Australian schoolteacher Trish Jannu holidayed in Fiji and took a good look at the shapely mountain standing majestically in the highlands not far from Lami Town called Joske’s Thumb.
According to an article published in The Fiji Times on February 2, 1985, the thumb was named after her grandmother’s uncle, Adolph Brewster Joske.
“We are sure the pictures we took of Joske’s Thumb will delight my 84-year-old grandmother, whose father’s adventurous brother explored the mountain,” Mrs Jannu said.
The whole Jannu family was in Fiji for a three-week holiday.
Jannu, Trish’s Indian born sculptor husband, met people of different cultures and conversed with them in Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Telegu.
“I was fascinated as if I was in my Telugu-speaking hometown in Madras, speaking with people in the languages of their ancestors,” he said.
“It was interesting to see Fijians, Indians of all cultures living together peacefully — something difficult to find anywhere in India, for after every 25 kilometres there is a barrier.”
They had two daughters, Rohine, 11, and Aruna, three.
“We all enjoyed our holiday in Fiji and learnt a lot,” Mrs Jannu said.
Her sister had compiled a history of the family, including her grandmother, whose maiden name was Joske.
Adolph Brewster Joske came to Fiji in September 1879 from Melbourne with the first 120 European settlers and was a partner in the firm Brewers and Joske, which operated the first sugar mill in Fiji in 1872.
Later, Joske held several government posts, including inspector of native plantations, stipendiary magistrate, resident commissioner, and governor’s commissioner.
He got married in London and returned to Fiji with his wife in 1902 and dropped his Joske name to be known as Mr Brewster.
The Jannus got married shortly after meeting in Melbourne and moved to New South Wales, where Mrs Jannu taught at an infant school. At the time Mr Jannu was a full time sculptor.
When the pair decided to marry, they took the permission of their parents.0
