Matuku is a

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

island in the Moala subgroup of

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 ...

's Lau archipelago. Located at 19.18° South and 179.75° East, Matuku covers an area of 57 square kilometers. It has a maximum elevation of 385 meters. Matuku is part of a group of islands known as Yasayasa Moala. There are altogether seven villages in Matuku namely Yaroi, Natokalau, Qalikarua, Levukaidaku, Makadru, Raviravi and Lomati.

History

In 1827,

Jules Dumont d'Urville Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville (; 23 May 1790 – 8 May 1842) was a French List of explorers, explorer and French Navy, naval officer who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. As a botanist an ...

became the first European to discover the island. There are conflicting accounts on whether or not the island was conquered by the Tongans led by the Tongan Prince

Enele Ma'afu Enele is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Enele Maʻafu ( 1816–1881), Tongan chief * Enele Malele (born 1990), Fijian rugby union player * Enele Sopoaga Enele Sosene Sopoaga Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC (born ...

. Oral history passed down through the native Matuku people states that the island was not conquered by

whilst historical records state otherwise. Thomas Williams, a missionary in the island group, records in a journal entry that Matuku was conquered by Ma'afu in 1853 after a three month long siege at the principal village of Yaroi.
The journal of Thomas Williams, missionary in Fiji, 1840-1853. Although journals of Thomas Williams say Matuku was also among the islands conquered by Ma'afu, customs and traditions in the island of Matuku and its people divert from that of other conquered islands in the Lau group. The 'tawala' or mats that are worn around the waist by Tongans during ceremonies are also worn by every island in the Lau group except Matuku. This is a symbolism of victory of the people of Matuku over the Tongan chief and his men.

Notable people

Matuku has produced a number of people who have contributed to the development and progress of Fiji and have held public office during their time. The late Reverend Setareki Tuilovoni hailed from Natokalau, to be the first local President of the

Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma The Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma is the largest Christian denomination in Fiji, with 34.6% of the total population at the most recent 2007 census. Along with the chiefly system and the Fijian government, the Methodist Church forms ...

since it became an independent entity, and Reveremd Setareki Rika and his family who have either served as Church Ministers, Doctors or Teachers. Dr Macu Salato hailed from Qalikarua who became the Lord Mayor of

Suva Suva (, ) is the Capital city, capital and the most populous city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rew ...

, Dr Peni Rika hailed from Makadru, along with numerous medical practitioners, teachers, and clergymen. The late Setareki Tuinaceva, who held office with the

Fiji Rugby Union Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in Fiji. It is divided into over 30 provincial unions. The Fiji Rugby Union is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA), along with Samoa and Tonga. There are ...

for a number of years, hailed from Lomati. Sir

Timoci Tuivaga Sir Timoci Uluiburotu Tuivaga (21 October 1931 – 30 December 2015) was a Fijian judge, who was Chief Justice from 31 March 1980 to 31 July 2002, when he retired.Reminiscences by Tuivaga of his time as Chief JusticeLegal Lali, 5:2,2 Decemb ...

, who served as Fiji's first native-born Chief Justice from 1974 to 2002, was also from Matuku. The late Former Member of Parliament and Government Minister Hon Jonetani Kaukimoce was from Qalikarua. Savenaca Tuivaga was the Fiji Police Contingent leader to the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

and other international assignments.

Joeli Veitayaki Joeli Veitayaki (born 12 January 1967 in Matuku, Fiji) is a Fijian former rugby union player. His usual position was Prop. He debut for against the New Zealand Maori in Christchurch on 4 June 1994. He played at the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cup ...

, former Fiji 15s rugby captain was also a native of the island.

References

Islands of Fiji Lau Islands {{Fiji-geo-stub