Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Tsibirin Tarawa yana da mahimmanci ga tatsuniyoyi da al'adun Kiribati, amma rayuwa a Kudancin Tarawa ba ta da bambanci da ta sauran tsibiran kafin a zaɓe ta a 1895 a matsayin wurin zama na gwamnatin mulkin mallaka don Kariyar tsibirin Gilbert da Ellice. Daga 1906 zuwa 1942, Tsibirin Ocean shine hedkwatar mulkin mallaka, sannan Funafuti saboda mamayar Jafananci na Tsibirin Gilbert
har zuwa 1946, lokacin da ya koma Tarawa.