Mago Island
Encyclopedia
Mago Island is a volcanic island that lies in the northwest sector of Fiji
's northern Lau Group of islands. One of the largest private island
s in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the pristine island consists of 22 square kilometres (8.5 sq mi) of land.
Mago is located 166 statute miles ENE of the Fiji capital of Suva and 14 miles (22.5 km) SW of the tiny island of Namalata
, near Vanua Balavu
, where descendants of original Mago inhabitants still reside. Mago Island is relatively undeveloped at present and inhabited only by a few caretakers of Indo-Fijian descent. During the 1860s a cotton plantation established by the Ryder brothers of Australia flourished there. In 1884 there was a well established sugar cane plantation plus a sugar mill on the island. The Mill was shut down in 1895 and it was dismantled and used to enlarge the Penang Mill in Ra. The Ryders were succeeded by the Borron family who ran a successful copra plantation on the island for many years and donated Borron House, an historic mansion in the Fiji capital city Suva
, to the Fiji Government.
In early 2005 Mago Island was purchased by Hollywood actor/director Mel Gibson
for $15 million from Japan's Tokyu Corporation. Descendants of original native inhabitants of Mago, who were displaced in the 1860s, have protested against Gibson's purchase.
Satellite images of the island dating from 2008 show a dirt airstrip of 1100 metres. There is no port on the island, a short stone pier is located on the island's north side. There is only one loosely arranged village on the island whose appearance is more indicative of a resort. Agriculture consists of only a few small areas of fields.
An episode of the NBC
sitcom 30 Rock
titled "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning
" (Season 5, Episode 12) featured a story about a disaster on the island. Jack Donaghy
, played by Alec Baldwin
, decides to air a pre-recorded telethon to benefit the victims of the disaster. However, Donaghy is shocked to learn the only "victims" of the disaster are Mel Gibson and his guest, Jon Gosselin
.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
's northern Lau Group of islands. One of the largest private island
Private island
A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a single private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, they still fall within the jurisdiction of national and sometimes local governments.-Ownership:There are many...
s in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the pristine island consists of 22 square kilometres (8.5 sq mi) of land.
Mago is located 166 statute miles ENE of the Fiji capital of Suva and 14 miles (22.5 km) SW of the tiny island of Namalata
Namalata
Namalata is a village and its own island but is part of the Island Group of Vanua Balavu in Fiji's Lau archipelago. Namalata is part of Lomaloma Tikina....
, near Vanua Balavu
Vanua Balavu
Vanua Balavu is the second largest island in Fiji's Lau archipelago , and the main island of the Northern Lau Group.-Geography and infrastructure:...
, where descendants of original Mago inhabitants still reside. Mago Island is relatively undeveloped at present and inhabited only by a few caretakers of Indo-Fijian descent. During the 1860s a cotton plantation established by the Ryder brothers of Australia flourished there. In 1884 there was a well established sugar cane plantation plus a sugar mill on the island. The Mill was shut down in 1895 and it was dismantled and used to enlarge the Penang Mill in Ra. The Ryders were succeeded by the Borron family who ran a successful copra plantation on the island for many years and donated Borron House, an historic mansion in the Fiji capital city Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, to the Fiji Government.
In early 2005 Mago Island was purchased by Hollywood actor/director Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
for $15 million from Japan's Tokyu Corporation. Descendants of original native inhabitants of Mago, who were displaced in the 1860s, have protested against Gibson's purchase.
Satellite images of the island dating from 2008 show a dirt airstrip of 1100 metres. There is no port on the island, a short stone pier is located on the island's north side. There is only one loosely arranged village on the island whose appearance is more indicative of a resort. Agriculture consists of only a few small areas of fields.
An episode of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
titled "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning
Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning
"Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock. The director of this episode was Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
" (Season 5, Episode 12) featured a story about a disaster on the island. Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
, played by Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
, decides to air a pre-recorded telethon to benefit the victims of the disaster. However, Donaghy is shocked to learn the only "victims" of the disaster are Mel Gibson and his guest, Jon Gosselin
Jon Gosselin
Jonathan Keith "Jon" Gosselin is an American television personality, known for his appearances with then-wife Kate Gosselin and their eight children on the American reality TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8.-Early life:...
.