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Your Community
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Fiji Geelong Friendship Club Inc
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Your President & Secretary
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President Rev Peceli Ratawa
Secretary Mr Iliatia Cagilevu
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| Your Vice President |
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Your Address
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13 Boundary Rd Newcomb 3219
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Community Hall or Meeting Place
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Mainly meet in various homes of members.
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Phone:
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5248 6538
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Fax:
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Email:
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This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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How long has your community been operating?
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Since 1985
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How many members does your community have?
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Over 28 and associate members from Melbourne.
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What is the first language of your community?
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Fijian
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When did members of your community first start arriving in Australia. Was there a period of peak immigration?
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Around 1975, peak immigration recently.
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What National Days, religious days or special events does your community celebrate?
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Fiji Day, October 10.
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Briefly describe your national dress - including any items of special significance.
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Women - jiaba and sulu. Men - bula shirt and sulu.
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Briefly describe your community’s arts – including music/dance/song or artworks.
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String band songs, meke traditional dance, barkcloth painting.
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Briefly describe your community’s traditional food & drinks - including foods and drinks you would avoid
(if any)
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Yam taro, cassava pork, fish and other seafoods, tropical fruit and vegetables, palusami, food cooked in a lovo - underground oven.
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Website
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Our website is being updated at present. Google: Fiji Geelong Friendship Club Inc. |
Anything else you'd like to add?
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Our club started in 1985 when a Fijian Choir from Labasa comprising of 88-members visited Geelong and Melbourne to promote the Pacific cultures in the Australian community. Fijians in Geelong got together to organise concerts, church services and host the group.
Since 1984 every year we have participated with other ethnic groups at the Pako Festival in Geelong, organised get-togethers, language classes, dance classes, visited isolated older Pacific people, assisted with immigration problems, provided accommodation for visitors on medical visas, contacted tertiary students from Fiji, demonstrated art and crafts, networked the Fijian families and friends of Fiji in the Geelong region and western suburbs of Melbourne. Our club is represented on the Geelong Ethnic Communities Council and Pako Festa committee by our President and Wendy.
The Club is a non-profit organisation and has been an incorporated organisation since 1995. At an annual meeting the President, Secretary,Treasurer and Project Officers are elected for the year.
- - Meetings and get-togethers as arranged
- - Welcome and send-off visitors
- - Network the Fijian community in Melbourne
- - Assist people with special needs:
Visitors on students and medical visas, travel to Fiji, bereavements
- - Language Classes occasionally.
Over the years we have been funded partly from the Multicultural Commission and also City of Great Geelong to whom we are very thankful.
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