Land, cane and coconuts

For the people - Pacific resources

Many different cash-crops have been trialled in Oceania. Some of the most successful crops have been sugar cane and coconuts grown for copra. The images in this section from the CSR Ltd and Burns Philp collections explore the sugar cane and coconut industry on different Pacific Islands 

Pacific scholars, R. Gerard Ward, Frank Ellis and Harold Brookfield wrote about the impact of land use, employment in the sugar industry and coconut growing in the setting of Fiji. Papers shown here are Ward's research materials for the 1985 publication `Land, Cane and Coconuts: Papers on the rural economy of Fiji.

171/1027 Cane cutting, Rarawai, Fiji, 1947, CSR Ltd collection

171/1027 Cane cutting, Rarawai, Fiji, 1947, CSR Ltd collection

ANUA258/1 Land, Cane and Coconuts: Papers on the rural economy of Fiji, 1985, Prof RG Ward collection

ANUA258/1 Land, Cane and Coconuts: Papers on the rural economy of Fiji, 1985, Prof RG Ward collection

ANUA258/13/94 Research paper `Sugar Cane Farming in Fiji: The Six Phases of Development, 1961, Prof RG Ward collection

ANUA258/13/94 Research paper `Sugar Cane Farming in Fiji: The Six Phases of Development, 1961, Prof RG Ward collection

Z303/51/F103/22 Map of cane land, Nausori Mill, Fiji, n.d., CSR Ltd collection

Z303/51/F103/22 Map of cane land, Nausori Mill, Fiji, n.d., CSR Ltd collection

Z303/49/31 Loading cane, Mango Island, Fiji, 1882, CSR Ltd collection

Z303/49/31 Loading cane, Mango Island, Fiji, 1882, CSR Ltd collection

ANUA293/5/20 Called `sweet toddy' coconut sap, when allowed to ferment naturally, becomes an alcoholic beverage,Nauru, 1957, N Hitchcock collection

ANUA293/5/20 Called `sweet toddy' coconut sap, when allowed to ferment naturally, becomes an alcoholic beverage,Nauru, 1957, N Hitchcock collection

ANUA302/41 Boy up tree,from office, Banaba/Ocean Island, Kiribati, ca. 1913-1915, HF Doutch collection

ANUA302/41 Boy up tree,from office, Banaba/Ocean Island, Kiribati, ca. 1913-1915, HF Doutch collection

ANUA258/13/99 Map showing acres of coconuts per head of population, Prof RG Ward collection

ANUA258/13/99 Map showing acres of coconuts per head of population, Prof RG Ward collection

N115/508/4a Copra sun-driers, Fanning Island, Tabuaeran, Kiribati, ca. 1930s-1940s, Burns Philp & Co.Ltd. collection

N115/508/4a Copra sun-driers, Fanning Island, Tabuaeran, Kiribati, ca. 1930s-1940s, Burns Philp & Co.Ltd. collection

ANUA314/148/54 Climbing a coconut tree, Rigo, Papua New Guinea, 1957, Dr T Dutton collection

ANUA314/148/54 Climbing a coconut tree, Rigo, Papua New Guinea, 1957, Dr T Dutton collection

N115/508/4 Selecting seed nuts for re-planting, Fanning Island/Tabuaeran, Kiribati, Apr 1956, Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. collection

N115/508/4 Selecting seed nuts for re-planting, Fanning Island/Tabuaeran, Kiribati, Apr 1956, Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. collection