Levuka () is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of
Ovalau, in
Lomaiviti Province
Lomaiviti Province is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. Administratively, it forms part of Fiji's Eastern Division and of the Kubuna Confederacy, one of three traditional chiefly hierarchies in Fiji.
Geographically it consists of the Lomaiviti I ...
, in the
Eastern Division of Fiji. Prior to 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population of 1,131 (plus 3,266 living in the peri-urban area as defined by the Bureau of Statistics), about half of Ovalau's 8,360 inhabitants. It is the economic hub and the largest of 24 settlements on the island. Having been nominated decades prior, Levuka was designated a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in June 2013, in recognition of the port town's exceptional testimony to the late colonial port towns in the Pacific.
History
The modern town of Levuka was founded around 1820 by European settlers and traders as the first modern town in the Fiji Islands, and became an important port and trading post. A disparate band of settlers made up Levuka's population – traders, missionaries,
shipwright
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
s, speculators, and vagabonds, as well as respectable businessmen. The
US Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
visited in 1840.
During the mid 19th-century, the town was quickly becoming a commercial hub for the sea cucumber trade.
Marist priests, led by Father , established a mission in Levuka in 1858, and
Wesleyan
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
missions were built around the same time.
The
Sacred Heart Church, Marist Convent School, and two Methodist churches still survive today.
By 1870, the town had a population of more than 2000.
When the first modern nation state of Fiji, the
Kingdom of Fiji
The Kingdom of Fiji, also known as the Kingdom of Viti, was a short-lived monarchy in Fiji. It existed from 1871 to 1874, with Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau as King.
History
The Kingdom of Fiji was the first unified Fijian state, and it covered a ...
, was founded in 1871,
Seru Epenisa Cakobau
Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (; occasionally spelled ''Cacobau'' or phonetically ''Thakombau'') (c.1815 – 1 February 1883) was a Fijian Ratu and warlord ('' Vunivalu'') who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing ...
was
crowned King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
at Levuka. After Fiji was annexed as a British
colony
In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...
in 1874, Levuka remained the capital until 1877, when the administration was moved to
Suva
Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
, although the move was not made official until 1882. The move was prompted by concerns that the 600-meter high hills, many with cliffs, surrounding Levuka gave it no room for expansion.
Levuka is famous for many of Fiji's "firsts." It was the site of Fiji's first bank, post office, school, private members club, hospital, town hall, and municipal government. Fiji's first newspaper, the ''
Fiji Times
''The Fiji Times'' is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869 by George Littleton Griffiths, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating.
''The Fiji Times'' is owned by Motibhai G ...
'', which is still in operation today, was founded in Levuka in 1869. Levuka's
Royal Hotel is the oldest hotel in the South Pacific still operating. Historians have not ascertained its exact age, but records show that it was in existence by the early 1860s.
Levuka Public School
Levuka () is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. Prior to 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population o ...
, opened in 1879, was the first public school in Fiji and many of Fiji's leaders in the years leading up to and following independence in 1970 were educated there. The oldest
Masonic lodge
A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...
in the South Pacific,
Lodge Polynesia 562 SC
Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one.
Lodge or The Lodge may refer to:
Buildings and structures Specific
* The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Ministe ...
, is also to be found in Levuka. It was established in 1875. Levuka was also the site of Fiji's first public electricity system, which began in 1927, three days before the capital Suva was electrified.
Arson
Much of Levuka's unique heritage is in its wooden architecture which is highly vulnerable to fire.
The Masonic Lodge, Levuka's only Romanesque-revival building was set on fire during the period of lawlessness and unrest following Fiji's 2000 coup. There is much controversy about the Masonic fraternity in Fiji, the dominant traditional Christian faiths consider Masons to be devil-worshippers. The Lodge contained priceless historical artefacts and records of Levuka's history dating back to 1875. The arsonists have yet to be identified and prosecuted.
