Culture
The Indonesian community today is made up of several ethnic groups: Javanese, Sundanese (Muslim people from West Java), Sumatrans and Chinese Indonesians.
In 2001 the majority were Christian and around a third were Muslim. Catholic and Presbyterian services were held for Indonesians in Auckland, and many Chinese Indonesian Catholics lived near their North Shore church.
Whatever their religion or ethnicity, Indonesians gather to celebrate Indonesian Independence Day (17 August). The day signifies the end of Dutch rule in Indonesia.
Padhang Moncar gamelan group
Gamelan (Indonesian percussion music) was established in the music department at Victoria University of Wellington in the early 1970s. The Indonesian Embassy lent the university the pelog (major key) half of a large Central Javanese gamelan.
During the 1970s and 1980s Wellington Indonesians often organised gamelan performances. In 1992 the university’s gamelan group was given the Javanese name Padhang Moncar, which signifies that it is the first in the world to see the new day’s sunrise.
By 1994, six secondary schools taught Indonesian to a total of 139 pupils, with the largest classes at Auckland’s Rangitoto College. In 2001 most migrants could speak English. The majority were bilingual and spoke their own language at home.
While breakfast and lunch habits have become westernised, many Indonesians still have a traditional evening meal. The Toko Baru Indonesian restaurant opened in Wellington in 1983, and in the 2000s restaurants also operated in Auckland and Christchurch. Gado gado (salad with peanut sauce), nasi goreng (fried rice) and sate (skewered meat) have all proved popular dishes among New Zealanders.
