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Over many years, I have researched canoes from across Oceania and archived images of these vessels, including various models. I have now decided to share these pictures online. This task will take many months or years to complete fully. This page focuses on Melanesian canoes.
Taiwan
Looks very much like a Solomon island canoe, but no, it is a “Tatala” canoe from Taiwan…The history of Polynesia does through Taiwan.
New-Guinea canoe
A small canoe of the type “Korakora” from the Molukes archipelago.
Ninigo canoe
A voyaging canoe from the Ninigo Islands, which are a group of 31 islands within the Western Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea.
.Fijian Proa
One look at the mast head and it is definiyely a Fijian sailing canoe of the type Thamakau or Kamakao. The topmast or " ndomondomo" endis in a typical two-horned "truck
Fiji Drua
This is a model of a Fijian drua (double hulled sailing canoe).The drua was the largest and finest sea-going vessel ever designed and built by natives of Oceania
The model is at the Te Papa Tongareva Museum of New Zealand .
Fiji Drua
This is a very rare magic lantern slide showing a Fiji drua near a beach in Fiji
Fiji Drua
This is a beautiful and helpful line drawing of a Fiji Drua illustrated in the book VOYAGERS by Herb Kawainui Kane.
Fiji Drua
A small but very old Fijian Drua model
Fiji Proa
The float connected to the outriggers by three pairs of stanchions would indicate that the canoe is from Fiji. The difference between a Fiji Proa (Kamakau) and a Fiji Drua is that the Drua consists of 2 hulls, whereas a Proa is a single-hull canoe with outriggers and float.
Fiji Drua
A scale model I built several years ago purchased by a collector in Taiwan. This collector visited the Suva Museum, Fiji, where he was captivated by the Drua displayed there. As a result, he commissioned me to create a model of it.
Fiji Drua
This is the last surviving original drua canoe on display at the Suva Museum. Suva is the capital of the South Pacific island nation of Fiji.
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Fiji canoe
A Fijian canoe of the type “Takia”.
Fiji
A small incomplete model canoe. The railings would indicate it to be Fijian.
Fiji Camakau / Proa
This looks to be a very old, simplified Fiji Camakau.
Fiji canoe
Fiji camakau racing
Fiji Camakau
Fiji voyaging canoe of the type “vakau” very common on the island of Lau. They were built to be used on the high sea.
Fiji Camakau / Proa
This is the Fiji voyaging canoe in the “Fiji House” at the Polynesian Cultural Center, Lai’e, Oahu, Hawaii. The canoe is an old, original vessel of which I made a model of it, right down to scale, some years ago.
Camakau
Fiji camakau canoe
Camakau
Fiji Camakau canoe
Camakau
Fiji fishing canoe of the type camakau
Fiji Drua
Fiji Drua acquired by the Stiftung Humbold Forum at Berliner Schloss. Note the drums or “lali” at the foot of the canoe.
Fiji
One of the ways to find out whether a canoe is of a Fiji type, look no further than the masthead, the “ndomondomo,” which looks like a tow-horned spear. But a same shape masthead was also used on some Tonga voyaging canoe.
Fiji
Small camakau fishing canoe
FiJI DRUA
The life-size drua on display at the Suva Museum in Fiji is a remarkable example of the most significant and finest sea-going vessel ever designed and built by the indigenous peoples of Oceania prior to European contact. Its construction features an entirely plank-built design, distinguishing it from outrigger boats.
Fiji Drua
A famous painting by Herb Kawainui Kane illustrating a Drua sailing on the high seas.
Fiji Kamakau. / Proa
Line drawing of a Fijian Camakau or Tamatau.
Fiji Drua
The Sema Makawa canoe at the New Zealand Maritime Museum.
Fiji Drua
A beautiful and well made Fiji Drua model
Fiji Drua
This picture was taken at the beginning of the 20th century by a missionary. It was later published as a postcard and a larger lithograph.
Fiji Camakau
Fijian fisherman and turtles. A postcard from the 30s.
New Guinea
A fishing canoe model representing those found in the Humboldt Bay, New-Guinea.
Papua New-Guinea
A nice model of a Huon Gulf canoe. This type of canoe is considered one of the most beautiful in Melanesia, known for its excellent nautical qualities. Some of these canoes were up to 60 feet long. On the islands of Tami and Siassi, they were called "wang," but nowadays, we mostly refer to them as "Siassi" canoes.
New-Guinea
Canoe model from the Geelvink Bay.
Taku islands
The Taku canoes are very similar to those from the islands of Leuaniua and Nuku-manu.
Bismarck Archipelago
Showing the hull of a Aua Island canoe . 3rd from the top
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