HeritageTalk: Louis Becke - Pacific Explorer & Writer
Central Library, Level 2, 44 Lorne Street, CBD, Auckland
Registration Types
-
Eventfinda tickets no longer on sale
Restrictions
Websites
Listed by
Born in Port Macquarie, NSW in 1855, Louis Becke has been said to be Australia's equivalent of Robert Louis Stevenson but is a relatively unknown author. At the young age of 14, he started travelling in the Pacific. Over the course of the next 30 years, he not only visited remote island groups such as the Carolines but also spent time in the Gilbert & Ellice Islands, Samoa, Guam, and Niue. He lived in many of these islands for extensive periods as a local - trading and exploring and forming many strong relationships. As a naive young man, he met and worked for the notorious American blackbirder Bully Hayes. Becke also lived in Jamaica, NZ, and Europe. As a result, his 38 novels reflect a wide variety of tales, adventure, and intimate knowledge of the South Seas. Come and discover Louis Becke, his life, and times, and you'll be wanting to read one of his books very soon!
About the speaker
Originally from Sydney, Allegra has travelled extensively in the Pacific Islands and is a 35-year part-time resident of French Polynesia. For close to 10 years, she has been immersed in extensive research to focus on Pacific connections from the 1790s onwards. Since 2022, Allegra is now the first Cemetery Tour Guide of Tahiti. Using her vast knowledge and her bilingual expertise, Allegra has rapidly become a Polynesian subject matter expert and assists others in finding their genealogical gaps. She is often called upon as a guide and reference for historical documentation. Allegra has been looking after Louis Becke's grave in Sydney since 1988 and is an Honorary member of The Louis Becke Society (formed in 2019).
For New Zealand Family History Month.
Allegra will also be speaking at the Auckland Family History Expo 11-13 August, at the Fickling Convention Centre.
Booking essential.
To attend in person, please book via Eventfinda.
Register to attend via Zoom for this event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpcu6hqTkqH9PIomuxDc8gSIHAo-O_eSs5
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.
Log in / Sign up
Continuing confirms your acceptance of our terms of service.
Post a comment