Fiji

Levuka is the old capital of Fiji. It was built on the Ovalu Islands as a trading port by the early Colonial Government around 1820. In 1871 Chief Seru Epenisa Cakobau crowned himself King. He made Levuka the capital of Fiji. The town managed to retain its original wooden architecture from the 1800s and is now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Fijian Indian farmers and boys

This photograph of Fijian and Fijian Indian farmers reflects the demography of Fiji. Indians were brought to Fiji by the British between 1879 to 1916 to work on sugarcane, coconut and cotton plantations. They were indentured labourers, bound for ‘girmit’, an agreement to work in Fiji for 5 years. The system of indentured labour stopped in 1920, but many of the Indians decided to stay and make Fiji their home. Today half the population of Fiji is made up of descendants of these Indians.

Nandi, the main international airport of Fiji, is located on the west side of the main island of Viti Levu. The airstrip, built in 1939 by New Zealand, was financed by Fiji’s British colonial rulers. The airstrip was used extensively during the Pacific War in 1941. New Zealand took control of the airport in 1946 and built its first runway. The airport was later taken over by the Fijian Government when they gained independence in 1970.

Hurricane at Fiji

Tropical cyclones are known to wreak havoc in Fiji during December, January and February. This report of a hurricane that hit Fiji in January 1904, was one of the worst experienced then. Today, Fiji like most islands in the Pacific are in the path of huge cyclonic storms that have increased in recent years due to climate change. Recently Cyclone Winston made landfall in Fiji on February 2016 with wind gusts around 200mph. Ironically Fiji had just become, in the same month, the first country to sign the Paris climate change agreement that was adopted by world leaders the previous year.

Loyal Fiji

When Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, it called on all its colonies to support its war efforts. To do their bit, British settlers in Fiji promoted a huge carnival and hoped that tourists from New Zealand would attend and help gather funds to help the Empire’s war efforts. On December 1914, the British Army Council telegrammed an acceptance of 60 recruits from Fiji, provided they were of British descent. The first contingent left for Britain in January 1915. They fought in the battles of Flanders. It was only in 1917 that native Fijians were accepted to serve in the British Army.

Vegetable market in Suva

These Fijian women queue patiently, baskets in hand, waiting for the vegetable market to open its doors. Suva’s vegetable market, now Suva’s Municipal Market was established in 1950. It is Suva’s major food supplier of dry goods, seafood, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products. On Fridays and Saturdays, it houses around 3500 vendors who come from far and near to sell their produce.