The first Hibiscus Festival was an exciting new event in Suva, inspired by Honolulu’s Miss Aloha Month. The significance of the festival’s beginnings, which started in 1956, was highlighted in an article from The Fiji Times on August 20, 1990.
Organized by the Jaycees, the inaugural festival featured diverse participants from all ethnic backgrounds in Fiji. Susan Curtis, a hostess with White’s Travel Service, humorously claimed the second-place title, despite frequently traveling to Viti Levu. The winner, 18-year-old telephone operator Liebling Hoeflich, enjoyed a prize trip to Sydney, while Lydia Pickering secured third place, winning a trip to Levuka.
Community involvement was evident, with busy stalls and locals wearing Bula shirts, even though the government had requested formal attire. Governor Sir Ronald Garvey notably joined in the trend, adding charm to the celebrations.
The event included entertaining activities such as a soap-box derby and a wheelbarrow race, leading to playful mishaps but no significant injuries. While the Jaycees faced a slight financial loss, the festival ultimately established itself as Fiji’s largest charity fundraiser, developing into a major annual gathering at Albert Park in Suva.
Although the original Bula shirt competition has since diminished, it remains a symbol of the festival’s vibrant beginnings and its capacity for fostering community spirit. The 1990 article served as a reflection on how much the Hibiscus Festival has progressed over the years.