IN the early days of Suva, there was an organisation in town called the Good Templars, whose main objective was enlightening people on a lifestyle free from alcohol and drugs.
In the year 1888, the newly-formed Good Templars’ Hall was located in an area at the back of Victoria Pde called Naiqaqi.
Before Suva became the capital, it was the sight of a sugar mill owned by Paul Joske, whose family surname was used to name the mountain peak beyond Lami that juts into the air like a devil’s thumb.
Some members of the organisation were Maynard Hedstrom, George Barker, John Heatly, John Molloy, Walter Kington, Arthur Smith, David Watkins, Alfred Hawkins, Arthur Griffiths and his brother Rupert, and George Sturt.
Arthur and Rupert were the sons of George Littleton Griffiths, the founder of The Fiji Times.
The Good Templars had a brass band and rehearsed once a week in Suva but they didn’t have a band master to lead them.
For a salary of 15 shillings a week, they later sought the services of a Tongan bandmaster who did not speak English but a little Fijian.
He was not too bad. The Good Templars were asked to play in a lot of places.
Once they were to perform “God Save the Queen” in front of Government Buildings during the unveiling of Ratu Cakobau’s obelisk.
The Governor was present with all government officials on the day, the Armed Native Constabulary and the public numbering a few hundred.
They became popular and one day were invited for a few soft drinks at the Club Hotel much to the anger of then chief Templar Mr Beauclerc.
On another day, they wanted to play at the park near the ivi tree at the famous triangle but they were also told not to since it was near the “McDonald’s Hotel”.
They believed the chief Templar was becoming too restrictive.
Eventually, members of the Good Templars’ band resigned and lobbied with some influential men in Suva such as Sir Wilfred Collet, the secretary to the High Commissioner of the Western Pacific, and J Forth of the Treasury.
Members of the Good Templars band later formed the Suva Band when the former got defunct and lost its members.
