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1962: the year of our independence
Independence Bells
From Savanna-La-Mar to Morant Bay, from Above Rocks to Port Maria,
as the clock struck midnight on August 5, 1962, the strains of our
national anthem were heard for the first time while Union Jacks were
lowered and the Jamaican flag unveiled.
Ceremonies took place in parish capitals across the island. In many
cases, fireworks lit up the skies punctuating the August 6 birth of the
Dominion of Jamaica. At the National Stadium, then Prime Minister Sir
Alexander Bustamante, decked out in formal wear, presided over what
was described as a stirring national event
Kingston and all other parish capitals were resplendent with flags and
bunting. Many civic and social events took place, including dancing in
the streets, maypoles in town squares, Jonkonnu, bonfires, float parades
overflowing with beauty queens, as well as tree planting and
religious ceremonies.
The national anthem is the work of four persons - the late Rev. and
Hon. Hugh Sherlock, OJ, OBE, the late Hon. Robert Lightbourne, OJ,
the late Mapletoft Poulle and Mrs. Poulle (who later became Mrs. Raymond
Lindo). Their entry was chosen out of the close to 100 entries
submitted in a public contest. The 300-year-old coat of arms was
retained but a new motto -adopted “Out of Many, One People” - a
reminder that the nation is composed of people of many races who
have long lived and worked in harmony.
On August 7, 1962 - declared a holiday - the first session of Jamaica’s
parliament was convened. Princess Margaret wished Jamaica well on
behalf of her sister the Queen and handed over the constitutional
documents to the Prime Minister, Sir Alexander Bustamante.
At the first parliamentary session, Bustamante responded to Princess
Margaret and addressed Jamaicans at home and abroad: “Independence
means the opportunity for us to frame our own destiny and the
need for us to rely on ourselves in so doing. It does not mean a license
to do as we would like. It means work and law and order…Let us resolve
to…build a Jamaica which will last and of which we, and generations to
come, will be proud, remembering that especially at this time the eyes
of the world are upon us.”
Norman Manley, Leader of the Opposition, also spoke: “We stand here
today surrounded by an unseen host of witnesses…who through all
our history strove to keep alight the torch of freedom…and what
of the future? We have come to Independence prepared and ready
to shoulder our new responsibilities and united. I
believe in one single hope that we may make our
small country a safe and happy home for all our
people.”
Excerpt from Rebecca Tortello’s Pieces
of the Past: A Stroll Down Jamaica’s
Memory Lane
www.jamaicacatalogue.com
HRH Princess Margaret dancing with PM Bustamante at the State Ball at the Sheraton
Hotel, Kingston (Courtesy of National Library of Jamaica)
Inside Holy Trinity Cathedral (Courtesy of The Gleaner Co. Ltd.)
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