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Home  Hawaii Honolulu County Estate of Queen Lili'uokalani HI1
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Estate of Queen Lili'uokalani HI1 |
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Geologically, Waikiki was once a vast marshland whose boundaries encompassed more than 2,000 acres (as compared to its present 500 acres). It served as a drainage basin for the water that fell on the Ko’olau Mountain Range, where on average nearly 5 million gallons of rain falls everyday. The early Hawaiian settlers, who arrived around 600 A.D, gradually transformed the marsh into hundreds of taro fields, fish ponds and gardens. Imagine, Waikiki was once one of the most productive agricultural areas in old Hawai’i. As the native population dwindled, however, agriculture in Waikiki followed suit. The once productive fields and ponds became breeding grounds for the introduced mosquito. Eventually, in 1927, the completion of the Ala Wai Canal drained the area and reclaimed the land for the development of today’s hotels, stores and streets. You are standing on the estate of Queen Lili’uokalani, the last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai’i who was overthrown in 1893. “The Queen’s Retreat,” which was in the district of Hamohamo, consisted of two homes, one located here, called Paoakalani ( the royal perfume), which was her principal home in Waikiki. The other was Kealohilani, located opposite Kuhio Beach, which she referred to in her memoirs as “my pretty seaside cottage.” Known for her hospitality, the queen entertained family, friends, and visiting royalty, including the Duke of Edinburgh in 1869. The story goes that the Duke asked the Queen if he could see real native entertainment. She obliged him with a program of ancient hula, chants, and games that had rarely been seen. A few days later, the local newspaper, representing the missionary view, described the program as a “disgraceful” display of “heathenism” and hoped that it would be the last of such performances in the Kingdom. The Queen wrote several of her many songs in Waikiki. One of her last was “Ka Wai ‘Apo Lani” (Heavenly Showers), which was composed at Kealohilani. In it she expressed the hope that she would be returned to the throne. She exhorted her people to remain resolute: Should our hearts’ love be restored, And our rights be ours once again, Then will our loved shoals of Kane, Be the firm foundation of the land.
Ala Wai/Lili’uokalani Site, Honolulu, Honolulu County Hawaii
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