The Girmitiya Exhibition - Launch Night

Join us for Launch Night of The Girmitiya Exhibition, a free community exhibition remembering the stories of the Indian indentured labourers (Girmitiya) taken to Fiji from 1879 - 1916 under British colonial rule 🇫🇯🌺

We're bringing together a range of archival paintings, photos, documents from across the UK, Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, alongside art from young Fijian Indian Artists and interviews from the community.

The collection spans centuries and continents from paintings and manuscripts of the Indian subcontinent in the early 1800s, to the ports of Calcutta and the beginning of the indenture system, to emigration passes and photographs of labourers on the plantations of Fiji, to settlement in Fiji from the 1920s onwards, all the way to present day with original works from our own Fijian Indian artists.

Expect a night of storytelling and remembrance, featuring some incredible voices from the Fijian Indian community, and a chance to hear about what their identity means to them.

A piece of history largely untold for over 100 years, we're here to honour the resilience of our ancestors, helping the next generation reconnect and understand where they come from. Everyone is welcome, whether you're Fijian Indian, or just interested to learn something new about Fiji's history.

Exhibition open from 6pm with formal programme to start at 7pm
📍 Te Puna Creative Hub, Henderson, West Auckland
🎟️ Free limited spaces, register now


Thank you to Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand and The Ware Family for their support in bringing this exhibition to life.