The Story of Tin Can Mail

A 100-Year battle against isolation
Niuafo'ou (pronounced New-a-fu) is the northernmost island of the Kingdom of Tonga and is the tip of a volcano. Situated in the Pacific it is one of a string of volcanic islands running from New Zealand to Hawaii.

The name Niuafo'ou means "The island full of the best coconut trees". With a brackish lake in its crater, it is doughnut shaped, only 3 miles across, has no drinking water and supports a population of 1300 Polynesians.
With neither beach nor anchorage and very strong currents all around, it was impossible for ships to come inshore. Thus, despite lying on the main shipping routes, the island was very isolated. This is the story of the unusual methods used to deliver mail to the islanders.

This exhibit will indicate the complex routes some of the mail travelled because of the uncertainty and difficulty of communication. It also shows how the various ships became involved, the postal rates in force at those times and the registration systems used.

Tin Can Mail was not a philatelic gimmick but the ONLY method by which the islanders could communicate with the outside world and the fact that it continued for over 100 years bears witness to its need.

It was in 1882 that W Travers, working on the island, persuaded the Tongan Authorities to solder up the mail in a ship's biscuit tin and let a passing trader throw it overboard. A hoot on the ship's siren would bring a swimmer out to collect the tin. He would carry with him any out-going mail wrapped in grease-proof paper and attached to a stick.