DISCOVERING FIJI | Suliana and the Vollmers of Lomaloma House

SULIANA Sandy’s great-great-grandfather, Frederick Vollmer (1852-1918), who later became the mayor of Levuka in 1912, came to Levuka from Germany and built a house, styled like a British bungalow.

The property was officially registered in 1876, making it 149 years old.

Frederick married Adi Pasemaca Yalikiwai, a lady from Lomaloma, Vanuabalavu in Lau and they had one son, Suliana’s grandfather, Rudolph, who in 1915 married a Tongan lady by the name of Suliana Latu.

They had nine children, of whom Suliana’s mother, Melaia Vollmer, was the second youngest.

Frederick was once one of the local partners for Hedemann & Co., a German based company that traded in early Levuka. He later became a mayor of the Old Capital in 1912, just before WWI erupted and got him repatriated to Australia, where he later died.

Suliana is the 4th generation member of the Vollmer family and lives alone in the 149-year-old Lomaloma House.

Levuka teacher

When Suliana mum died in 1980, she had just started working as a grant-in aid teacher at Delana Methodist High School in Levuka, Ovalau.

Later, members of the community asked if she could join the Levuka Town Council. She agreed and stood in an open seat during the municipal council elections. She won her seat and became a town councillor.

When she joined LPS, the volunteer scheme had been introduced in the mid-80s. She was paid $3000 a year and got transferred to LPS.

In 1985, however, there were 14 government vacancies.

“I got one of those vacancies and was confirmed a civil servant and had to resign from the LTC in 1985.”

Suliana worked at the council from 1981 to 1985 before going back to the classroom.

When she retired from teaching in 2009, she travelled a bit to the United States, returned to Levuka in December 2011, did some repair work on Lomaloma House before going to Australia for Christmas 2011.

Suliana gets involved with JICA

“I had only been in Melbourne for one or two weeks when I got a call from the ministry of local government to take up the post of CEO at the LTC,” she said.

Suliana became CEO of the LTC from 2012 to 2015. Then JICA Hokkaido came to Levuka and opened an office in Levuka. They were the ones who did a lot to get Levuka to heritage listing.

“When we got stuck (heritage listing process) these were the people who were coming in to help us and work with the community and the council.

“It was easier then because we had elected councillors and we could hold them accountable It’s difficult now because people are just hand-picked by Government to do its political bidding.”

Suliana took on the post of administrative officer of JICA Hokkaido until 2018 when she called it quits.

Levuka’s heritage status

Suliana believes Levuka’s heritage status has encountered problems since day one due to lack of funding for maintenance, unclear or duplicated responsibilities, and the dire absence of viable coordination between local and national agencies.

“Government needs to have the political will and key stakeholders need to have the desire to work together,” she said.

“The previous government just couldn’t see anything good in heritage; and I have doubts about this administration.”

Levuka was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013 after decades of work by various domestic and international stakeholders. At the time it was the seventh World Heritage site in Fiji.

The prospects for tourism were used as key justification for listing, alongside inherent heritage protection values. At listing, the town’s colonial wooden buildings were seen as “remarkably intact”.

However, in 2016, category five TC Winston caused significant damage in the Lomaiviti Group. In Levuka five historic buildings were completely destroyed, 13 buildings lost roofs, and 20 others needed repairs.

The benefits of the town’s heritage status haven’t been fully realized and more committed collaboration is needed. Despite growing challenges, Suliana remains optimistic.

“Right now, we have a few people who are earnestly trying to move things ahead, without or without government assistance. So there’s goodwill, which we should build on.”

A few years ago, the Ovalau Club, once a pride of Levuka Town, ground to a standstill after accumulating debts. TC Winston put the nail on the coffin when it blew off the club’s sides and roof.

“Slowly we moved ahead and asked people for assistance. That was when JICA Hokkaido moved in to help. We brought timber from Makogai, from the homes that were blown down there, and we rebuilt the wall of the Ovalau Club.

“A carpenter volunteered to repair it and did the finishings. We joined forces and painted it. Now the club has been reopened. It’s not complete but at least it’s opened.”

Over the years, property renovation and restoration in Levuka have been frustrating and made complicated by heritage provisions, lack of funding support and inadequate human resource.

There is lingering dissatisfaction over a perceived lack of government support and financial provision to rebuild heritage buildings, and the added real or perceived complication caused by changing weather patterns.

For the past 15 years, Suliana has stayed alone in Lomaloma House. She hopes Levuka’s heritage buildings will remain in the near future, in the face of extreme weather patterns and rising threats.

Most homes on the hills don’t have proper drainage therefore water seeps underground. After a while, soil will erode and homes could collapse. With climate change it’s going to cost a lot to maintain them.

Looking into the future, Suliana, like most home owners can only hope and pray for the best, pray that what was once the pride of Fiji could reclaim its former glory status and ensure that heritage buildings from the 1800s, built on their back of hard work and colonial ambition, continue to grace the Old Capital in many years to come.

History being the subject it is, a group’s version of events may not be the same as that held by another group. When publishing one account, it is not our intention to cause division or to disrespect other oral traditions. Those with a different version can contact us so we can publish your account of history too — Editor.