The Cession Obelisk

Letter to the Editor AN article about old Fiji land marks from your Fiji corres pondent in December PlM— plus other articles from the same source in 1947 or 1948, when the deed was done —gives the im pression that the Cession obelisk was wantonly rooted out from the present site of the Anglican Cathedral by the church folk. Few bodies of people warrant the stigma of vandalism less than the Anglican community of Fiji—the decision to move the obelisk was, I believe, that of the Fiji government who first consulted the Council of Chiefs at to their feelings. At that time, I seem to remember, your correspondent suggested that the Council of Chiefs agreed only to oblige—which seems to be a libel on them if they set any store at all by the old monument.

As far as I know, the original site of the obelisk had no historical significance for the Fijians other than that it was the site of the old government buildings. My infor mation is that one reason why it was not re-erected in its original form elsewhere, when the land was cleared for the erection of the Anglican Cathedral, was that the old monument was then in the final stages of falling to bits.

Your correspondent’s assertion that the ‘ needless demolition has caused bitterness” seems to me to be ridiculous. The average Fijian probably does not care two hoots.

I am, etc.,

Ex-Fijian.

Sydney, January 15.