QUEEN Victoria School was first established in the area of Yanawai, Cakaudrove.
Stories shared by Dawara villagers, revealed that QVS sat on a hilltop, at the foot of Mt Kasi and overlooking the village.
Though online records will not reveal details of the establishment in Dawara or commonly known as Yanawai, the villagers know the historic records.
According to Sosiceni Lomaiviti, QVS was first established in 1881, though online records states that the school was first established in Nasinu in 1906.
“Nasinu happened after Yanawai when they decided to relocate the school to Viti Levu,” he said.
“We don’t know the reasons of relocation, but all we know is that QVS started in Yanawai in 1881 and closed down in 1894.
“So from 1894 to 1906, which is 12 years, we don’t know what happened between these years.”
However, Mr Lomaiviti said for the 12 years QVS stood in their district, many students of chiefly heritage attended the school.
“That was the purpose of the school’s establishment, to educate the chiefs’ children of the 14 provinces in Fiji,” he said.
“Our elders passed down stories that when these chiefly students were in Yanawai, they had their different areas of swimming and doing other activities. “For example, in this Yanawai river, it’s divided into three areas.
We have the matasawa-i-ra, matasawa-i-loma and the matasawa-i-cake (lower, mid and upper river areas).
“So the matasawa-i-ra was for students from the western side of Fiji, the matasawa-i-loma for the students from other provinces and matasawa-i-cake for the Bua students. They all knew where to go and swim when they get to the river.”
Mr Lomaiviti said the villagers of those days used to help out with food supply. “But we don’t have details of how our elders assisted and there were just a few of them in Dawara at that time,” he said.
“Our elders told us that the QVS students of those days who came to school in Yanawai were respectful and well-mannered children.”
Mr Lomaiviti said a few years ago, a group of old boys visited the site and found a piece of the foundation where QVS was built. “They took that piece back with them to Viti Levu,” he said.
Another villager Aisea Tukau said when these children walked around the village, the villagers wouldn’t even know they were around.
“That’s how well-mannered they were and they respected the village,” he said.
“They wouldn’t make much noise when swimming in the river and our elders could tell they were children from chiefly families, very humble and royal.”
