A Fiji Colonist Who

Tribute to J. P. Bayly

A Fiji Colonist Who Will Be Remembered

Many people in Fiji mourned the death, on January 12, of the crusty, 81-years-old bachelor, “Jack” Bayly—but none more than the very poor Indian women and children and de tribalised Fijians in the slums around Suva.

rR years, the funds which he handed out publicly through the Bayly Clinic, and privily by other means, have provided them with medical care, and food, and shelter, when their lot otherwise seemed hopeless.

They said “old Jack Bayly’s a millionaire, you know”. But at least it can be said in defence of an unforgiven capitalist that he did not use his great wealth for his own pleasures; he went out of his way, during a great part of his life, to help defenceless people in distress; and when he died he left the greater part of his great fortune to carefully chosen Fiji charities.

In addition, Mr. Bayly gave freely of his time to public affairs. He was a man of fearless, independent spirit, with well-defined opinions on most matters; and when he had something to say he said it, regard less of official corns or neighbours’ bunions. In that respect, his contri butions to the Colony’s welfare were considerable.

Fought Fairly

In 1959-60, for example, he took sides with the Indian cane-farmers who were fighting the CSR Co. for bigger rates, and became president of their Kisan Sangh, and assisted in obtaining benefits for them. But when he suspected that the “cane farmers’ strike” was being used to aid the “Nadi gang’s” ceaseless political feud against the CSR Co., to the detriment of the public interests, he took up just as stubborn an attitude against the extremists as be had taken against the Company.

He was a hard, tough merchant, but he fought fairly and held the respect of all men.

Many who served the Fiji colony unselfishly were awarded decorations —a few achieved knighthood. If ever a good colonist deserved knight

hood for public services and private benefactions it was John Percy Bayly. It was he who fought so stubbornly alongside the late Sir Alport Barker for better public representation in the Colony’s Councils—the two men even paid their own expenses 30 years ago to London, to make direct representa tions to the British Colonial Office.

But he went to his grave as plain Jack Bayly—not even an MBE.

Mr. Bayly was born in Fiji, son of a Suva tradesman, and was educated in Suva and New Zealand; and served as a clerk with Fiji traders.

While still very young he borrowed £3OO from his father and bought land near Nadi, and grew cane. He steadily acquired more and more land and, as landowner, planter and pastoralist he became the wealthiest man in Fiji, He had a particularly close relationship with his Indian tenant-farm canegrowers—he always was ready to fight their just battles and, although he was a hard land lord, he always appreciated honest men, and he was the trusted leader of many Indian agriculturalists. He sold rubber, and timber, and gravel and first-class beef cattle—there was no limit to his enterprise. Only last year he sold 6,000 acres of his valuable Deuba lands to the Indian leader, Mr. B. D. Lakshman.

J. P. Bayly always will be remembered as outstanding among the rugged individualists produced by

Fiji in the first half of the twentieth! century. Most of them have diedb since World War II —and the is much the poorer for their passings They, more than any other singles factor, made British Colonialisms honoured and respected in the Southrl Pacific.

The Bayly family now is gonesi from Fiji. But the name will lives' on in the well-endowed Bayly Trust,! established by Mr. Bayly for thesi benefit of charitable, social, cultural and sporting organisations in Fiji with the single stipulation that all! the Trust’s benefits must be applied); without regard to race or creed one colour.

Maybe there was no knighthood one similar bauble for Mr. Bayly; butfu the Bayly Trust (which includes then Bayly Clinic) is a monument oftc which any man could be proud.