Queen Liliʻuokalani
Sponsored by: Vision Team of Kapahulu Diamond Head and Waikiki
GPS Coordinates: 21.274859°N , -157.817641°W
Geologically, Waikīkī was once a vast marshland whose boundaries encompassed more that 2,000 acres (as compared to its present 500 acres). It served as a drainage basin for water that fell on the Ko‘olau Mountain Range, where on average nearly 5 million gallons of rain falls every day. The early Hawaiian settlers, who arrived around 600 A.D. gradually transformed the marsh into hundreds of taro fields. Fish ponds and gardens. Imagine, Waikīkī was once one of the most productive agricultural areas in old Hawai‘i. As the native population dwindled, however, agriculture in Waikīkī followed suit. The once productive fields and ponds became breeding grounds for the introduce mosquito. Eventually, in 1927, the competition 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 Hawaiian Kingdom who was overthrown in 1893. “The Queen’s Retreat” a large parcel of land known as Hamohamo, included in two main residences. Paoakalani (royal perfume), located nearby, was her principal home in Waikīkī. The other was Kealohilani, located near Kūhiō 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 traditional hula chants, and games that had been rarely 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 Waikīkī. One of her last was “Ka Wai ‘Apo Lani” (Heavenly Showers). Which was composed at Kealohilani. In it she expressed the hopes 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 shores of Kāne, be the firm foundation of the land.
