Native Education In Fiji
pp. 28-29 · Read in the full issue
AN interesting sidelight on the char acter of the work which is being carried out by the Government of Fiji, was provided early in September when no less than 70 native Fijian teachers from all parts of the Colony assembled in Suva to attend the third annual conference of the Fijian Teachers’
Association.
The opening of the conference at which the Governor. Sir Harry Luke, was pre sent, was attended by a number of picturesque native ceremonies. The Gov ernor said that he hoped some of the chants which accompanied the cere monies would be written down and trans lated into modern Fijian before their archaic meaning had been lost forever.
The scope and character of the confer ence showed the splendid work that was being done by Fijians who have been edu cated by the British and who in their turn are now carrying the benefits of education to the remotest parts of the Fijian Islands. The importance of the work that is being done in this way can not be over-estimated. The Fijian people are an admirable mixture of the Poly nesian and Melanesian races and they eagerly absorb education and are quickly benefited by it.
Sister Wallace arrived in Western Samoa recently from New Zealand to join the nursing staff of Apia Govern ment Hospital.
Sir Henry Scott, K.C., of Suva, who is a member of the Legislative and Exe cutive Councils of Fiji, arrived in Sydney early in October.
Hon. R. L. Clark, M.L.C., has been ap pointed Non-Official Member of the Exe cutive Council in New Guinea, replacing Hon. J. C. Mullaly, who recently resigned.
Mr. K. Gross, manager of New Guinea Goldfields, Limited, Wau, returned to the Mandated Territory in mid-September after a short business trip to Australia.
Mrs. E. W. Fenner, of Sydney, widow of Mr. E. W. Fenner, who for many years was in Fiji as attorney for the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., Ltd., visited the Colony again recently. She was the first European lady connected with the C.S.R. to live at Labasa, where her hus band served as manager for a time; later, she resided at Lautoka.