May 13th is Rotuma Day: but where is Rotuma?

May 13th is Rotuma Day, celebrated with gusto not only on Rotuma Island, but in Suva, Lautoka, Samoa, Tonga, Australia and New Zealand. So, where is Rotuma? Warning: you may need to expand the map below!

Map of Fiji (Rotuma at top): Wikimedia commons

Rotuma - place and people

Rotuma is an isolated South Pacific island with a few uninhabited outliers, 460 kilometres or 299 nautical miles north of the Fiji archipelago. Rotuma Island itself is the 12th-largest of the Fiji islands, at 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) long and 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) wide.

Rotumans are a Polynesian people sited at the confluence of distinct ethnic groups, usually classified as Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian. In spite of its isolation, Rotuma had past links to Tahiti, Marquesas and Tonga. A volcanic island, its fertile soil produces excellent crops, which the people traded with visiting ships from at least the early nineteenth century. Some Rotuman men also joined such ships as crew, keen to experience a wider world.

Colonial history

On 13th May 1881, Rotuma ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria, just as the Fiji islands had done seven years earlier. At this time, Rotuma was attacked by Tongan warriors while their own chiefs waged civil war. After cession, Britain governed both Rotuma and Fiji from Suva until Fiji's independence in 1970. After nearly a century of easy travel between the two island groups and a shared governor and colonial institutions, many Rotumans became well integrated into the wider Fijian nation of which they are now part.

Flag of Rotuma

Rotuma today

Rotuma is part of Fiji, but has its own flag and more autonomy than Fiji's 14 provinces. The island is administered directly by the Office of the Prime Minister of Fiji. A council of the seven traditional chiefs of Rotuma and seven elected representatives proposes projects for funding by the Fiji government. When approved, the Prime Minister's Office implements successful projects jointly with the Council of Rotuma. With a population of around 1,500 people, maintaining a port, airport, hospital and schools clearly costs more per capita than in most parts of Fiji.

In Suva and other towns in Fiji, another 10,000 Rotumans live well-integrated lives. Some may never have visited Rotuma, but all are aware of their ancestry and know relatives on Rotuma, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and Australia. Rotumans are employed in many occupations all over Fiji. For example, when I lived in Suva, I had Rotuman colleagues at the University of the South Pacific, my doctor was Rotuman, as was my hairdresser. Indeed, Fii's High Commissioner to Australia was also Rotuman. As has often been noted, Rotumans punch well above their weight in Fiji.

Rotuman star shines on Pristine Seas

Charlene Erasito is a Fijian whose father has links to Rotuma. As a child she visited Rotuma with her father who was assessing engineering projects. While studying for her PhD at the French National Institute for Ocean Science and Technology, the National Geographic Pristine Seas team invited her on their expedition to Rotuma. The team was impressed that in New Caledonia she used remote-operated vehicles, imagery and acoustic data to explore the environment of seamounts, as they were using similar methodology. Charlene was thrilled to be back on Rotuma to discover the deep-sea life around her ancestral home.

“Every person we met on the island felt like family – whether or not we were actually related. That’s the magic of home... Seeing the deep-sea footage – the fish, the corals, and the life hidden beneath the surface – was incredible. And to know we’re exploring with minimal disruption to these fragile habitats was important to me.” The Guardian, 10 May 2025.

I would love to bring you pictures of Charlene on Pristine Seas, but don't have permission. Here's the link to the full Guardian article instead. Click to read more and view the images.

Join me in wishing everyone in Fiji, and Rotumans everywhere, a very happy Rotuma Day. There's much to celebrate!

If you have friends interested in Fiji or Pacific islands in general, I encourage you to share this post.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Bernadette

B.M. Allsopp