BROTHER LAMBERT DELAHANTY (1903-1985)

In 1936 the efforts of Brother Alphonsus and Brother Augustine to expand the Secondary Department attached to St. Felix College, by the enrolment of students of all races, was frustrated by a rather angry reaction by the Department of Education, which required the dismissal of all non-European students. Since there were no other opportunities for Indian boys, the Brothers were not prepared to send them away. Thus secondary classes were suspended for a time, pending further representations and discussion.

At this time a Colonial Office official, Mr Mayhew was in Fiji and recommended that inter-racial classes should be conducted at St Felix college. Following this, the concept of multi-racial education was grudgingly accepted by the Education Department, and permission was given for the establishment of a new School: Marist Brothers' Secondary School. It was as sole charge teacher that Brother Lambert came to Fiji on January 30th 1937, to begin this School. His first entry in the official records of the School reads thus:
"The School as now constituted was opened in 1937 with a roll of eighteen boys, the majority of whom were commencing secondary work. Four of these boys were past students of St. Felix College, and the majority of the remainder were past pupils of St. Columba’s School".

John Gerard Delehanty was born on 1st August, 1903 in Pahiatua, a town in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand, the fifth of six children. After primary education in the district he was enrolled as a boarding student at Sacred Heart College, Auckland, conducted by the Marist Brothers.

At the end of a Post-Matriculation year, John decided to become a Marist Brother himself, which meant that he had to travel to Mittagong, N.S.W., Australia, to undergo his Novitiate training. Following this and some teacher training in the Marist Schools of Sydney, he returned to New Zealand, where he taught in Marist Brothers' Schools in Wellington, Napier, Hamilton and Gisborne. During his early years of teaching he studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating from the Auckland University.

Marist Brothers' Secondary School grew slowly, providentially perhaps , since Brother Lambert was both Principal and sole teacher during its first three years. He taught English, Latin, French, Mathematics, History and Hygiene.

A notable addition to the 1939 roll was Ratu Kamisese K T Mara. Other famous names followed. In that year the school uniform was introduced, and the school gained official recognition. The boys also took on Suva Boys Grammar School at cricket, but lost by 50 runs.

Brother Peter Kiely joined Lambert in 1940 by which time the roll had risen to 40 students, and a new classroom was added. Cricket matches against Suva Grammar and Queen Victoria School (in those days it was at Nasinu) again failed to result in a victory for Marist. This had to wait until 1951 when Marist beat QVS by an innings and 92 runs. That same year the "Technical School" opened in Suva. It became the "Derrick Technical School", and finally the "Fiji Institute of Technology".

Then the Second World War came to the Pacific and Brother Lambert's cryptic entry in the School Record for 1942 reads: “Within a fortnight of the commencement of the term we were forced to vacate our classrooms as they were commandeered by the military. However, we were able to continue in St. Felix College – teaching was limited to two hours and a quarter a day. In spite of these handicaps the roll remained at 57 throughout the year". In 1943 Brother Anthony McKay joined the staff. The Brothers were kept busy in the Civil Defence organization, including shepherding the whole population of Suva into underground shelters during mock air raids. Fortunately there were no genuine attacks. The school re-opened in 1944, with a jump in the roll to 105.

Brother Lambert's report to Mr F B Stephens of the New Zealand Education Department is worth recording: "The school is open to all races and consists of 85 Indians, 9 Europeans, 7 Fijians and 4 Chinese. … There is a splendid tone in the school and a fine spirit of comradeship exists among the boys. They learn to respect one another and to appreciate one another's good qualities. We believe that thus racial prejudices are broken down and a way is made clear for the removal of those barriers that unfortunately exist in the Colony and tend to create disorder". It seems that the prejudice was mostly on the European side, as the opening of the all-European Grammar School drew students away from Marist. The Stephens report also recommended Government aid to assist the expansion of facilities for the Marist Secondary School, but the appeal fell on deaf ears.

A notable quality of Brother Lambert was his ability to delegate responsibility and encourage initiative. Whenever occasion arose for Brother Lambert to be honoured for his contribution to the establishment and development of Marist Brothers High School, he was quick to share these compliments with Brothers Peter and Anthony, his first associates.
There was, surely, something special about the trio: Lambert, Peter and Anthony. Each complemented the other two with gifts of mind, heart and will, as together they set about establishing the proud traditions and enviable scholastic record of this school during its difficult first twelve years. By 1945, with the roll at 125, it was obvious that there was need for a new site, away from the congested compound of Suva Street. Together with Brother Alphonsus, they worked to find this site, raise funds for its purchase and development, plan buildings and oversee the construction. They were men of action as we see in the 1945 Report of Brother Lambert:

"An appeal was launched in August and met with a gratifying response. A total of $10,800 was collected and a property of seven acres acquired with a view to subsequent building.” This was none too soon, as the roll had now reached 160. The Superiors in Europe gave permission to buy 7 acres of land in Bau St, offered by Sir Henry Scott.
At the end of 1946, ten years after his humble beginnings 'under the Chapel' at Suva Street, Brother Lambert was able to report: "Plans for a new Secondary School have been approved and the contract let for $24,900 to Bidesi & Sons. We anticipate opening in Bau Street in 1948".

