A MISSIONARY’S IMPACT THAT CONTINUES TO THE MODERN GENERATION

Solomon Islands we have experienced some of the missionaries overseas come and impacted our lives positively over the years as their work continues to impact the lives of many of our people. Arthur Hugh Fletcher who is one of these many missionaries that came to our shore has his legacy passed onto his children as someone who had served his faith well and has established himself as a missionary to Solomon Islands.

Arthur Hugh Fletcher who was an Anglican missionary was well equipped not only spiritually but physically as he was a carpenter, a shipbuilder, and an engineer. The young energetic Arthur has helped built hospitals, schools and missionary headquarters in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. The man of faith has definitely taken the gospel in its true form by also giving his talent to help the very people he ministers to. Today his children led by his daughters Jill Bindon and Anita Seccombe, have visited Fuabu Hospital which their dad built back in 1931-1934. The Family was surprised to find out that the Fuabu hospital, which is few hours’ drive from Auki is still there and indeed it shows their father’s great work for the community there and Solomon Islands as a whole. Jill and her family got in contact with Malaita Anglican Bishop Sam Sahu and they have now started their project of rebuilding the Fuabu hospital. The news is a very positive one for the people living in the nearby villages as this hospital could benefit them from only having the option to travel to Kilufi’i hospital.

The news of this hospital is a very positive news for the future but the most incredible story is about the man who started it all. The humble hard working Anglican missionary, Arthur Hugh Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher left high school at the age of 12 and started working cropping farms near Taupo, New Zealand. The young man agreed that all his wages will be sent home to help supplement family's income. He worked here until 1918 when he turned 19 years old and volunteered for the army. He was stationed at Trentham when the Great Flu Epidemic broke out killing hundreds, and WW1 ended. From here he went to work on a ‘soldier’s farm’ in Maungaturoto which were given to returned servicemen by the Government after the war. Unfortunately, the Great Depression soon struck and it became impossible to make a living as all the money went back to the Government. Returning to Auckland he got a job with the Gane Milking Company which involved traveling around the North Island installing milking machines. He did this for 2 years and gained experience which would later prove invaluable to him in the Islands. Jill Bindon remembered her dad, Arthur Hugh Fletcher’s story well, “It was when he was home over a weekend that the Bishop of Auckland was dining with Dad’s father, who had expressed the need for someone to go down to the Islands to do repair work for a couple of months.   This is when he applied for the job and was employed by the Melanesian Mission.” Jill explained.

In 1929 Mr. Fletcher first went to the island of Malaita where he was to spend the next 6 years building 3 wards for the Hospital of Epiphany located at Fauabu.  He went on to build nurses quarters, house for the medical office (Dr. Maybury) which included a surgery and operating theater.  In total, there were 14 buildings built. When the buildings were finished, he moved to Taroaniara on the Island of Gela where he stayed until 1939, building a new headquarters for the Mission and a church.  He then shifted to Rabaul which was the last island he worked on.  It was during this time that he was in charge of maintaining the launches which took the Bishop and doctors/nurses around the various islands and traveled between the New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands.  With the outbreak of WW2, he sailed the ‘Southern Cross’ up one side of Bougainville as a German raider was traveling down the other side.  This journey was the last for the talented Anglican missionary as he never returned to see all his efforts in the land of Solomon Islands.

In mid-March, Bishop Sam Sahu traveled to Auckland, New Zealand and was invited for a weekend by Arthur Hugh Fletcher’s daughter Jill Bindon. The emotions of remembering her father were motivational enough for her and her siblings to start the project of rebuilding Fuabu Hospital again. Bishop Sam Sahu stressed how grateful Solomon Islands is to the service of Arthur Hugh Fletcher and how he has continued to impact the lives of the people of Solomon Islands. Bishop Sahu also acknowledged Jill Bindon and her oldest son Matthew and Jill's sister Anita Seccombe who has been instrumental in organizing the project materials and for their passion and love for the people of Solomon Islands and see it fit that the project when it is finished will be named after Arthur Hugh Fletcher himself. Now the people living around the Fuabu hospital can look forward to a fresh start full of promises. A start made possible through the legacy of the hardworking Arthur Hugh Fletcher. Indeed, this is a missionary’s impact that continues to the modern generation.