Establishment of tourism and the goldmine
THE father of Fiji’s tourist industry was Sir Hugh Ragg.
The Fiji Times reported he was a man of vision and courage and these elements fused to create the pioneering spirit that characterised his life.
When the post war boom in travel developed many people realised that Fiji could hope to benefit from tourism only if accommodation, adequate in quantity and measuring up to world standards were made available.
At the time Sir Hugh set to work to provide such accommodation and to organise travel arrangements and entertainment which gave the tourist industry of Fiji a firm, practical base. Goldmines:
In 1957 The Fiji Times reported that it was no mean thing to have been responsible for the establishment of a whole new industry, which for over a decade has earned an average of more than a million pounds a year.
If it had not been for Pat Costello, Fiji’s goldmining industry would not have existed.
The report said when the faith of others faltered, Mr Costello refused to give up his belief that rich prospects lay in the Tavua Hills. A veteran prospector, the late Bill Borthwick, shared and encouraged this confidence when other had given up.
And even when the presence of gold at Tavua was proved the battle was not won.
There were experts to say that prospects were poor and development unjustified. Mr Costello was not deterred and his persistence overcame initial reluctance and finally induced Mr E G. Theodore and his associates to finance the development of the Vatukoula field. The result we now all know.