MOSAIC MURAL

I am just so excited today because we finally "unveiled" the finished mosaic, which hangs in our airport terminal just as you come out of Customs. It looks just wonderful, and I would love to post heaps of photos, but will have to limit myself to three or four!
At 1 p.m., we had a beautiful little Unveiling Ceremony, with a speech by David Buffett, the President of our Sesqui-centenary Committee.
The Mosaic shows so much of the history of the Pitcairners and the Norfolk community, and everytime I look, I see something else that I had not noticed before!

This second pictures shows the hats that are plaited here from "moo-oo" (flax) and from ra-hoo-loo (banana bark) and cornhusk. The frangipani and the red guavas that decorate the hats can be seen growing all around the island.

The banner carries the island's motto "INASMUCH" ...this is from Mathew 25,v.40, which says "Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me." These are the closing words of the island's Anthem.

The red robins perching on the banner are native to the island and can be seen up in the forest on the mountain. To the right in the background is the old schoolhouse, with a photo of "ours lettle sullen" (our children) etched onto glass underneath.

The third picture shows the colourful fish that have been placed in the bottom left hand corner. Right in the bottom left corner you can see three black hi-hi (periwinkle) shells. NorfolkIslanders love hi-hi, and a favourite summer occupation is to "go rumma." This means you go down on the rocks at dusk, and collect hi-hi and crabs, and then take them home, plunge them in boiling water, extricate them from their shells, and ENJOY!! Sometimes there are enough left to make into a pie...but that is a long process of picking them out. Now the fish on the centre right actually has scales made from the little "lids" on the periwinkle shells.

I cannot resist it. Tomorrow I shall post some more pictures!