We bid a final farewell to Dr Robert Anderson Mathavious OBE, yesterday. He now joins a list of people who sat in various, important rooms during the teething process of BVI and have not left us a script, memoirs, so that future generations may become aware of how we got to this point.
In Robert’s case, much has been written about him and is scattered throughout the record but in the end, we will get the history that someone pieces together and it will, in the main, be devoid of an eyewitness account.
The very industry Robert was instrumental in creating is now staffed with practitioners who never met him and some only hear about him in a passive way. So, for them, he is, already, yesterday’s news and only the written account will keep his and the contributions of others, alive.
Eileene Parsons was a household name for decades. We challenge anyone to take a poll around the schools in 3-5 years and ask any child who she was and they will have no idea of whom you are speaking. Some barely know now.
It was said that R.T O’Neal had an elephant’s memory but he never found the time to write and leave us his account of the experiences he had on our behalf while BVI was in its infancy.
He ushered in the Rockefeller era. Rockefeller gave us Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda. He also built Caneel Bay on St John and many BVI people got their start at those properties.
Rockefeller also donated several tracks of land, including Sandy Cay that are an integral part of the BVI National Parks Trust.
By now, all BVI knows that the main recreational aspects of the tourism infrastructure are the national parks. Without them, BVI tourists would have precious little to do.
And the merchants, medical practitioners, builders, teachers, nurses? The list of positive contributors to the building of the BVI is significant. And yet, the literary account is sparse.
We barely remember Ms Isabella Morris, Valarie Thomas, Alexandrina Maduro. They were of immense importance to their communities and our history. Where are the records of their contributions?
And what of people like Ms Maria, Peter Haycraft, Junie Penn, Ifield Lettsome, Dr Thomas and many who are still with us
Thankfully, Joseph Reynold O’Neal left us ‘Life Notes.’ Eugenia O’Neal gave us ‘From the Fields to the Legislature’ and Dr Michael O’Neal, ‘Slavery, Small Holding and Tourism.’
The voices of many others exist including Jennie and Dr Charles Wheatley. We are grateful to them all but we still wonder if a more aggressive attempt could not be made to record the contributions of various people in the Territory to show future generations how BVI was built.
For every time another generation intervenes, writing the history becomes more difficult.
We are not certain what falls to the remit of the Department of Culture but are willing to believe that our history should be of significant moment.
And while the Diplomat is tripping himself at the portal of the UN where we have not sent him on his hobby horse, perhaps he can find out if funds exist that may allow small jurisdictions like ours to engage researchers to unearth and, finally, record some of the history.
Certainly, part of the preparation for independence must be a study into how we got here and who brought us. It can’t all be about not having a big brother to look over our shoulders.
We cannot expect the government to do everything; however, they do have the responsibility of transparent leadership.
We demand it on our Fridays.
Happy Friday!