A Northland, New Zealand resident is appealing to Lautoka residents to help locate the house where her mother was born more than seven decades ago.
Alannah Julie Flay is searching for the home her grandparents, George R. W. Pocock and his wife, Vera Pocock, built and lived in during their time in Lautoka between 1947 and 1955.
George Pocock worked as an engineer with the Public Works Department (PWD) during his stay in Fiji.
“I’m trying to look for the house that my grandparents built. It was their home and it is where my mum, Yvonne Loloma Pocock, was born,” Flay said.
“My mum is the only child.”
Yvonne is now 75 years old, and Flay hopes to bring her mother to Fiji in September next year to revisit the place where her life began.
She is appealing to anyone in Lautoka who may remember the Pocock family, particularly her grandfather through his work with the PWD, or her grandmother, to come forward with any information.
George R. W. Pocock with young Yvonne Loloma Pocock.
Flay said her mother was only about three or four years old when the family left Fiji, but she grew up hearing stories about their life in Lautoka.
“She learned through conversations about a life and living in Fiji, and the family friend and gardener named Tim,” she said.
Flay recently posted an old photograph of the house on the Lautoka International Facebook page, hoping someone would recognise it.
The response has been overwhelming, with numerous people offering possible locations and sharing memories, but so far there has been no firm lead confirming where the house once stood.
She believes the house may have undergone renovations or received a new coat of paint over the years, but the original structure could still remain.
The colonial-era house is particularly significant to the family because it represents the place where Yvonne was born and where her grandparents made their home during their years in Fiji.
“Over the years, the house may have been given a fresh paint job or renovated, but the structure holds a lot of value for us,” Flay said.
She said several similar colonial-era homes were built in Lautoka around that period, making it difficult to identify the property.
“We have been getting a lot of mixed messages about the location of the house,” she said.
“If someone somewhere in Lautoka knew my grandparents, particularly my grandfather George R. W. Pocock through his work or friendship, their help would be greatly appreciated.
“It is not just about the building, it is a part of our family history.”
Anyone with information about George or Vera Pocock, their PWD connections, or the possible location of their Lautoka home is encouraged to contact the family through the Lautoka International Facebook page.
