Lelean Chapel Choir Tour

from Wendy,
The Australian Fiji community are delighted that the Lelean Chapel Choir will be touring in Australia very soon after they arrive in Sydney later this week. The program covers Sydney, Canberra, Griffith and Melbourne. Welcome.

About Lelean

from w
I googled Lelean and found some history on the Old scholars website, plus a photo of the gentleman the school is named after.
From Facebook
Topic: A Brief History of Lelean Memorial School
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Sakiasi
The Name Davuilevu and its Symbolical Importance

Davuilevu,the name of the site upon which Lelean and other Methodist institutions are built, literally means the Large Conch Shell; the largest Sea Shell found in Fiji. The use of the adjective 'large' in this context implies huge or giant although the literal definition of the Fijian 'levu' is directly translated as big. The conch shell is customarily used as a horn by native Fijians (as well as other South Pacific peoples) to herald important events or to call people together. The Methodist Church of Fiji uses the symbology of this traditional tool of gathering people for the conveyance of the Good News thus becoming the most important Davui or conch of all; the Conveyor of the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST. The Giant Conch Shell (Charonia tritonis) is the logo adopted by Lelean Memorial School along that same vein of thought.

History
Towards the end of 1942, at the height of Pacific Campaign of the Second World War, the Colonial Authority was issued a command to close all urban schools and surrender their compounds to the Military, to be used as military camps for the war campaign against the Japanese threat. At that time, a notable Missionary Teacher by the name of Mr William Earnest Donnelly, was serving as principal of Toorak Boys' School. While other overseas teachers immediately left Fiji to await the end of the war, the determined missionary principal, Mr Donnelly sent a circular to all members of the senior classes of Classes Six, Seven and Eight of Toorak Boys School, inviting volunteers to come away with him, to continue their education. After consultation with the Heads of the Methodist Church, he was given permission to use the Principal's residence at the Davuilevu Technical School. As a result, he and 50 volunteers from Toorak Boys School in Suva met at the Principal's residence on the 3rd of March, 1943. Their first classrooms were the two Master Bedrooms in the house and the long verandah on the Eastern side as their library. There were only two classes and two teachers; the late Mssrs W.E Donnelly and Semesa Sikivou. This is the house that is presently occupied by Mr Serevi on one side and the School Matron on the other. In the 1943 Methodist Church Annual Conference, Mr Donnelly was given permission to expand his classes along the same ridge and as a result, the boys themselves, with his guidance, built three large bures, where the Teachers' residences presently stand. He was also directed to name the new school, Lelean Memorial School, in memory of the longest serving Missionary in Fiji, the Rev Charles Oswald Lelean, an Australian missionary who served in Fiji for 36 years. Twenty of those years were spent by Rev Lelean as Senior Superintendent of the Davuilevu Mission and Principal of the Methodist Theological College from 1914 to 1934. The school founder, William Earnest Donnelly was a New Zealander, who became a teacher and General Secretary of the Students' Christian Movement in the early 1930s. He volunteered to come as a missionary to Fiji and took over and built up Toorak Boy's School in the late 1930s and early 40s. He remained as Principal of Lelean from 1943 to 1945 when he returned to New Zealand. Mr Donnelly returned to Fiji to establish Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Memorial School in Suva where he served for three years. He then served at the Levuka Public School, on Ovalau, for a few years before returning to Lelean in 1971 after the Ms Furnival tragedy. He also formulated the Lelean Memorial School motto which is "Seek Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding"
February 2 at 4:31am

Fiji photos

from w
I've been spring-cleaning - throwing out old potplants, clothes, sorting photos and came across some old pictures. I wonder where the people are now? One photo is of the Phillips family from Maravu Street Lautoka - Wesley, Sarita, guess who, a guy from Melbourne, Rhoda and Sunita. They migrated to Melbourne later on. This photo is from end of 1961 I think. The second photo of four students from Lelean at the 21st birthday of the school - in 1963. Where are those boys now I wonder! The other photo is of Ulamila who lives in Vatuadova near Labasa. This photo was taken when she was a dancer with the Labasa choir when they visited Australia in 1985.

Davuilevu 100 years on

from w
I noticed a small item in a Fiji paper about Davuilevu one hundred years on from moving from Navuloa in Rewa. It's the focal point of Methodist institutions in Fiji with a high school, lay training institute, bible school and theological college. I lived there one time when I was teaching at Lelean, and Peceli spent several years training there. A place where we have made many friends. Baker Hall on the hill, Lelean, sports fields, all near Dilkusha and nowadays opposite the new Rewa Bridge.

The picture at top is of Baker Hall. The one below is of five graduates from Davuilevu Theological College - but many years on!


from a Fiji paper
Davuilevu celebrates 100 years
5-Oct-2007 11:07 AM

THE Methodist Church in Fiji will next week hold a centennial celebration for its Davuilevu property, which is the home of Methodist Education.

College Librarian James Bhagwan said the first Teacher-Training and Technical Institutes in Fiji were established at Davuilevu just outside Nausori. He said this was also home to Lelean Memorial School, The Methodist Young People’s Department lay training centre and Davuilevu Theological College.

Bhagwan added the October 7-10 celebrations are to commemorate the shifting of all the major Methodist educational institutes from Buretu in Navuloa to Davuilevu in 1907.

“The celebrations committee made up of representative from the institutions currently based at Davuilevu released its programme yesterday”, he added.

Bhagwan said the highlights of the week would include a special thanksgiving at the original site.

There will also be a march from Nausori to Davuilevu led by the youth band, a special Meke Ni Davui to commemorate the occasion, church services, the dedication of the Centennial Monument and the viewing of the Davuilevu Archives at Baker Hall.

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(later: I found a few pics - one of Baker Hall at the celebration, one of Lelean Memorial School and one of the new bridge which now is at the entrance to Davuilevu instead of beyond Dilkusha.)