I like statues. They are usually of people who were important to the place they are erected in. Here are 3 of the ones I found in Oahu. The first one is of King Kamehameha 1, the first ruler of the united Hawaiian islands. He was born sometime in the mid-1700s and eventually became ruler over most of the Big Island (Hawai'i). European traders formed an alliance with him and taught him how to use guns and by 1810 he had conquered all of the islands. His reign was mostly good for the people and his laws were fair and just. He died in 1819 and, following custom, his body was hidden and has never been found. His family ruled Hawaii until Kamehameha V died in 1874. The second statue is of King David Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii. He reigned from 1874 to 1891. He was known as the Merry Monarch because of his parties and musical ability; among other things, he repealed the ban that missionaries had imposed on the hula . His extravagant lifestyle (and the policies of his sister Liliuokalani, who succeeded him) plus his plans for a Polynesian Federation were main causes of the USA takeover of Hawaii. The last statue is of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku. He was not royal, Duke was his name, but in the world of surfing he is the undoubted king. We won 5 Olympic swimming medals and was an actor and policeman. He is remembered for bringing surfing to the world. His statue is on the shore of Waikiki beach, near where tourists are taught to surf. There is another statue of him at Freshwater Beach in Sydney, where he
gave an exhibition in 1914 that is considered to be the event that triggered
the birth of Australian surfing.
Labels: Hawaii, history
# posted by Bart Bear @ 1:09 pm
