Labour and gold in Fiji

by ʼAtu Emberson-Bain

This book is a study of an important aspect of Pacific history and political economy, the mining of gold and the development of an indigenous labour force in Fiji from 1930 to 1970. The book focuses on the town of Vatukoula, which is in the northwest of Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu. Vatukoula means 'rock of gold', and as the country's only company mining town it is an important site for the study of Fijian labour history. Labour and Gold in Figi examines the mechanics of the labour market but also focuses on the ordinary working lives, experiences and struggles of the mining community. By examining the impact of goldmining in Fiji, 'Atu Emberson-Bain extracts a number of important themes significant to Fijian social and economic history and the Third World in general. She traces the making and undoing of working-class indigenous mine labour in Fiji, discussing various aspects of economic coercion as well as the social consequences of Fijian incorporation into the colonial labour ma