Aliota left Samoa in 1966 to help his family in Samoa. He was ambitious & arrived with a strong work ethic which led him to running his own business, work at a bank & the Wellington City Council.

Samoan

"Faapea lava a'u e lē ola se vao i Niu Sila"

Sa tu'ua Samoa e Aliota (Harry) Tauafiafi mo Niu Sila i le 1966. Sa malaga mai i le va'a o le MV Tofua ma sa mafai ona maua taumafa mai le umukuka ao malaga le va'a. O le fia fesoasoani i aiga i Samoa na mafua ai ona malaga mai i Niu Sila. O se tagata finafinau ma galue malosi ma sa avea'i lava faapea lona soifua galue ina ua taunu'u mai i Niu Sila ma na i'u ai lava ina faia lana lava pisinisi.

O le galuega muamua a Harry i lenei atunu'u na maua i le fale e faatau ai vaega sipea i Aukilani. O le totogi i nā vaitaimi, pe ā ma le 13 seleni (shillings) ae lē o ni Talā e pei ona tatou iai nei.

Mulimuli ane ona ia tu'ua lea o Aukilani ae malaga i Ueligitone i le nofoa-afi ma faigaluega ai i le kamupani e faga ai le vali ona sifi lea i leisi kamupani taavale ma galue ai faa-Panel Beater (e toe faalelei ai 'omo'omo o 'apa o taaavale). Ona 'uma lea faigaluega fo'i i le faletupe ma le Puleganuu a Ueligitone, mo le 20 tausaga.

O le naunau o Harry ina ia faamautū loa sona āiga na faaipoipo ai loa ma faatau lo la falemotu. Sa amata ai loa fo'i ona aumai tagata a o la āiga mai Samoa ina ia su'e fo'i so latou lumana'i i Niu Sila. E to'alua ona alo tama. E toa'tasi e fai lana ia lava pisinisi ae o le isi, e faigaluega i le ofisa o le Defence.

Ua 73 nei le matua o Harry ma o le 53 o ia tausaga o iai i Niu Sila. E tele suafa matai na faae'e iā Harry e aofia ai: Muāgututi'a, Seve, Poualae ma Tafililupetiamalie.

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English

"I thought grass did not grow in New Zealand"

Aliota Tauafiafi, known as "Harry", left Samoa for New Zealand in 1966. Harry made his way to New Zealand over the sea, onboard the MV Tofau, where he managed to secured work in the kitchen during the journey. He wanted to come to New Zealand to help his family back in Samoa. He was ambitious and a hard worker and came to New Zealand with a strong work ethic which led him to running his own business, work at a bank, and then the Wellington City Council.

Harry's first job in this country was in Auckland, at an automotive parts company. Back then his pay was about 13 seleni (shillings), this was before New Zealand adopted the dollar as its currency…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details