26/11/2025
🌺 Fijian Association of South Australia – Celebrating 50 Years of Community, Culture & Legacy 🌺
Parliament House, 3 November
What a night it was — an evening carried by song, memory, and the enduring strength of our community. The 50th Anniversary of the Fijian Association of South Australia (FASA) brought together generations of Fijians and Pacific Islanders, united in gratitude and pride in our shared journey.
On behalf of FASA, we extend our deepest appreciation to the Honourable Zoe Bettison, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Tourism, for so generously hosting this historic celebration at Parliament House. Your steady support for multicultural communities continues to open doors and lift our collective voice.
Vinaka vakalevu to the Pacific Islands Council of South Australia (PICSA) for their partnership, coordination, and tireless efforts behind the scenes. Your contribution ensured this milestone was celebrated with dignity, accuracy, and community spirit.
We also thank the government leaders, NGO partners, Pacific communities, South Australian community members, elders, families, young people, and friends who attended. Your presence affirmed how deeply woven our community has become in the life of this state.
🌺 Honouring Our History
Our 50-year milestone invites us to reflect on the long road travelled.
Although FASA was formally registered on 6 June 1975, our roots reach back into the 1960s and early 1970s, when Fijians and other Pacific Islanders first gathered to support one another, celebrate culture, and build a sense of belonging in Adelaide.
Historical records remind us of this deep lineage:
📘 Australian Museum Archives – 14 October 1972 gathering
A photograph featuring Eparama Ketedromo and others, capturing the quiet strength of our early community.
🔗 https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/248815967?keyword=Ketedromo
📰 Fiji Times – Article from 30 October 1966
A touching record of Eparama Ketedromo’s parents travelling from Fiji to Adelaide — another marker of how far back our community’s story reaches.
🔗 https://www.pressreader.com/.../20251103/281651081354464
These historical markers reaffirm what we have always known:
Our community’s story is older, deeper, and richer than any single date.
🌺 Acknowledging Our Founders & Pioneers
We honour those who built the path on which we now walk:
Rev Doug Telfer
Eparama Ketedromo
Prince White
Fred Jordan
Rev Alan Hatcher
Alongside many Pacific Islanders who stood together in those early years, they planted the seeds of what would grow into a resilient, vibrant, faith-centred community organisation.
Because of their dedication, FASA stands proudly today as the longest-running Pacific Islands community association in Australia.
🌺 Messages from Our Leaders
This milestone was marked with heartfelt words from leaders in both Australia and Fiji:
🇦🇺 Hon Penny Wong – Senator for South Australia, Minister for Foreign Affairs
“Australia deeply values being part of the Pacific family, and our close and enduring friendship, guided by Australia and Fiji's Vuvale Partnership. My sincere congratulations to the Fijian Association of South Australia on 50 years of strengthening our community ties. I look forward to seeing what the next 50 years will bring.”
🇫🇯 Hon Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka – Prime Minister of Fiji
“I'm delighted to share this milestone moment with you as you celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fijian Association of South Australia. I am pleased that you are able to do well for yourselves, and have contributed to the economy and wellbeing of that great nation (Australia). We wish you joyous celebrations and even greater things in the future.”
Their words affirmed what our elders always knew — that the Fijian community in South Australia has not only honoured its heritage but has contributed meaningfully to Australia’s multicultural landscape.
🌺 Looking Ahead
As we celebrate 50 years, we recognise the hands that carried us here and the hearts that will carry us forward.
The next chapter belongs to our young people — those who will stand on the foundations laid by the pioneers and build new bridges between Fiji, the Pacific, and South Australia.
Vinaka vakalevu to everyone who shared in this remarkable celebration.
The journey continues — grounded in culture, guided by faith, and united in purpose.
Adelaide Fijian Community
fijivillage Fiji Government Fiji Sun The Fiji Times Classifieds The Fiji Times Tourism Fiji Australian High Commission, Fiji Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
