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“6-inch naval gun and bunker” Source: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g612490-d3240252-Reviews-Momi_Bay_Battery_Historic_Park-Denarau_Island_Viti_Levu.html?m=19905
Momi Bay Battery Historical Park

Momi Bay Historical Park contains several gun emplacements which were used during World War II to defend against possible attacks to the mainland of Viti Levu.

“Ba Civic Museum” Source: Nicholas Halter 2018
Ba Civic Museum

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.

“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”.)

“Q.V. Memorial Hall, Suva, Fiji”, Unknown, c1904, shortly after completion. Source: Max Quanchi and Max Shekleton, An Ideal Colony and Epitome of Progress: Colonial Fiji in Picture Postcards, forthcoming.
Suva Town Hall

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.

“Centenary Methodist Church”. Source: Nicholas Halter 2020
Centenary Methodist Church

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.

“Wreck of the Syria Memorial, Nausori” Source: Nicholas Halter 2012
Wreck of the Syria Memorial, Nausori

The monument at Nausori was built in memory of people who died aboard the Indian immigrant ship Syria when it was wrecked on Nasilai reef in 1884. It was one of the worst maritime disasters in Fiji history - 59 people died in the tragedy.

“Fijians – clothing, Village People (Suva area), probably taken during [18]80s” Source: Fiji Museum P32.4/138
Origins of Suva

The indigenous settlement of Suva was established in the early 1800s at the site of the present-day Thurston Gardens. The itaukei were forced to move to Suvavou in 1882 by European colonial powers to make room for the new capital. 

"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. 

“Under the Ivi Tree Suva” (n.d.) Source: Fiji Museum P32.4/68
Ivi Triangle

The ivi triangle has been a popular resting place in Suva, and features an old ivi (Tahitian nut) tree. A small plaque sits beneath the ivi tree at the corner of Renwick Road and Scott Street. The inscription contains some misleading information about Fiji’s history.

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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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