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“Prospective Sketch by Mr Haus Turner? made while plans were in preparation”, c.1950s, Fiji Museum P23.1/14
Fiji Museum

The Fiji Museum was established in 1904 and has moved several times over the last century. It has been situated in Thurston Gardens since the 1950s and contains artefacts up to 3700 years old.

“Nabutautau village” Source: Nicholas Halter 2018
Nabutautau Village, Navatusila

The village of Nabutautau is a remote village located in the head waters of the Sigatoka River in the district of Navatusila in the province of Nadroga/Navosa. Nabutautau is infamous in history as the place where Reverend Thomas Baker was killed, the only European missionary killed in Fiji on 21 July 1867 along with five i-Taukei teaching assistants. Beyond Baker’s death, relatively little is known about the village’s rich history.

“King’s Wharf Suva 1929” Source: Fiji Museum P32.7/10
King's Wharf

King’s wharf was constructed on reclaimed land during WWI to replace the smaller Queen’s wharf at Pier Street.

“Sacred Heart Cathedral, Pratt Street, building began 1894, completed in 1939” Source Nicholas Halter 2018
Architecture

Architecture in Suva is reflective of the many different influences over time. These include the indigenous itaukei people who first occupied the land, other Pacific Islander, Asian and Indian migrants who settled since the late 1800s, and government officials and traders who built large colonial dwellings in and around the town centre.

“CWM Hospital 1923”, Source: Fiji Museum P19.1/14
Colonial War Memorial Hospital

This hospital was opened in 1923 in memory of the Fiji veterans who served in World War I. It is also the site of the oldest medical school in the Pacific Islands. It is still in use today as the main hospital for the greater Suva area. 

“Roman Catholic Cathedral, Pratt Street”, no date. Source: Fiji Museum, P32.4/41.
Sacred Heart Cathedral

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is the headquarters of the Catholic Archdiocese of Suva. The construction of the Cathedral began in 1894 and was not completed until 1994, 150 years after the first Marist missionaries arrived in Fiji. The grand European design includes sandstone blocks imported from Australia, concrete staircases and balustrades, and two towers. The central stained glass window above the altar contains an image of a bilo cup beneath the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“A small child, possibly the Governor’s son, Jack, seated on a pony with two Fijian attendants in front of Government House in Nasova, Ovalau Island, Fiji”. Source: collected by A. von Hügel, 1875-77, Museum of archaeology and anthropology, P.99680.VH, http://maa.cam.ac.uk/photo-government-house-p-99680-vh/
Government House

Government House was the residence of the British Colonial Governors of Fiji since 1892 and was rebuilt after a lightning strike in 1921. Today it is known as the Presidential Palace.

“Samoan Congregational Church, view from Thurston Street” (Source: Nicholas Halter 2020)
Samoan Congregational Church

The Samoan Congregational Church was constructed in 1988 and offers religious and pastoral support to the Samoan community in Fiji, including many Samoan students who come to Fiji to study at USP. Originally established by the London Missionary Society (LMS), the Samoan Congregational Church today is known by Samoans as the Ekalesia Fa’apotpotoga Kerisiano i Samoa (EFKS). The church has played an important role in safeguarding  the ethos of fa’a Samoa in Fiji, symbolized by its motto e lele le toloa, ae maau ile vai (meaning “the Toloa water-bird flies away yet always goes back to the water”.)

“Boys Grammar School postcard”, Co-operative (W.J.B. Stinsone), c.1930s? Source: http://www.justpacific.com/fiji/fijiphotos/grammar/bgs3.jpg
Suva Grammar School

The original Suva Grammar School was built in 1917 on Victoria Parade specifically for European boys. Girls were educated at another building on Selbourne Street a year later. Suva Grammar School is a co-ed school currently located at Nasese.

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Website content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. All material used on this site retains the original Creative Commons Licences and can only be re-used under their respective licences. Note that corporate logos (such as the Fijian History logo) and images used in some collections and branding are specifically excluded from the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, and may not be reproduced under any circumstances without the express written permission of the copyright holders.

Fijian History © 2018 - The University of the South Pacific
About

This project was a collaborative effort by staff and students of The University of the South Pacific to document some of the historic sites of Fiji.

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