In Defence of Levuka

An Open Letter to Judy Tudor

WE read with great interest all you have had to say about Levuka in November “PIM,” but sorry that you apparently did not see your friend “Joe” again after he dumped you and poor little Pat in the middle of your baggage at the hotel. Doubtlessly, if you had, he would have taken you to the Catholic Mission station, Cawaci, at the northern end of our coastal road, where you would have seen one of the biggest and best conducted missions in Fiji. Also, he would have probably taken you to the southern end of the road to view the Ovalau pineapple factory, which also would no doubt have proved interesting to you.

Apparently also you missed seeing our local sports field (Nasau Park) and the bowling green (no doubt through your in ability to walk owing to the piece of your heel you left on the reef at Lodoni), for I feel sure if you had seen them you would doubtlessly have commented on them. Also our .Queen Victoria Memorial Town Hall, and Masonic Lodge, both of which would do credit to tovvns many times the size of Levuka, as also would the Levuka Convent which is just around the corner, a two-storied building with spacious well-kept grounds, staffed with seven European teachers. We also rather pride ourselves on our Ovalau European Club, the first of its kind founded in Fiji.

What a shame you didn’t meet Mr.

“Bob” Lepper and Mr. “Bill” Chapman, and a few more of our “Zombies,” from whom you would have got a wealth of in formation about Levuka and Fiji. The former, a retired planter, is one of the oldest and best-known European pioneers in Fiji, and is now over 90, and the latter is our local town clerk—a mere lad of 82 or 83 years of age—who is marvel lously alert and efficient in his job, and writes a hand which would do credit to a man 50 years younger. Both men came to Fiji when lads.

It seems unfortunate that you should conclude your article with such a refer ence as “four European children” at the Levuka Public for such lack of tact cannot help but cause many pin pricks, which we for ever try to avoid.

We also hope that you will come back to see us some day, and be able to spend more time in our midst, and don’t for get to bring your sandshoes to wear when you are wading out at Lodoni—or maybe you won’t need them, because the Gov ernment may have built that jetty by then, which they have promised us for the last 25 years.

I’ll also see George Thompson, and see he doesn’t allow the children to sing “Waltzing Matilda” when you visit the school. I think that was very unkind of him. It’s bad enough having to wade in the Lodoni billabong with your “bluey” without singing about it.

I am, etc.,

Bob B. Browne.

Levuka, Fiji, December 13, 1945.

Note:

fT\HE way these perambulating she- X journalists babble! The one-day tourists!

But methinks, old pal, that you have been too long in the bush, and have be come over-sensitive concerning things the Great Big World doesn’t care about any more. But if it makes you happy, then I apologise to the four European children about whom I made the “unfortunate” remark. To their parents, also —but since

when, for Pete’s sake, has it been con sidered a disgrace to have European

parents?'

Judy Tudor.

Mr. Edgar Wright, of Suva, Fiji, who won one of the five Nuffield research scholarships awarded in the Colonial Empire in 1945, left the Colony in Feb ruary for Sydney. He was on the staff of the research and laboratories division of the Deoartment of Agriculture in Fiji, and he will study chemistry at the Uni versity of Sydney.

A strange accident recently occurred on the beach at Gadji, about 20 miles from Noumea. Some native children were boil ing crabs in a petrol can when there was an explosion which severely wounded one of them, who later had a hand ampu tated. Though the nature of the explo sion is not known, it was probably a war relic buried in the ground.

Mission boys at Dogura (New Guinea), have sent through their minister, the Rev. J. D. Bodger, another £5 to the Food for Britain Fund. This is their second gift to the Sydney fund.