Oceania

In a region of the world where there are more sheep than people, Oceania has rainforests, deserts, coral reefs, volcanoes, marsupials, glaciers and Indians! Oceania, the smallest land mass of all the regions, includes the continent of Australia as well as many surrounding island countries - 14 countries in total. The majority of the circa 1.1million of Indian origin live in Australia, Fiji and New Zealand with small communities dotted around the Cook and Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the migration of people of Indian origin to Australia and New Zealand occurred because of the vast imperial networks in place from the various East India Companies. Many were indentured labourers but some adventurers followed during the gold rush of the 1850s. Join us as we discover, celebrate and learn more about who we have become. Our Global Indian Oceania journey has begun.

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Podcast in oceania

Articles in oceania

Meeting Sandhya Nand

In 1989, Sandhya Nand was strutting down Victoria Parade in Suva by Anna Sweetman and Tanya Whiteside who are both considered OGs. In Sandhya’s words, Anna Sweetman was THE fashion organiser in the 80’s, she was a prestigious show producer and model agent and Sandhya was one of her top models. Sandhya tells me that […]

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Indo Fijian wedding

Disclaimer: This is a general order of events that occurs in an Indo Fijian wedding.  The Haldi ceremony, the Mehendi ceremony, the weeks of ‘naach gaana’ (singing and dancing), the arrival of the Baraat, the countless shopping trips. Ah, weddings.  Indo Fijian culture recognises marriage not only as two individuals making a pledge to embark […]

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Indentureship – The struggles of being accepted as Fijian: Aaisha Khan

Over 60, 000 Indian indentured labourers came to Fiji – the adults on a five-year contract, after which they could return to India at their own expense or on a free passage after 10 years’ ‘industrial residence’ in the colony. (Lal, 2019). As indentured emigration was state sponsored, the Government of India was kept informed […]

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The Australian Colonial Sugar Refining Company

1880: The Australian Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) decided to begin operations in Fiji. The company went on to have a massively significant influence on the economic and political sphere of Fiji. The collapse of the cotton price in the 1860s had led to the start of sugar production in Fiji. Prior to CSR’s arrival, […]

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Indianness or Fijianness – the swinging pendulum

Ah, the good ol’ feeling of not being Indian enough and not being Fijian enough. It is a feeling that has festered for years and probably will continue to fester. The years of almost desperately craving for acceptance and validations from India Indians – oh wait let me give you context. ‘India Indians’ – my […]

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Tradition is not an excuse for patriarchy. 

Patriarchy: ‘a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line.’ According to Dr Greda Lerner (Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin), “Patriarchy has gone through many forms, and is an institutionalised pattern of male dominance in […]

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The Haunted line – Halloween in Fiji with Aaisha Khan

Trick or treat. Candy. Costumes. Carving pumpkins. Ghost stories. Horror stories. Frantic consumerism to keep up with the demands of children. Nightclubs packed with people dressed up in their favourite Halloween costumes. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. A pagan religious celebration which welcomes the harvest at the end of […]

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The rise of Indian diaspora in Australia

The rise of Indian diaspora in Australia– Almost a decade ago, Melbourne artist Sapna Chandu wondered why chai – proper Indian-style masala chai – was nowhere to be found in Australian cafes, yet the dialled-down Western version, chai latte, was everywhere. It led her to conceptualise a world where India had overtaken Australia and had […]

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Ep#63 Juggle Less, Re-balance More.

Join us in this episode as we welcome a truly unique guest, Jayne Ruff, who brings together the worlds of parenting and leadership coaching. With her rich and diverse background, she offers invaluable insights into the art of parenting through her theory of the importance of rebalancing. Jayne Ruff is not only a parenting coach […]

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