Her name will probably never cease in the history books of the Hibiscus Festival but if there is one thing Liebling Marlow has gained from it, it is a gut full of confidence. The 70-year old has commented on the festival for the past 52 years and was still in a jovial mood to share a bit more about how the festival changed her life.
A resident of Pearce Home in Suva now, Liebling said the title of Miss Hibiscus or Fiji's first Miss Hibiscus never really mattered to her. She said after the festival, she joined her husband Herbert Marlow at the Fiji Visitors Bureau, meeting and greeting tourists who visited Fiji.
From that day she was actively involved in tourism and other Hibiscus festivals with her husband. "I don't know if it changed my life but I know that it gave me confidence. After the festival, I achieved so much and I became involved not only in tourism but in women's affairs.
"Back then the Hibiscus Festival was for two nights and there were 23 of us. The experience will always be a memorable one," she said.
Liebling was crowned the first Miss Hibiscus in 1956 and since then 45 other queens with the same stamina, poise and grace have followed suit to claim the same title at the annual event.
Adpted from Fijitimes Online