Rabi Island Girmityas and Leonidas by Pravind Kumar

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Rabi Island is located in between Taveuni in the Vanua Levu Group a few miles from Navutu Jetty. It covers an area of 67 square kilometres and is home to around 5000 Banabans.

In 1855, the Tongan military conquered the Fijian rebels who were opposed to Tui Cakau. The Tongan military intervened on Rabi Island upon the request of Tui Cakau. A few years later, the island was sold to Europeans to recover debt.

The island was bought by Captain John Hill who had migrated to Australia from Northern Ireland around 1860. In 1870, he purchased Rabi Island from King George Tapou I from Tonga. His young family moved to Rabi Island from Sydney in 1973 and established a copra plantation.

He had two sons and they were educated at a very famous college in Sydney, Newington College. The sons were Horace and John Francis Hill. The two sons went to Rabi Island upon finishing high school in Sydney.

John Francis later had a successful career in both the coconut and sugar plantations in Fiji and worked for Colonial Sugar Refining Company for many years.

Horace, while on a hunting trip, shot himself in the leg and after a few days passed away.

Captain John Hill later sold the island to Lever Brothers or Lever Plantations South West Pacific Ltd. In 1941, the British Government bought the island from Lever Plantations for 25,000 pounds to settle the Banabans from Gilbert Island. The Banabans first came to Fiji in 1945 with the first batch numbering 703 people.

The Lever South West Pacific Ltd owned many copra plantations in the South Pacific with their main base in Solomon Islands. According to some historical research, the company was renowned for exploiting the native labor, and in some cases, shot the natives to death. The number who perished is not known due to little or no records.

Girmityas and the Leonidas

On January 1879, the Leonidas left the port of Calcutta bound for Fiji. For most of the Girmityas, the journey was traumatic as they had never boarded a ship before, and the discomfort of crowded quarters and seasickness was demoralizing.

A total of 19 Girmityas died before reaching Fiji waters. The journey on Leonidas was not easy as the Girmityas had to wake up before 6 am and undertake various duties before breakfast was served between 8.00 and 8.30 am. Women were engaged in kitchen duties, food preparation, and cleaning.

The Leonidas arrived at the port of Levuka on the evening of 14 May 1879. It was unable to enter the harbor due to the inexperience of the captain with Fiji waters, darkness approaching quickly, and the presence of sharp coral reefs.

J.B. Thurston, the Colonial Secretary, went early the next day in an open boat to warn the captain of the reefs and to welcome the Leonidas. As his boat approached Leonidas, the medical superintendent shouted that there had been cholera and smallpox aboard.

The Chief Medical Officer for Fiji at the time, Dr William MacGregor, was sent to Leonidas to provide an update and first-hand information. The Governor at the time decided to send the Leonidas back to high seas off Kadavu and not to let any Girmityas disembark on the island of Ovalau.

It was finally agreed that the Leonidas be brought inside the barrier reef and anchor in the harbor on the leeward side of the port of Levuka in the mooring grounds.

The question then arose where to house the Girmityas. It was then decided to quarantine the Girmityas on Yanuca Lailai, an island of approximately 100 acres at that time, but now approximately 72 acres due to soil erosion and rising sea levels.

The Governor lobbied men from Moturiki, Ovalau, and Tailevu to build houses as soon as possible to house the Girmityas. The Fijians worked extremely hard, and the task was completed within three days with various facilities constructed.

The journey from Leonidas to Yanuca Lailai was hazardous, and small rowing boats were used to transfer the Girmityas to the island. The transfer began twelve (12) days after Leonidas arrived at Levuka.

The Leonidas then headed to San Francisco at the end of May 1879. The Girmityas remained in quarantine on Yanuca Lailai till 15 August 1879. During this period, 15 more Girmityas died from dysentery, diarrhea, and typhoid.

A meeting was then held in Levuka to dispatch the Girmityas to various plantations in Fiji. The plantation owners refused to recruit any Girmityas and argued with Sir Arthur Gordon. Only one planter, Captain Hill, agreed to recruit 106 Girmityas.

The Girmityas had proved themselves, and soon more planters started recruiting them. The first batch to work on a plantation was on Rabi Island for Captain John Hill.

During my visit to Fiji in May 2023 and trip to Taveuni, villages in Bua, and other locations in Vanua Levu, I interviewed a few people and was told that Girmityas were settled on Rabi Island.

I was informed that graves of Girmityas exist in a certain part of Rabi Island. I have to research on the graves further in the coming months. Once the graves are located, I have volunteered to dig them up and perform the funeral rituals as per Hindu religion.

I will be communicating with the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad, and Rabi Island Council to identify the graves and build a monument on Rabi Island in memory of the Girmityas.

I also appeal to the leaders of National Federation Party, Fiji Labour Party, Fiji First, Arya Prathinidhi Sabha of Fiji, Sanatan Dharam Sabha of Fiji, and other organizations to hold a memorial service for the Girmityas on Rabi Island. During the month of August, prayers should be held on Rabi Island to remember the Girmityas from Leonidas.

The main sports that occupied the Girmityas were wrestling "Kusti", Kabbadi, and Gulidanda.

The Girmityas survived on fresh chili and garlic chutney, roti, junglee dhania or kata whala dhania, and solidified milk cooked with corn or maize flour during difficult times.

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