Tupenu faka fisi

Wesley College in Auckland is New Zealand’s oldest surviving registered secondary school and was established by the Wesleyan Missionary Society in 1844. Its mandate was (and continues to be) to provide education for students of Maori and Pacific Islands descent, and students whose family and personal circumstances require special care. While retaining a close association with the Methodist Church of New Zealand - Te Haahi Weteriana o Aotearoa and promoting Methodist values, the college is now non-sectarian.

Significance

This tupenu faka fisi is part of a uniform that allows the wearer to express his cultural identity through customary clothing and his allegiance to the school and a ‘good education’ through the traditional elements of British school uniform. The blazer, shirt and tie both evoke the history of the original ‘civilising mission’ of church-based education and anticipate the boy’s future in the adult world of professional work.

The college motto is embroidered onto the blazer - ‘Fide litteris labore’ - meaning faith, letters (learning) and labour (hard work). The three crowns refer to Three Kings where the college was located until the 1920s. The Pacific Islands garments are in the Tongan language a Tupenu faka fisi (tailored black skirt which wraps around the body, i.e. formal lavalava); Ta’ovala lokeha (waist garment of woven pandanus leaf matting); Kafa nono’o (plaited waist cord which holds the ta’ovala lokeha in place). Any student can wear the tupenu, but only Tongan students and those participating in actual Tongan cultural events wear the ta’ovala (waist garment).

Origins

The creation of this combined uniform was led by Pacific Island students in the 1980s who wanted to be able to wear their cultural identity. Now students of all ethnicities have the option to wear the tupenu. About a third of the student body will be wearing the tupenu on any given day, though many resort to black trousers in the colder weather!

The Principal of Wesley College, Ian Faulkner, says that ‘the students love dressing formally – it gives them self-respect, pride, and is where you believe you are in life’ (June 2012).

Acquisition history

This uniform was purchased by Te Papa from Wesley College in 1996.