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"Carnegie Library, Suva, Fiji", Unknown c.1930-1954, Source: Fiji Museum P/23.1/8
Suva City Carnegie Library

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.

“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.

“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. 

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“Artist’s rendering the Grand Pacific created for the Union Steamship Company” Source: http://grandpacifichotel.com.fj/about-us/
Grand Pacific Hotel

The Grand Pacific Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in the Pacific. It was built in 1914 to offer a more luxurious style of accommodation for cruise ship tourists. It was recently renovated and extended but it retains many of its original colonial architectural designs.  

“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. 

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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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