The commemoration of Samoa's 62nd Independence may have been scaled down in Samoa but overseas-based Samoans did not take their celebrations lightly.

Some looked more impressive than the parade held on Monday.

Samoan communities in Australia and New Zealand gathered on Saturday and Monday at selected areas in both countries to commemorate Samoa's 62nd Independence.

In Australia, the Samoan communities across Australia gathered at Goodna, Ipswich in Queensland for their commemoration where a delegation from all three levels of the Australian government, from local, state and federal government, in addition to community leaders from multi-cultural organisations, joined.

There were also accommodations of all Samoan leaders from Samoan community organisaitons, churches and faith groups  uniting together under one umbrella

Not only that, Samoan communities from the North side of Brisbane as well as Ipswich also joined the celebration. The Samoan Independence celebration rotates every year, hosted in different parts of Brisbane based on where all Samoans live and this year was hosted in Goodna.

Range of food stalls about 30 of them, selling Samoan food and various types of food as well as handicrafts and more.

The program started with an opening march, raising of the Samoan and Australian flags and both country's anthems were sung to honour Samoa's independence celebration.

There were also performances, guest speakers from the government, official statements from head officials from Samoa and Tonga and more before the day's end. The Toe Sasa'a le Fafao community in Ipswich were organising the celebration event.

Member of the Federal Government, Milton Dick, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives in his remarks thanked the Samoan community and its leaders for always making politicians feel welcomed.

"It is a credit to so many Samoans in Australia that you have gathered today, to honour, to show respect, to the journey of the independence for Samoa," he said.

"It's an honour to join you all today on this very important day where we honour traditions but also the contributions that so many Samoan Australians have made to our nation and paid credit and pay credit and tribute to the island of Samoa for all of their contributions in the Pacific Region.

"Whenever I am in a Samoan function, I always feel like I'm with family and as part of the representation that I do as the Federal member for parliament for Oxley, I also service the speaker of the House of Representatives in welcoming Pacific members of the family to our parliament is probably the greatest honour that I will have in my life."

He was joined by senior members of the Queensland government, our local state member of parliament, Mr. Lance MacCullum and the Honourable Charice Mullen, who is also an Ipswich proud state MP, but is represented the Queensland government in her capacity as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs.

One of the things highlighted by the committee was the Samoan language. Overseas-based Samoans were encouraged to vitalise their language through the celebrations.

Meanwhile, there were celebrations in Auckland and Nelson in New Zealand where hundreds of Samoans gathered to commemorate.