Thurston Gardens and the Empress of Ireland tragedy

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Thurston Gardens and the Empress of Ireland tragedy

One hundred and one years ago, on May 29 1914, the Empress of Ireland sank to its watery grave at the bottom of the icy Saint Lawrence River in Canada.

A Norwegian coal ship carved a gash into the loaded passenger liner and with the loss of over 1000 lives it was the worst nautical disaster In Canada’s history.

Among the dead was Suva’s first Mayor Gabriel J Marks and his wife Marion, who along with his brother Sir Henry Marks had been one of Suva’s most prominent and well liked citizens.

At the time of his death Mr Marks was 43 years old and his wife only 40.

The bodies of the Marks, who had been among the first class listed passengers, were later recovered and buried in Melbourne in a ceremony attended mostly by those of the Jewish faith.

Many are unaware that one of the main features of Suva’s famous Thurston Gardens was tied to this great tragedy.

Mr Marks was a philanthropist and obviously well-known and liked in Suva and as tribute to his brother, Henry Marks built an octagonal bandstand/clock-tower in Thurston Gardens.

The clock tower and bandstand are listed as heritage buildings Grade A (being of national significance) under the Suva City Scheme Statement in 1991, providing additional recognition to the gardens as a heritage site.

A plaque at the clock-tower tells the story.

“Erected by henry Marks and Company Limited in memory of their late director G J Marks: First mayor of Suva who was drowned in the St Lawrence River, Canada through the sinking of the S.S. Empress of Ireland, 23rd May 1914.”

The people who created the plaque may have gotten the date of the tragedy wrong but it has stayed that way ever since.

The clock-tower and bandstand were opened by the Governor, Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott on June 7 1918.

Apparently Sunday afternoons music programs at the gardens were all the rave at the time.

“The Suva Town Band played an attractive programme of music at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday afternoon, when the townspeople were present in good numbers. His Excellency and Lady Escott were interested listeners,” a news report of the time read.

The people of Suva had obviously come to love their new garden and it must have been a pleasant place to relax in particularly as there were so many new exotic species of flora to admire.

The garden, long known as the Botanical Gardens, was renamed in 1976, in recognition of its founder Sir John Bates Thurston, a knowledgeable amateur botanist who had served as colonial secretary and governor.

However the history of the gardens places it initially well away from its current site.

In fact, Botanical Gardens, was initially located next to Waimanu Rd, one of the main thoroughfares in a fast growing urban centre of Suva..

The Suva Times of 1881 described the conception of the gardens.

“Some weeks ago the government ketch Barb brought down a number of cases of plants designed to form the nucleus of a botanical garden in this neighbourhood.

“We believe the colony is indebted to the Hon Colonial Secretary (Thurston) for the starting of what will no doubt be one day be a most important adjunct to the Capital.

“The site chosen is the slope between the Immigration Depot and Waimanu Road.

According to the book, Suva a History and Guide the old site of the first Botanical Gardens at Waimanu Road had a large cave.

“The hall itself is lofty with a dome like roof; The sides displaying a gothic-like ornamentation of irregular fretted work — pilasters, moulding, ribs, tracery of all kinds, being observable — the whole, one of nature’s creations, which please and astonish,” wrote Harding, conservator of Wilds and Forests.

On the recommendations of British botanist, John Horne, who came to Fiji in 1880 on the invitation of the then Colonial Secretary, Botanical Gardens was relocated to the present site where the original fortified town of Suva once thrived.

In 1913 the Gardens were reorganised and drains were laid underground with the avenues of 101 Royal Palms and 39 tree ferns planted.

The drinking fountain was constructed in 1914 followed by the bandstand and clock tower in 1918, both funded by the Marks family.

Near to the centre of the garden is a rectangular lily pond with a fountain in the centre and this had also fallen into neglect over the years

A years later the iconic Grand Pacific Hotel sprung up just a stone’s throw away along Victoria Parade right next to Albert Park where Charles Kingsford Smith.

Initially the Botanical Garden was graced with exotic plant species from all over the world along with some of Fiji’s endemic trees, ornamentals and flowers.

There were a wide range of plant and tree species among the Marquesas Palm, a rarity from the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia and the endemic dakua makadre, which with an estimated lifespan of 300-1000 years is the largest and longest living tree in the region.

The Botanical Garden was graced with exotic plant species from all over the world along with some of Fiji’s endemic trees, ornamentals and flowers.

In 1947 the Department of Agriculture added more species that included dawa, yemare sago palm, mahogany, albizzia, rain tree, sausage tree Persian lilac and balsa.

By 1949 the gardens collection included 20 types of ornamental and timber trees, seventeen types of palms along with a variety of trees, shrubs, orchids and ferns.

The Fiji Museum was built in 1955 within the garden.

Despite its status as a heritage site and natural beauty, Thurston Gardens fell into a state of disrepair which the National Trust of Fiji alongside other stakeholders such as the Suva City Council, is planning to addressing with a comprehensive facelift plan.

Poor drainage has impacted on the existing gardens, as result mainly of reclamation works opposite on the sea side of Queen Elizabeth Drive

Many of the original trees were lost as a result of hurricane damage while many indigenous trees, ferns, palms and orchids are no longer present in the gardens.

Now a multimillion dollar upgrade planned for Thurston Gardens will breathe new life into the site and recapture its glory days as a major Suva city attraction.

“Over the years, there has been an increase in loss of important species of flora and fauna and the degradation of key forest ecosystems of the natural landscape,” said National Trust of Fiji director Elizaeth Erasito.

“The increasing trend in urbanisation has also meant that generations of the migrating population have lost touch with nature and the knowledge and appreciation of its importance to their daily lives,” she said.

“In this regard, the Suva Thurston Gardens will play a pivotal role in reconnecting people, particularly the city and suburban dwellers, with nature and to provide a medium for awareness and education for the children.

“At the same time the gardens will create a venue for looking back at the pre-history of the city and of Fiji.”

* Next week as part of our series on Thurston Gardens we look in detail at the planned upgrading project ready to be implemented at this historical site.

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