Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to r ...

'' Josefa Lalabalavu (1860 – 1905) was the 9th ''

Tui Cakau The ''Tui Cakau'' () is the Paramount Chief of Cakaudrove Province in Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealan ...

'' from 1879 to 1905. He was the Paramount Chief of the

Cakaudrove Province Cakaudrove () is one of fourteen provinces of Fiji, and one of three based principally on the northern island of Vanua Levu, occupying the south-eastern third of the island and including the nearby islands of Taveuni, Rabi, Kioa, and numerous othe ...

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

. He was the son of Ratu Goleanavanua and father of Ratu Glanville Wellington Lalabalavu.

Early life

Lalabalavu was born in

Somosomo Somosomo () is a chiefly village in Taveuni, which is the island where the International Date Line crosses on land in Fiji. This island is part of the Cakaudrove Province and the holders of the title of ''Tui Cakau'', the Paramount Chief of the T ...

Taveuni Taveuni (pronounced ) is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, with a total land area of . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated east of Vanua ...

, Fiji, to

Goleanavanua and

Adi Adi or ADI may refer to: Abbreviations * Acceptable daily intake, in health and medicine * Acting detective inspector, a type of police inspector * Africa Development Indicators, a compilation of data assembled by the World Bank * Alternating ...

Elenoa Mila in 1860. When his father, the 8th Tui Cakau, was dying he was committed to the care of Sir John Bates Thurston, then Britain's honorary consul in Fiji. Like

Josefa Celua, the youngest son of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau,

King of Fiji The monarchy of Fiji arose in the 19th century, when native ruler Seru Epenisa Cakobau consolidated control of the Fijian Islands in 1871 and declared himself king, or paramount chief, of Fiji (). Three years later, he voluntarily ceded sovere ...

, Lalabalavu was enrolled at

Newington College Newington College is a multi-campus Independent school, independent Uniting Church in Australia, Uniting Church Single-sex education, single-sex and Mixed-sex education, co-educational Pre-school education, early learning, Primary school, primar ...

Sydney, Australia Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean ...

, in 1874. After schooling in Australia he returned to Fiji and Thurston’s household.

Installation

Lalabalavu was officially installed as Tui Cakau in August 1880 in the presence of

Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore Arthur Charles Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore (26 November 1829 – 30 January 1912) was a Scottish Liberal Party politician and colonial administrator. He had extensive contact with Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Career Gordon wa ...

Governor of Fiji Fiji was a British Crown colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. During this period, the head of state was the British monarch, but in practice the functions of the crown were normally exercis ...

as reported by the ''

Fiji Times ''The Fiji Times'' is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869 by George Littleton Griffiths, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating. ''The Fiji Times'' is owned by Motibhai Gr ...

'' and ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

''.

Later life

After visiting Sir Willian Clarke in Melbourne in July 1879, ''The Australasian'' reported that; “he has adopted English dress, and his tastes and general mode of life are decidedly English. It is said that his influence with the natives has suffered on that account, but the deference paid to him by his people is not less than that paid to chiefs who have followed the old models closely. His knowledge is extensive, and his conversation, especially when he is dealing with the flora of his native land, most interesting. The article said that; he keeps up two establishments, a native house in the village of

, where his wife, the daughter of a Tongan chief, resides with her family, and & wooden building, with wide verandahs, in which he accommodates his European guests.”

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lalabalavu, Josefa 1860 births 1905 deaths Fijian chiefs People educated at Newington College Colony of Fiji people