50 years in the South Pacific
The work of the Bible Society in the South Pacific started of as a distribution depot of the Bible Society of New Zealand in 1967. Mr. Maurice Harvey was appointed Distribution Secretary for the South Pacific based in Fiji. Not only was he responsible for the great increase in the number of Bible sold each year he was here, for the first time people began to hear of the BFBS and the other Bible Societies and the United Bible Societies. Little by little interest in Bible reading grew. New translation of several existing Bible in island languages began. These include the Fijian, Tongan, Samoan, Niuean and Kiribati. The physical location of the Bible Society office was firstly at Matanitobua Street in 1967, then Victoria Arcade in 1974, then at Raiwaqa in 1977 in Suva,Fiji.
In December 1971, Maurice Harvey was posted to Jakarta, Indonesia, to be UBS Consultant for distribution. Maika Bovoro who was on secondment from the Fiji Government to help with New Fijian translation was appointed to take his place. Thus Maika became the first local appointed to this post.
First translations of the scriptures in Tuvaluan, Rotuman OT, Vanuatu (Bislama), Wallis, Tokelau, Solomon Island Pijin and some small languages in Vanuatu were initiated. Republication of some old translations were carried out in the Houilou and the Futuna NT and portions.



In 1983, two Distribution Officers were appointed to share responsibilities for Eastern and Western Pacific. In 1985 one of the Distribution Officers, Senimili Bekanimoli was physically located in Honiara, Solomon Islands to coordinate scripture distribution into Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Nauru, Tuvalu and Kiribati.
Major scripture releases from 1981 to 1987 included the Tuvalu Bible in 1987 and the new Fijian New Testament translation of the same year. In 1988, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola finished with the Bible Society and Solomone Duru was appointed as Executive Secretary from July 4th 1988. In 1989, the Board of Advisors through its Personnel Sub-Committee decided to contract staff members on three year terms with optional for renewal. This also applied to Board members. Attempts were also made by the Society to include other South Pacific representatives into the Board, but because of financial constraints this would not be possible until later. The Board also made continued requests during this period to the world body for a Bible House and also to be admitted as an associate member of the United Bible Societies.
