LANDING AT SUVA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27226, 18 December 1953, Page 11

LANDING AT SUVA

Unprecedented

Scenes [Special N.Z.P.A. Royal Tour Correspondent} (Rec. 7 p.m.) SUVA, Dec. 17. This morning the Queen aifd the Duke of Edinburgh landed in Fiji amid unprecedented scenes of respect and affection. After a 17-day voyage across the Pacific from Panama, the Royal yacht Gothic anchored in Suva Harbour at 8.15 a.m. today. The Queen and the Duke had been warned to expect a tribute of silence from the Fijian people when they appeared.

They seemed surprised and delighted by the enthusiasm which began as a quiet almost apologetic demonstration at the gates of the wharf, and then swept through the city as a great tide of acclamation. Old residents of Fiji—including some Fijians who shook thfeir heads over this new trend—said nothing to compare with this reception had occurred in the history of the colony. The Gothic approached the island from the east at 7.30 a.m., a dazzling white ship, and although she was three or more miles away, there were men and women who were convinced they could already see the Queen. No one denied their claims. The doubters merely looked all the harder. As soon as the Gothic reached the reef entrance the crowds who were on Suva’s slopes drifted down towards the city streets, there to press forward to the barriers and await the arrival of the cars carrying Her Majesty to Albert Park for the Fijian welcome reception. They had a long wearying wait in the hot sun, but even at that late hour there was still time for one last rehearsal, and Indian girl guides, who were to line part of the route later in the day, were heard singing, lustily “God Save Our Gracious Queen.” When the verse ended, they broke off to see the Gothic just entering the reef opening. Vast Crowd Watches Yacht

A vast crowd of Fijians, Indians, Chinese, and Europeans watched the Royal yacht's stately progress along the palm-fringed coast and awaited the crowning moment when Her Majesty drove through the flag-bedecked streets to the ceremonial bo.wl of kava with Fijian chiefs and leaders, and received all the formal tributes and courtesies, prescribed by age-old native traditions. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled from the Gothic to the Suva wharf in the sparkling cream and blue Royal barge, Her Majesty and the Duke occupying the open forward compartment. The Queen wore a sleeveless lemon frock, below-the-elbow white gloves, white shoes and handbag. She was wearing a white chrysanthemum petal hat.

The Duke wore the white tropical uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet. The Queen has obviously benefited from the rest during the Pacific voyage after her visits to Bermuda, Jamaica, and Panama. Her arms were lightly browned and the Duke of Edinburgh was well tanned by the sun. The Queen’s first police escort as she entered Fiji was a veteran of the Fiji Police Force, Sergeant Lutu, a huge, massively-muscled man, weighing 22st, and with an enormous bush of crinkly black hair. Royal Guard The Queen inspected the Royal guard of 100 men drawn from the Fiji military forces. It was a guard of tremendous precision—a guard whose faultless performance was enhanced by the vivid contrast of bright red tunics and white skirt-like sulus.

Perhaps the most human incident of the day occurred immediately after the Queen stepped ashore. The first Fiji resident to greet her after her formal reception by the Governor (Sir Ronald Gavey) was three-year-old Mei Kainona daughter of Major Ratu Penaia Ganilau, second in command of the Fiji Battalion in Malaya. The Queen paused as the child approached her carrying a bouquet almost as big as herself. The bouquet included the very rare blooms of begonia-like tagomocea, which were flown specially from the outlying island of Taveuni. Her eyes never leaving the Queen’s face, little Mei presented the bouquet, backed three paces away, sat on the ground for a formal bow, and then clapped her hands three times in the Fiji ceremony of respect. The smiling Queen turned to the Governor: “How lovely,” she said. Meeting with Mayor In a specially-erected native house with open sides and a thatched roof, and with projecting ridge poles that are a good luck talisman in Fiji, the Queen met the Mayor of Suva (Mr D. M. N. McFarlane) and members of the City Council. The Queen looked beautiful in this setting of deep green foliage and brilliant blooms.

Then began a drive through the city to the Fijian welcome ceremonies at Albert Park. The Queen and the Duke travelled in an open landau-type car through a crowd of at least 50,000 people. The Fijians tried to observe the traditional standards of restraint, but they only partly succeeded. Before long all races cheered, laughed and waved Union Jacks as the Queen passed by. Yet it was a decorous acclamation. There were no rowdy cheers, and no noisy yelling. And because of it, the welcome was all the truer and all the more an honest reflection of Fiji’s affection and loyalty. The greatest demonstration occurred after the Royal car had passed. Then the Fijians gave full play to their emotions. They ran down the streets in almost hysterical glee and happiness. Within 20 minutes the roads, which had been packed with people, were empty, except for a fevy small groups listening to loudspeaker broadcasts in the Fijian language of the Queen’s arrival at Albert Park.

The rest of the population was travelling as close and as fast as police and soldiers would allow in the direction of the park. No matter how distant they were likely to be from the Queen, they were determined to share in the ritual of the kava circle; and hear Her Majesty speak to her Fijian people. The Queen this morning received in traditional manner an assurance from the paramount chieftains of Fiji that she would be welcomed by her Fijian people.