![Pafco Fire Cold Storage Plant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Pafco_Fire_Cold_Storage_Plant.jpg)
In 2008, Levuka's PAFCO Cold Storage Plant which was located next the town's main road was destroyed by a fire caused during welding maintenance works. In more recent years, the old Mavida Guest house and the old General Store on Levuka's main street have also burnt down. The General Store Building housed the Westpac Bank, Air Fiji and a Supermarket and, being over 100 years old, was part of the then proposed (now established) UNESCO National Heritage Site. Rumors of arson abound in relation to the fires but no prosecutions have been made. In April 2010, Levuka's Chief Fire Authority Officer was quoted in the national paper as saying that Levuka is: ‘...a fire hazard waiting to happen...’, he points out in the article that there are no fire hydrants in the town and that virtually no buildings have fire extinguishers or fire alarm systems.
Economic activities
Levuka's status as a stopover port for ocean vessels crossing the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
came to an end in the 1950s, threatening the town with economic extinction. In 1964, however, the
Pacific Fishing Company
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
(PAFCO) was founded by a Japanese firm, specialising in freezing and shipping canned
tuna
A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: ...
, mostly to markets in Europe and Canada. A
cannery
Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although un ...
, a joint PAFCO-government venture, was opened in 1976, and is the largest private employer on the island of Ovalau. Owing largely to Levuka's isolation, tourism plays only a minor role in the Levuka/Ovalau economy.
Governance and politics
Levuka has been incorporated as a
Town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
since 1877, and is governed by a
Town Council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
of 8 members, elected for 3-year terms. The
municipal elections
In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...
of 22 October 2005 resulted in a defeat for the
SDL of outgoing
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Taniela Bulivou, with the
Balance Party taking 6 of the 8 seats. The new council elected
George Gibson to succeed Bulivou; the Mayoral term is for one year, but may be extended any number of times. The council has recently been suspended by the interim government of Fiji and a local administrator (Napolionio Masirewa) has been named.
Landmarks
At the northern end of Levuka is the traditional Fijian village of Levuka. The village chief, who bears the title of ''
Tui Levuka
Tui or TUI may refer to:
Places
* Tui, Pontevedra, Spain
* Tui, Iran, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Tui, North Khorasan, North Khorasan Province, Iran
* Tui Province, Burkina Faso
* Tuis District, Costa Rica
* Tui railway station, New Zealand ...
'', is a direct descendant of the chief who welcomed the first European settlers. In memory of his ancestor, he is also known as ''"Tamana na vavalagi"'' (Father of the Europeans). At the southern end of the town lies the village of
Nasova, where the King
Seru Epenisa Cakobau
Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (; occasionally spelled ''Cacobau'' or phonetically ''Thakombau'') (c.1815 – 1 February 1883) was a Fijian Ratu and warlord ('' Vunivalu'') who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing ...
signed the
Deed of Cession
In common law, a deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, affirms or confirms an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions, sealed. It is commonly associated with transferring ( ...
, ceding the islands to Great Britain on 10 October 1874.
The
Levuka Community Centre
Levuka () is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. Prior to 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population o ...
, which houses a branch of the
Fiji Museum
The Fiji Museum is a museum in Suva, Fiji located in the capital city's botanical gardens, Thurston Gardens.
Background
The museum is a statutory body and is under the administration of the Fiji Museum Act and the Preservation of Objects of Arc ...
, a public library, crafts centre, kindergarten, squash court and meeting hall, occupies a renovated store built in 1878 by
Morris Hedstrom
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
, a trading company established in Levuka's early days and still in business in Fiji. Morris Hedstrom gave the building to the
National Trust of Fiji The National Trust of Fiji is a statutory organization in Fiji devoted to conservation of public resources. The trust was created in 1970 by the National Trust for Fiji Act.
