Visiting this statue (with its amazing palisade of carved totem poles) was, without doubt, the highlight of my short cruise to New Caledonia. Set against turquoise waters in the bay and a gorgeous sky it is one of the most beautiful sights I have seen anywhere in the world.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, dedicated to Saint Maurice (Why ? I do not know), was erected here to commemorate the first Catholic mass held on the Ile des Pins, on 15 August 1848, three days after French Marist missionaries first arrived on the island. The palisade was added in 1987.
It is worth noting that two Protestant Samoan missionaries from the London Missionary Society beat the Catholics to arrive on the Ile des Pins in 1841. The locals were unreceptive and drove the Protestants off the island – that is, the ones they didn’t eat. The islanders were not quite ready, in 1841, to give up their polygamy and cannibalism for cricket and tea. The Marist Catholics were much better received by local chiefs in 1848 though they had to thread very carefully to begin with – lest the meet the same fate as the Protestants in 1841.
What makes the statue stand out and so appealing are the tribal carvings that surround it. These totems, depicting birds and animals and representing the spirits of their ancestors, were gifts from different tribes and families on the Ile des Pins. I could have spent a lot longer than the 15 minutes or so we had admiring the totems which, while weathered and pale, are, each one, unique and beautiful in their own right. Additional totem poles, also worth a look, are located to the left and closer to the beach.
The pedestal on which Christ stands, looking inland watching over his island flock, bears a plaque commemorating the lives of, and listing the Christian names only of, 16 young islanders who gave their lives for France during WWI. I have written about islander (Kanak) involvement in both World Wars in my War Memorial review on my Maré entries, so won’t repeat the same information here. Suffice it to say that surely few, if any, of enlistees went to the other side of the world to fight for their colonial master voluntarily – to a world very different than their island homes in the Pacific.
In my view, this is a must visit if you make it to the Ile des Pines. We visited it on an tour covering a number of Island sights, offered by our cruise ship.
This blog entry is one of a group (loop) of entries based on my trip to Ile des Pins, New Caledonia. I suggest you continue with my next entry – A Quiet Alternative To Kuto Bay – or to start the loop at the beginning go to my introductory entry – No Hurries, No Worries.
The Rambling Wombat 