Taukei Ni Waluvu - Colo East Merges With Naitasiri

Colo East Merges With Naitasiri

When the Wainimala campaign of 1874 and the "little war" of 1876 in central Viti Levu were finished, Sir Arthur Gordon thought that the lately subjugated hill tribes, were scarcely fitted then for the rigidity of British Law. He therefore caused an Ordinance to be passed in the Legislative Council of the colony to provide for the jurisdiction of the "lately disturbed districts of Viti Levu", as the preamble put it.

For administrative purposes the lately disturbed districts were divided into two provinces- Colo West and Colo East. Colo North was later carved out of these two hill provinces and Ra, Ba and Yasawa provinces in 1893. Colo East was made up of the districts of Nailega, Nasautoka, Lutu, Waima, Matailobau, Soloira, Nadaravakawalu, Muaira, Nagonenicolo, Noemalu and later Nabubuco. Nairukuruku is the leading village in Matailobau District. Ratu Viliame Batiratu-the first Buli Matailobau chose to name his district, Matailobau in recognition of the clan who gave shelter to Rokowai - the Siko Natabutale clans founding ancestor who fled the ancestral village of Navunidakua.

In 1945, due to colonial native administrative restructure initiated by Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, Colo East province with nine tikinas including Matailobau and Vunidawa government station as its centre was merged into Naitasiri province. The two Wainibuka tikinas of Colo East-Nailega and Nasautoka were separately joined to Tailevu province. After the provincial merger five districts or tikinas of: Naitasiri, Matailobau, Waimaro Wainimala and Lomaivuna were created. Ratu Isikeli Roraqoca the eldest grand son of Ratu Viliame Robatiratu became the Turaga Buli Matailobau from 1945 to 1962 stationed at Nakorovatu village, Vunidawa. The only reminder of the Colo East hill province at Vunidawa today is the prominent stone memorial to its illustrious son and Taukei ni Waluvu Doctor Ratu Temesia Robonowai(1866–1937) atop the government station hill.

The 1881 Gerrard Ansdell expedition of Colo East via the Wainimala and Wainibuka rivers is most revealing of all aspects of life in the hill province as many photographs were taken that is preserved in the Alexander Turnbull Library New Zealand today.