS 2 Men poling simple bamboo canoe [bilibili] down river.
GV European man carrying bananas from rack near bune to car parked on rural dirt road.
WS group of children running on roadside towards bridge.
WS PAN R Across bridge spanning wide river.
Car driving towards camera across bridge.
Fijian boy smiling at camera.
WS Fijian woman standing near bure
MAP “Little India” near Nadi.
HS WS GV Overlooking rural area in valley with river - cane fields, bure.
WS Man turning bulls attached to yoke and plough on muddy field.
MAP Showing area around Nadi showing Lautoka, Tavua Gold Mines, Nadi Bay and the Kings Road.
EXT Hospital building.
GV Indian, Fijian Indian and European Nurses outside hospital - talking, posing for camera.
GV European nurse mixing [paste - icing].
MS Nurses standing holding baby.
GV Women in hospital beds inside ward.
GV Nurses sitting talking, reading and praying inside hospital ward - small girl sits holding doll.
GV Nurses walking from building and entering car - car drives away on rural dirt road.
MS Man walking through field of chest high grass [grain - barley].
CU GV Head of [wheat - barley - grain].
MS Man standing examining large bush.
MS Man driving team of bullocks across field - ploughing land.
GV Fijian Indian girl smiling for camera.
WS GV Overlooking agricultural land and worked fields.
GV European man talking with Fijian Indian family outside colonial house.
WS Small wooden chapel - church.
WS Car driving on town street - cars parked in BG.
GV Men walking outside small Mosque.
GV Fijian Indian family posing for camera - man grooms very bushy large moustache. GV Large group of students being led in song - prayer near flagpole outside building. MS Children placing lei around neck of European man seated outside building.
PAN R Across European and Fijian Indian people seated on chairs with students standing in BG.
GV Indian woman leading students in exercise - callisthenics - students watch from sidelines.
GV Teachers standing talking and posing for camera.
GV Young girls skipping rope.
GV Young women working in garden supervised by teacher.
CU Flowers growing on small plant - being knocked with stick.
GV Young girls playing games involving crawling on grass.
PAN L Across young women waving baskets.
MS Teacher inspecting knitted items. Line of students walking from playing field past camera. Woman placing lei around neck of seated European man.
MS Fijian Indian teaches standing talking.
MS Large bush.
COL INTERTITLE: The Lotus Queen.
GV Young Fijian Indian women performing [Lotus Queen] dance - ritual - rite.
LS Sun setting behind horizon.
MS Fijian Indian girls dancing on grass.
LS Sun low on horizon obscured by cloud.
INTERTITLE The End.