Is Now Major Event

Suva’s Hibiscus Festival Is Now Major Event

Suva’s fourth annual Hibiscus Festival, bigger and better year by year, and this year blessed with mainly dry weather, now ranks with Papeete’s Bastille celebrations as a major car nival event in the Islands.

SUVA, with an annual average rainfall of about 127 inches— -20 inches of it fell in the first 17 days of Festival month this year —is less than an ideal location for

this kind of event, as most of the fun is out of doors when its success hinges on good weather.

This year the weather held fine right up to the last afternoon, and even then it lasted until after the main spectacle of the week —the great parade of decorated floats through the city to Albert Park.

But the Marching Girls, who came later, received a drenching.

By evening the weather was again fine for the crowning of the Queen of the Festival—Miss Robin Ann Riemenschneider on the upper balcony of the Grand Pacific Hotel, with thousands watching.

The Festival is not intended or expected to show a financial profit to the organising committee, but charities were expected to benefit substantially from their side-shows, food stalls, and games of chance.

Cruise Ship's Visit

Attendance at some of the indoor events, and the monster barbecue at Nukulau Island, was limited by the high admittance charge.

Victualling fees alone for such events were generally in the vicinity of 15/-, which meant that they were mainly restricted to tourists and the upper income bracket.

For the first time a cruise ship, the 10,952 ton Manoora from Sydney, was induced to pay a can

Miss Hibiscus, 1959.

Photo: Stinsons.

for part of the week. (Some of the passengers were injured in a storm on the way back).

Every taste was catered for in the Festival.

Some of the highlights were Tonga-Fiji Rugby, Old Time music hall, yachting regatta, fine arts exhibition, and Indian Night and a Fijian Night at Albert Park, a classical recital by Igor Ozim (violinist) and Use von Alpenheim (pianist), an agricultural display, a rock-and-roll contest, a night of feast and fun on Nukulau Island, and other items, sporting and general, capped by the wonderfully colourful parade of floats with the city packed with sightseers as it has perhaps never been packed be fore.

Some considered that the num bers in Suva on the final afternoon were greater than for the Royal Visit.

Suva Born Miss Riemenschneider, elected Hibiscus Queen, is an attractive Suva-born stenographer in the Union Steam Ship Company’s Suva office. She was sponsored by the Garrick Hotel. Her prize is a travel outfit and a trip to Brisbane by the French Airline TAI.

Many of Suva’s firms donated substantial sums towards the cost of the Festival —but were probably able to recoup much of it in added business due to the event. Much of the Festival was filmed by over seas organisations and should re ceive wide publicity in potential tourist areas.

The Festival meant a lot of work to many people and particularly to Mr. Reg Spowart, the organiser, who can feel justly satisfied with the results.