In the meantime, Ratu Qase Vakatini won the newly awarded Morris Hedstrom scholarship offered to Fijian students by Sir Maynard Hedstrom. Charles Walker (1947) and Fred Giblin (1948), won the same scholarship. A Teachers' Bursary to Auckland was awarded to Joseph Gibson (later Director of Education), and William Toganivalu and Eminone Raivoka won Agricultural scholarships to Australia. In 1948 four ex-students completed university degrees. In Ratu K K T Mara gained his BA from Oxford University and 1949 Hari Ram was awarded the first scholarship offered by the Government of India. In 1950 the Hedstrom scholarship was again won by a Marist student, William Wildin.

The construction was dogged with the post-war shortages of building materials and so the work dragged on well into 1948. Eventually, at the end of that year, the transfer from Suva Street was effected and the buildings officially blessed by Bishop Foley SM, and opened by the Governor, Sir Brian Freeston, on 6 February 1949.

The transfer to Bau Street brought the change of name from Marist Brothers Secondary School to Marist Brothers High School, though in New Zealand the Provincial authorities referred to it as Francis Xavier High School. An additional staff member arrived in the person of Brother More Nolan.

The disastrous hurricane of January 1952 caused considerable damage to the new school, but on opening day the school roll was over 200 for the first time. Later, in September, a severe earthquake shook the town but the school buildings remained undamaged. Shortly after the 'final touches' had been made to the Bau Street site, in the form of a well laid out playing field (see below), Brother Lambert's term as Principal came to an end. In June 1953 he was called to New Zealand to become the Principal of his old School, Sacred Heart College, Auckland. His departure merited a public farewell in the Town Hall, when Church and Civic leaders paid tribute to his pioneering work in Fiji education. In 1955 Brother Lambert became the founding Principal of St. Paul’s College, Auckland. He remained there until 1960 when he returned to Fiji for a further term as Principal of the High School.

It was during this term that the School marked the occasion of its Silver Jubilee with celebrations during Easter weekend, 1962. On the 2 June that year, Brother Lambert was awarded the Queen's Birthday honour of Member of the British Empire (MBE), in recognition of his contribution to secondary education in Fiji. Eventually, in 1963, after twenty-one years as Principal, he was able to hand on the responsibility while remaining an active member of staff.

Brother Lambert's was a quiet and prayerful presence. That he inspired young men is evident from the many occasions when former students spoke of him with affection, when so many visited him and reminded him of some small event that had touched their lives. He was too, a man of strong convictions and he expressed these with an eloquence that often surprised his listeners.

At the time of his Diamond Jubilee as a Marist Brother, Brother Lambert was 79 years old. During the ceremonies staged by the assembled school to mark this occasion Brother Lambert's address was reported as follows:

"In his 'Vosa Vakaturaga' Brother Lambert spoke in a strong voice for 18 minutes. He enthralled his audience by his fluent delivery, by his vivid recollection of developments within the School, by his generous tributes to Brothers Anthony and Peter, by the conviction with which he adhered to the original vision for multi-racial education, and by his alert interest in the School of 1982. His memorable address was greeted with thunderous applause."

Yaqona Vakaturaga at Brother Lambert's Golden Jubilee

During his long life, Brother Lambert celebrated fifty years and then sixty years as a Marist Brother. On the occasions of these celebrations, and especially at the time of his death, tributes were paid to him for his personal impact on several generations of Marist students, for his contribution to multi-racial education in Fiji, for his foresight, tenacity and quiet determination.

At Brother Lambert's Golden Jubilee in 1971 the Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara said:
"He first taught me over thirty years ago. I was subject to his personal influence and subject to the influence of this school and the Brothers – an influence which Brother Lambert exemplifies and to which I and so many others in Fiji owe a tremendous debt. Without such men, their work and their teaching, I doubt if we would have found among us the tolerance, the goodwill and the understanding which are the foundations of our independent nation."

At the time of Brother Lambert's death, 7th February 1985, at the age of 82 years, the Minister of Education, Dr. Ahmed Ali paid this tribute.:
"By establishing Marist Brothers' High School in 1937, he had determined in many ways the course of this country's history. His contribution to education is among the greatest by any individual in a developing country."

An editorial in the 'Fiji Times' commented:
“He was not just a nation-builder. He was one of those who literally laid the foundations of an independent, multi-racial Fiji.”

The final word is that of Sir Moti Tikaram who gave the address at Sacred Heart Cathedral on the day of Brother's funeral:
"Though spartan in habit and frail of body, Brother Lambert's spirit was made of steel. The magic of his personality and the grandeur of his soul will always fascinate us. We shall remember him for his profound wisdom, ready wit, his captivating humility and his infectious smile. For none who came in touch with him escaped his endearing influence as a teacher, as a friend and as a man of God."