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George Austin Woods (1828[ citation needed] – 1905, in Suva) was a British navy officer who served as premier of the Kingdom of Viti between May 1872 and 1874. [1] [2] [3]

Woods served as lieutenant in the Royal Navy. [2] His father, George, had also served in the Royal Navy and so had others of his relatives. [4] He then worked as marine surveyor in New Zealand. [2] In February 1871 he arrived in Fiji, hoping to work as surveyor there. [2] [4] Once in Fiji he came into contact with King Seru Epenisa Cakobau. [2] He went on to serve as Premier in Cakobau's cabinet. [2] He also served as Minister of Land and Works and as Minister of Native Affairs at the same time. [5] He focused on the financial management of the state. [6] When chiefs demanded that Woods be excluded from meetings of Fijian ministers, Cakobau named him as Tui Kaba, adopting him into the Bauan ruling family. [2] [6]

References

  1. ^ Peter Truhart (1 January 2003). Asia & Pacific Oceania. Walter de Gruyter. p. 1379. ISBN  978-3-11-096746-3.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Jane Samson (January 1998). Imperial Benevolence: Making British Authority in the Pacific Islands. University of Hawaii Press. p. 156. ISBN  978-0-8248-1927-9.
  3. ^ John Spurway (23 February 2015). Ma'afu, Prince of Tonga, Chief of Fiji: The life and times of Fiji's first Tui Lau. ANU Press. p. 693. ISBN  978-1-925021-18-9.
  4. ^ a b Adolph Brewster Brewster (1937). The King of the Cannabal Isles: A Tale of Early Life and Adventure in the Fiji Islands. Robert Hale. p. 149.
  5. ^ Deryck Scarr (1973). The Majesty of Colour: I, the very bayonet. Australian University Press. p. 162. ISBN  978-0-7081-0704-1.
  6. ^ a b Levuka: Living Heritage. editorips@usp.ac.fj. 2001. p. 86. ISBN  978-982-02-0312-9.