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Governor General, the late Sir George Lepping tour of Temotu Province 1994

The 1300 inhabitants of Vanikoro consist of two different populations, who tend to live separately.

The Melanesian majority, about 800 people, are the descendants of the original population of Vanikoro. They have been present on the island since Lapita times – about 3,200 years ago.

The minority of about 500 individuals are of Polynesian descent and migrated from the island of Tikopia, lying 200 kilometres (124 miles) to the East. They established their first settlements on Vanikoro about 400 years ago on the southern coast. They maintain strong links to Tikopia.

The French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse was stranded on Vanikoro after both his vessels, La Boussole and the Astrolabe, struck the then unknown reefs of the island in 1788. It is reported that some of the men were killed by the local inhabitants, while the surviving sailors built a smaller vessel and left the island, but were never seen again. Those that remained on the island died before search parties arrived in 1826.

Kava is used on Vanikoro. It is an extract that is made from the root of the Piper methysticum plant. The drink has sedative, anesthetic, and euphoriant properties. In some places the root is chewed before mixing it with water in other places it is ground up. Its active ingredients are called kavalactones. Kava has an important ceremonial use in parts of Micronesia (Sakau), Vanuatu (Kava) and Fiji (yaqona).