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“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.

“The burenivanua in the centre of Sorokoba. The house is the official residence of the Tui Ba. It was rebuilt according to traditional designs atop the original yavu, but with modern materials” Source: Nicholas halter 2018.
Sorokoba Village, Ba

Sorokoba is located 3km north of Ba town and is the seat of the Tui Ba (paramount chief of Ba).

“Landing of the Southern Cross at Albert Park, 1928”, Source: http://suvacity.org/albert-park /
Albert Park

Albert Park was constructed as a cricket ground in the 1880s on land that once belonged to the indigenous village of Suva. It has since hosted sporting events, national celebrations, visiting dignitaries, and was the site of the first airplane landing in Fiji in 1928.

"Parliament Complex in Veiuto, 2018” Source: http://fijivillage.com/news/Govt-allocates-5-million-for-renovation-of-Old-Parliament-Complex-in-Veiuto-s5rk92/
Parliament of Fiji

The Parliament complex at Veiuto was opened in 1992 with a traditional Fijian house design that included masi cloths, wooden furnishings and open-air corridors. Parliament was suspended following the 2006 coup and the building has remained unoccupied ever since. Parliament now meets in the government buildings near Albert Park. 

“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”.)

“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.

"Entrance sign Tavuni Hill Fort" Source: Nicholas Halter 2018
Tavuni Hill Fort, Sigatoka

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.

“Borron House overlooking the Waimanu Road area, around 1942” Source: Time Connections: A Quarterly Newsletter from the Friends of the Fiji Museum, 1996
Borron House

Borron House was once the home of a wealthy colonial planter family and is now used as a state guesthouse by the Government of Fiji to accommodate VIP guests.

“The University opened its doors for classes on 5 February 1968” Source: 2018. Treasures of the Past – The Humble Beginnings of USP, https://www.usp.ac.fj/news/story.php?id=2826
The University of the South Pacific (Laucala Campus)

The University of the South Pacific was the first of its kind in the Pacific Islands when it was established in 1968. Laucala Campus was once a New Zealand Air Force base until the land and buildings were converted into USP's first campus. Since then the university has expanded to 12 member countries of which Laucala Campus is the largest campus in the region. 

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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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