Around The World Without Flying: Honolulu Part 1 - The Remarkable Palace of a Hawaiian King

The third and final Hawaiian island we visited on the first leg of my journey home was Oahu, where we docked at Honolulu, the capital of the Hawaiian islands. Honolulu so very different to the other places we visited - it was a typical modern city, with high-rise buildings and much more traffic.

This was when most passengers left the ship and new passengers boarded her. I was so sad to say goodbye to the lovely friends I made! I hope it is really just ‘au revoir’ and not ‘goodbye’, and I will see them in Melbourne some time.

Whilst all that embarking and disembarking was happening, I went on a small group tour run by the ship for ‘back-to-back’ passengers. First we went to the beautifully restored Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on US soil, and then to the Bishop Museum. In this post I will talk about the palace.

Set in some lovely though fairly small gardens, with a widespread banyan tree out the front, the palace was most impressive and stately with its columns and ornate, wide verandahs. When we entered we were given voice guides and were asked to put special coverings over our shoes. It was soon clear why. The timbers and carpets on the floor were just beautiful. You certainly would not want to mark them in any way.

This palace was first established in 1882 as the official residence of King Kalakaua, a descendant of Kamehameha I, who established the Hawaiian monarchy in 1796 after managing to unite the different islands. Unfortunately this golden period ended when his successor Queen Liliuokalani was deposed in 1893 by the then Provisional Government. In fact she was imprisoned in an apartment in the palace.

During its golden period, however, distinguished members of Hawaiian society welcomed princes, diplomats, naval officers, writers, artists, and so forth. It was a place of great entertainment and diplomacy.

As I wandered through the palace, I was amazed at its elegance. King Kalakaua and his architects had showed such dignified taste in its design and showcased the best of Hawaiian timbers and carving. And throughout the palace there was clear evidence of them being inspired by scientific developments and by palaces they had seen across the world. For example, the King appreciated and celebrated modern inventions, so this was one of the first palaces in the world to install electrical lighting, phones and modern plumbing. It even boasted bathrooms that had running water and copper-lined baths. Gifts given as marks of respect from many other countries were on display as well, as were items donated by the current royal family.

I bought a book there that told of those times. To do it justice I would have to write a very lengthy epistle. But I must congratulate ‘The Friends of Ilona Palace’ who were responsible for the restoration of the palace, which at one stage had been completely demolished by the then king’s brother because it has been taken over by termites, which are a perpetual problem in this region. The ‘Friends’ showed meticulous attention to detail to ensure they were as true to the original furniture, drapes, wood panelling, etc., as possible. Apparently both the local artisans and overseas experts they appointed dedicated themselves to delivering a wonderful replica of the original palace.

I must say I did learn from that book that the king was a great negotiator, and established not only excellent relations with many countries but also very beneficial trade deals. He managed to establish an agreement with the US to export the sugar they were growing on the island at the time to the US free of any duty. So while sugar companies did take over, sugar was an original Hawaiian commodity which they exported.

The following photos need little explanation.