On June 4, 1970, The Fiji Times published a story about a Marist brother from New Zealand who spent 44 years in Fiji.
A teacher, Brother Plunkett Gilligan was celebrating his golden jubilee as a member of his order when the article was written.
He was born in Otago, New Zealand in 1888 and he came to Fiji in 1926.
He recalled with humour the various nicknames given to him by his pupils – ‘Chin’, ‘Blanket’ and ‘Panakeke’. ‘Chin’ was his favourite among pupils because of a rather prominent feature on his face .
‘Blanket’ was the name given to him by pupils in Samoa when they found his correct name was too difficult to pronounce.
And the name ‘Panakeke’ (Samoan for pancake) was also given to him partly because it resembled his own name and partly because he had always been thin.
Brother Plunkett joined the Marist Order in 1919, and after three years novitiate at New South Wales, he returned to New Zealand where he taught until posted to Fiji. He started teaching at Marist Brothers’ School in Suva St where he taught primary classes from one to four.
He had a total of 38 pupils to teach.
He said during his first months in Fiji he was nervous when he taught, as he felt he did not understand his pupils.
He was unaware the students were nervous of him for the same reason on their part.
One day he saw from his desk a young Fijian pupil tickling the ear of the boy sitting in front of him with a blade of grass.
As the boy in front scratched his ear and turned quickly to find the cause of the irritation, the offender hurriedly hid the grass.
“I realised at that moment that despite all their differences, boys everywhere were very much the same, and from then I relaxed,” said Brother Plunkett. His affection for his pupils is well- known and has been reciprocated by those whom he taught.
“He was a kind teacher with a warm interest in the boys’ outside interests as well as their schoolwork.
“He has been a father figure to everyone,” said one student. Commenting on the adverse criticism levelled at the young people, Brother Plunkett had this to say: “Today’s young are merely going through a phase which will pass.
“Dear me, I recall in my youth we wore such things as green and yellow vests, and I acquired an ingrown toenail because the boots I wore were so narrow and pointed.
“I cannot recall, however, whether we wore our hair as long as the boys of today do.”
When Brother Plunkett left the Suva St school, he taught at Naililili in Rewa before moving to Samoa in 1928 for five years.
He returned to New Zealand in 1933 to teach for a year and was sent back to Naililili for three years and then to Samoa again for three years.
He spent 1940 to 1945 teaching at Cawaci on Ovalau after which he was appointed again to Suva St, where he remained.
He was taken off full-time teaching because he was 75 years old and his part-time teaching included English conversation and religion.
