Pacific community invited to help identify 1980s church photos

Family members are being asked to identify loved ones featured in a vast photo archive from Wellington’s Wesley Methodist Church, captured by pioneer photographer Ans Westra.

A special screening will be held in Wellington next week, showcasing images of the Wesley Methodist Church’s Tongan, Sāmoan, Fijian, and English congregations.

Westra captured iconic scenes of Pacific communities, especially in Wellington, across six decades.

According to Suliana Vea (Ha'apai, Kolomotu'a, Hihifo - Tonga), a research librarian at the Alexander Turnbull National Library, this collection includes over 10,000 photographs.

“There's no names, no details whatsoever, and there could be people who are still alive now who could be able to identify who these people are. I want our people to be named.”

The photos depict community members performing maulu’ulu (Sāmoan dance) in a line, showing the unique hairstyles and fashion choices of that era.

Since Westra’s death in 2023, there has been an ongoing effort to identify the individuals in the photographs, Vea said.

“We did three little small events trying to get with the community members that are in the photographs and their family members and then try to update their details onto the catalogue.

“Then I found more photographs afterwards, so it's all a work in progress.”

Members of the Wesley Methodist Church in Wellingon, 1980s. Photo/Ans Westra, courtesy of Suite Tirohanga

A taonga for generations

Vea is part of the team updating the digital archive and said emphasised the importance of correctly naming individuals in the photo catalogue.

“The most important is the names and the correct spelling of the name, especially if there's Sāmoan names with the Matai names.

“Then anyone, their family, friends, anyone in the future or even present can look them up and then they'll see their photos online or on our website.”

Vea said names could also be updated through the ‘Ask a Librarian’ option associated with each photo, or a special viewing could be arranged.

“If you want to come with a Pacific group and look at photographs together we can do that and I can fill out the form for you, or you're welcome to meet on your own, put together names and just send through the information.”

The Wesley Methodist Church in Wellingon, late 1980s. Photo/Ans Westra, courtesy of Suite Tirohanga

A Pacific librarian's journey

Speaking to Ina Vakaafi on Island Time, Vea shared how she found her path in librarianship.

"I didn't grow up wanting to be a librarian. It was through my university studies that I realised the lack of Pacific representation in this field and decided to pursue it."

Vea was inspired by Victoria University’s David Kukutai Jones, and now fields research requests on the Pacific collections from all over the world, including Canada.

“I helped this gentleman from Germany, he usually emails and asks about verses in the Bible in one of the PNG dialects that we have, saying ‘Can you get this in John 1, verses 1-5 and just send me a copy’.

“I get requests from other people trying to find their family tree, trying to get copies of photos of their family.”

Vea said more screenings were planned to document the correct names of people in the photographs.

Future events may include collaborations with the Sāmoan Congregational Church in Petone and various Tongan community groups in Wellington.

Event Details: Thursday, 30 January 2025, 5.45pm to 7.30pm.

Taiwhanga Kauhau — Auditorium, (lower ground) National Library Wellington. Entrance on Aitken Street.