The Suva Prison is the major receiving centre in Fiji. Established at Korovou soon after the capital moved to Suva, the prison has housed men, women and juvenile prisoners at various times in its history. The complex includes Fiji’s first ferro-concrete building and a gallows where executions took place until 1964. Prisoners have maintained the nearby Suva cemetery since the prison was opened.
The Tavuni Hill Fortification overlooks the Sigatoka River from a 90m high limestone ridge. It was constructed by a clan of Tongans who arrived in the early 1800s.
The Methodist Church of Fiji is the largest Christian denomination in Fiji. The Centenary Methodist Church was announced in 1935 during the Centenary celebrations of the first Wesleyan missionaries who arrived in Fiji. The building was opened in 1954, and ten years later the Methodist Church of Fiji became independent from Australia.
The Suva City Carnegie Library was opened in 1909 and bears the name of the Scottish-born American philanthropist who funded it. It is now run by the Suva City Council and serves the Central and Eastern Divisons of Fiji.
The current Royal Suva Yacht Club was built in 1948 at Walu Bay. It is believed to have begun earlier (possibly the 1930s) in the heart of Suva city near the old wharf at Pier Street before the land was reclaimed.
Laucala Bay Secondary began as a demonstration school for University of the South Pacific teacher trainees in 1972. Many Suva students will remember it as the site of the N.Z.U.E. Examinations. The school motto was “In Omnia Paratus” meaning “Be prepared for all things”. LBSS was closed in 2015.
The Town Hall was originally named the Queen Victoria Memorial Hall when it was opened in 1905. Over a century it has hosted many tenants, including the Fiji Museum, an aquarium, a theatre and restaurants.
The Church of St Francis Xavier is a popular tourist attraction for its mural of a black Christ which blends Christian motifs with elements of Fijian tradition and culture.
Ba Civic Museum was opened in 2014 and celebrates the township’s history. It also documents the diverse cultural history of the region which is the most populated of the 17 districts in Fiji.