It administers parks and various historical sites. The parks are Sigato ...
in 1980. Adjacent to the Levuka Community Centre stands
Queens Wharf
Queens Wharf is a multi-purpose venue in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia with a cafe, pub, restaurant, observation tower and ferry wharf built as part of the redevelopment of the Hunter River foreshore. Opened in May 1988 by Queen Elizabet ...
, with a maximum depth of eight meters. Upgraded in the 1990s, it is used mostly by local craft, though foreign vessels sometimes dock, Levuka being one of three official ports of entry to Fiji (
Suva
Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
and
Lautoka
Lautoka () is the second largest Local government in Fiji, city in Fiji. It is on the west coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Ba Province of the Western Division, Fiji, Western Division. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane-growing r ...
being the other two).
Other well-known landmarks include
Sacred Heart Church, a legacy of the Marist Fathers, who arrived in 1858, the
Ovalau Club, one of the oldest social organisations in the Pacific, and
Levuka Town Hall, which houses the
Levuka Town Council
Levuka () is a Local government in Fiji, town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau (Fiji), Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division, Fiji, Eastern Division of Fiji. Prior to 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. At the c ...
. It was built in 1898 in honour of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
's
Diamond Jubilee
A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
.
Notable people
*
Hereward Kesteven – medical scientist of Australia
*
Graeme Leung
Graham Everett Leung is a Fijian lawyer and former president of the Fiji Law Society. He was also chairman of the Electoral Commission (Fiji), Electoral Commission, and was named as judge advocate of a Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit Court Mar ...
– lawyer and former
Fiji Law Society
The Fiji Law Society is the official body that registers and regulates the activity of all lawyers in Fiji. Historically, the President of the Fiji Law Society was a member ''ex officio'' of the Judicial Service Commission.
The Fiji Law Society ...
president
*
Maria Liku
Maria Liku (born in Levuka on 27 April 1990) is a Fijian weightlifter who represented Fiji at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In the Weightlifting at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's 63 kg, Women's 63 kg event, she ranked at 6.John Maynard Hedstrom
Sir John Maynard Hedstrom (22 February 1872 – 2 June 1951) was a Fijian businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council for over 30 years. Alongside Robert Crompton, Henry Marks and Henry Milne Scott, he was one o ...
– Legislative Council member and founder of Morris Hedstrom
*
Katharine Susannah Prichard
Katharine Susannah Prichard (4 December 18832 October 1969) was an Australian author and co-founding member of the Communist Party of Australia.
Early life
Prichard was born in Levuka, Fiji in 1883 to Australian parents. She spent her childhoo ...
– Australian novelist and
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian political party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membership and influence having been i ...
charter member; born in Levuka December 1883
*
Dave Solomon – rugby union player
*
Manueli Tulo
Manueli Tulo (born 25 March 1990) is a Fijian weightlifter who competed for Fiji at the 2012 Summer Olympics and at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Both times he competed in the Men's 56kg event, finishing 13th both times. His wife Maria Liku also re ...
– Fijian Olympic weightlifter
*
Alfred Wendt – cricketer of Fiji
*
Ratu
''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to re ...
Josefa Celua
Ratu Josefa Celua (c. 1855 – 1886) was a Fijians, Fijian chief from the island of Bau (island), Bau. He was the youngest son of Seru Epenisa Cakobau, Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (often spelt phonetically as Thakambau), Monarchy of Fiji, King of ...
died in Levuka
*
Eileen Cikamatana
Eileen Floanna Maria Cikamatana (born 18 September 1999) is an Australian Olympic weightlifting, weightlifter who previously represented Fiji. She competed in the Weightlifting at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women's 90 kg, women's 90 kg even ...
- weightlifter who a gold medal for Fiji in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
References
External links
Levuka FijiLodge Polynesia 562 SCLevuka Days of a Parson in Polynesia Illustrated memoir by C.W. Whonsbon-Aston (1936)
{{Authority control
Lomaiviti Province
Populated places in Fiji
Populated places established in 1820
World Heritage Sites in Oceania
1820 establishments in Fiji