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One
of Christine Fletcher's final official duties as Mayor of
Auckland was to host a lunch reception in council chambers
to commemorate Fiji's Independence from Great
Britain.
It
was one of those very rare occasions when Fiji nationals of
all races set aside their differences to mix and mingle
under the watchful eye of a very youthful Queen Elizabeth II
'in a frame'.
Mrs.
Fletcher lauded the contributions Fiji nationals had made in
New Zealand and issued a plea for world global peace under
the cloud of conflict that hangs over Afghanistan and the
Middle East. 'You came here to study, to work and to make
homes. We thank you for those parts of your culture that you
bring with you and share with us, which make our city so
vibrant,' Mrs Fletcher said.
The
guest list represented a wide cross section of people from a
variety of backgrounds. Fiji nationals joined to celebrate a
time in history when all of Fiji stood still to watch the
Union Jack come down and the unfurling of the new Fiji flag
on October 10, 1970.
Fiji's High Commissioner to New Zealand, His Excellency Isimeli
Bainimara who was among the main guests at the Mayoral
reception, remembers that day with mixed feelings.
'Listening to the Last Post while the Union Jack came down
while the sun was setting was very sad, but it was also a
proud moment for Fiji,' Mr Bainimara said. 'I was Aide-Camp
to the then Governor-General Sir Robert Foster at the time
and I remember the then Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese
Mara declaring 'Fiji had come of age'.
Speaking
at a Fiji Day dinner function at Samoa House Mr Bainimara said
Fiji had come a long way since 1970.
'Last
week Fiji elected a new government and that represents a new
beginning, one that we should applaud and be proud of.' He
said Fiji was going through a very delicate stage of
recovery and if you'd like to help Fiji back on its feet
tell your friends or your work colleagues to visit Fiji.
'Tourism
is still one of Fiji's biggest earners and you can
contribute in your own way by telling your friends to
visit,' Mr Bainimara said.
Leading by example, the High Commissioner said he had invited about 10
High Commissioners based in
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