Ripablik blong Vanuatu

In 1960, the Lopevi volcano erupted in Vanuatu (then the New Hebrides), a small group of islands in the South Pacific.

During the eruption, photographs were taken of the steam rising from the sea where the lava spilled in:

'Steam caused by lava flowing into the sea at Lopevi during the eruption of July 1960' - Reece Discombe. CO 1069/671

Volcanic steam rising from the sea. CO 1069/671

The few inhabitants of Lopevi island left during 1960 following recurring imminent danger and it remains uninhabited with the volcano still active – the last eruption is listed as having been in 2008.

These photographs now form part of the Australasia through a lens collection, released online on Friday.

The Republic of Vanuatu, or ‘Ripablik blong Vanuatu’ in Bislama, is a beautiful group of somewhat little-known islands located north-east of Australia in the South Pacific. The Australasia collection of photographs contains two albums relating to the islands which I couldn’t resist highlighting.

'Upper and middle craters of Lopevi during the eruption in July 1960. Billowy clouds of steam rise from the large volcanic cone, while on the lower slope a fire fountain and flow explodes from another crater. In the foreground are tree-ferns, denuded of vegetation by the blast of ash and lava fragments, the remains of which can be seen covering the ground.' - Dr. C. F. Williams. CO 1069/671

The photographs aren’t numerous, but they’re extremely interesting. Not only do we see the volcanic steam, but also the aftermath of a hurricane in late 1959 – clearly a difficult couple of years for the Ni-Vanuatu people.

What really caught my eye while looking through these albums though was this dramatic image showing the traditional ‘Land diving’ that takes place on Pentecost island:

Land diving. Copyright David Attenborough. CO 1069/671

This photo was taken by none other than Sir David Attenborough, who has very kindly agreed for us to put it online and share it with the world. It was taken during a trip to the South Pacific in 1959 and now appears in the Colonial Office collection – we’re not quite sure how!

Land diving is a traditional custom of Vanuatu that involves men and boys jumping from scaffold towers with vines tying them from their ankles to the tower. The vines themselves have to be expertly prepared – cut down two days before and then measured so that the jumper will stop just above the ground. It can only be carried out during certain seasons and the only known fatality (as far as I can find out) has been from a jump that was carried out in the wrong season, so sadly the vines snapped.

Attenborough wrote about the traditional custom in his book Quest in Paradise ¹ and, as with many other things, the tradition has now become something of a tourist attraction, although the process remains the same.

Have you visited Vanuatu? Do you have any photos of land diving you can share? We’re asking people to browse the Colonial Office collection online and help improve our knowledge of it by commenting or uploading their own photos to Flickr. Have a look at the collection.

More highlights will follow over the coming weeks!