The Misses Hibiscus And

[?]uva Lets its Back-Hair Down With—

Bula Shirts

From A Staff Correspondent

P:AT babe in swaddling clothes, the Suva Junior Chamber of I Commerce, brought uninhibited :kiety to Fiji’s capital for two days n the middle of December, when t staged the “Hibiscus Festival, 956.”

The year was included in the itle, not because it is an annual vent—but because it will be.

The Jaycees decided that Fiji hould have something similar to lonolulu’s Miss Aloha Month, which lappens in October and is designed o attract tourists in the off-season.

If the first Fiji festival was an ndication, future events will be omething that will be talked about rom one side of the Pacific to the ither.

The spirit of the festival crept ip on the city gradually in the last ew days preceding the event, and is people made their way to work in Friday, December 14, they loticed that many more men than isual were wearing bula shirts.

This display of daring was bfectious, and soon caugnt on. 5y the afternoon more men were pearing bula shirts. On Saturday horning one out of every two in he streets wore one. i Some firms and Government departments had issued orders that imployees were to wear usual dress 0 work, and this set a lot of men

lack in the contest or the best shirt, as he judges were look ng out for a likely vinner for two days, [t is hoped that in 'uture years such con servatism at the top trill go by the board, [his year the Gov ernor (Sir Ronald jarvey) defied addition and showed he way by appearing n public on Saturday light wearing a gaily eoloured shirt. - Highlight of the festival was, of course, he Miss Hibiscus festival in which 22 Jirls of all races in he Colony entered.

For a couple of days beforehand all talk was centred on the likely winner. Enter prising individuals soon had sweepstakes running on the out eome. ■' Competition was so

even that the judges decided to have a preliminary look at the girls, before making their final de cision on the Saturday night.

Winner was Liebling Hoeflich, 18, telephone operator in a big Suva store.

For her there is a free air trip to Sydney early in February, many gifts of cash and clothing, and the honour of being the most talked about girl in Suva.

There was a touch of humour about the award of second place.

It went to Miss Susan Curtis, and the prize was a free trip round Viti Levu on White’s Travel Service.

Susan, as it happens, is a hostess on White’s Travel Service and does the trip round Viti Levu three times a week.

Other competitions which attracted interest during the festival were a soap-box derby down Cakobau Hill, and a wheelbarrow race along Victoria Parade from Government Buildings to the Town Hall.

There were spills galore, but nobody was seriously hurt, and everybody enjoyed the fun.

Stalls in the Town Hall attracted good business, but when it was all over, and the Jaycees came to tally up accounts, if any, it found

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THE CHAMP. Tevita Koniu,u whose winning shirt featured hibiscus, maps of the Pacific, palm-trees, kangaroos—the lot. It is much to be regretted that it cannot be reproduced in full Technicolour.

At left, Miss Hoeflich, the winner; and, right, the runners-up (left to right). Misses Lydia Pickering, Susan Curtis and Lois Bish. —Caines Studio[?]

it had incurred a small loss on the whole enterprise.

But these enterprising youngsters are not in the least concerned.

They showed that with a little “go” Suva can be turned into a really bright place in the “off” season.

Already they are turning their thoughts to 1957, and something bigger and better.

They plan to hold next year’s festival at Albert Park so that more people can see what goes on.