Governor opens campsite
THE Scout movement in Fiji was alive and active in the 1970s with a lot of developments taking place.
On December 16, 1977, The Fiji Times published a report about the establishment of its national camping site at Colo-i-Suva.
The chief Scout at that time was the GovernorGeneral, Ratu Sir George Cakobau.
He officially opened the campsite — named Jean Murray National Campsite.
“I have the pleasant task today of opening the national scout camping ground — the Jean Murray Campsite,” he said in his opening speech.
“What you see here now is the culmination of many years of hard work.”
On the history of the campsite, the report stated an annual rally was held on another proposed site at Nasinu, 9 miles on the Kings Rd, but this was not suitable because the land was not available for scouting.
“Then 10 years ago, a licence was acquired from the Forestry Department to use Colo-i-Suva, its present site,” Ratu Sir George said.
“It was named the Jean Murray Campsite because of the untiring efforts of Mrs Murray in raising funds by selling clothes and books at the Nausori market on Saturday mornings.”
The campsite started with the transformation of an old corrugated iron and wooden hut.
With help from the Vatukoula Scout district, a swimming pool was blasted out of the creek and a carpenter’s hut and kitchen was built as well.
It was reported that because of inclement weather in Colo-i-Suva, more permanent buildings were required for the proper use of the site.
The article stated in 1975 there were some planning and brainstorming and the Fiji Scout Association obtained a formal lease from the Native Land Trust Board (now known as iTaukei Land Trust Board) of eight and half acres for 50 years.
Much thought was put into what sort of buildings was required and eventually permits were obtained.
It was not easy to get a contractor but the association managed to select one and after all that hard work, a total of about $55,000 was used for this major project.
Ratu Sir George named the donors of the project and they included:
The Bayly Trust - $15,000
Ministry of Youth and Sport — $7500 in 1977 and another $7500 in 1978
Friends of scouting was asked to give a sum of $1500 and in turn one of the eight patrol huts would be named after them.
World Scouts Headquarters
Boy Scouts of Taiwan
Boy Scouts of Iran
Australia Scout Association
Scout Association of New Zealand
Mr Wesley Barratt.
The Fiji Scout Association provided $5000 from their own resources and the balance was funded by a loan on generous terms from the Bank of New Zealand. From all this show of unity, the Fiji Scout Association now owned a substantial asset.
Ratu Sir George then told the headquarters commissioners that their responsibility was to see the national campsite was to be used for its purpose.
And that was to be the training ground – as recreation camp and for the individual scout groups and national rallies.
The campsite is about nine acres and is named after Mrs Jean Murray, the wife of the deputy chief Scout, Mr Herbert Murray.