The Order of Fiji is the highest
honour
Honour (British English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of socia ...
of the
Fijian honours system
The Fijian honours system dates from the granting of Dominion of Fiji, Dominion status in 1970, when the Fijian Independence Medal was awarded to participants in the Fijian independence celebrations. Prior to 1987 Fijian coups d'état, two militar ...
. Established 1 March 1995, the order is presented for achievement and merit to Fiji and mankind as a whole. The order is divided into a general division and military division, and is presented in three classes, with an associated medal.
The
President of Fiji
The president of Fiji is the head of state of the Republic of Fiji. The president is appointed by the Parliament for a three-year term under the terms of the 2013 Constitution of Fiji. Although not entirely a figurehead, the role of president ...
serves as the chancellor of the order and also as the order's Principal Companion. Following their terms of office, former Presidents remain as Companions of the Order of Fiji.
The Order of Fiji has been a Commonwealth honour ever since Fiji returned to its membership of the Commonwealth in October 1997, albeit, as a
republic in the Commonwealth of Nations
The republics in the Commonwealth of Nations are the sovereign states in the organisation with a republican form of government. , 36 out of the 56 member states were republics. Charles III, who is the reigning monarch in the Commonwealth realms ...
Grades and divisions
The Order of Fiji is awarded in a military division and a general division. It is awarded in three classes and a medal with the following
post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...
:
* Companion (CF)
* Officer (OF)
* Member (MF)
* Medal (MOF)
Notable recipients
* Ratu Sir
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, (6 May 1920 – 18 April 2004) was a Fijian politician, who served as Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the fi ...
[
* ]Frank Bainimarama
Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (Fijian: ʃoˈsɛia βoˈreŋɡe mbɛiniˈmarama born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst ...
* Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (born 24 September 1965) is an Indo-Fijian politician and a cabinet minister. He is the Fijian attorney general and the Minister for Economy, Civil Service and Communications, and also serves the minister responsible for ...
[
* Sir ]Paul Reeves
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...
* Ben Ryan
* Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh ( hif, विजय सिंह ; born 22 February 1963), nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer. He has won 34 events on the PGA Tour, including three major championships: one Masters title (2000) and two ...
[
]
Companions
* Daniel Fatiaki
Taniela (Daniel) Vafo'ou Fatiaki CF (born 1954 in Upu, Motusa District, Rotuma) was the Chief Justice of Fiji from 1 August 2002, when he succeeded Sir Timoci Tuivaga, till 5 December 2008. As Chief Justice, he presided over both the High Co ...
* Ratu Josefa Iloilo
Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, (29 December 1920 – 6 February 2011) was a Fijian politician who served as the 3rd President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009, excluding a brief period from 5 December 2006 to 4 January 2007 (see below). He ...
* Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, (born 5 July 1941) (often referred to as ''Na Turaga Mai Naisogolaca'') is a Fijian chief who was President of Fiji from 2009 to 2015. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and go ...
* Satya Nandan
Satya N. Nandan, CF, CBE (July 10, 1936 – February 25, 2020), was a diplomat and lawyer from Fiji specializing in ocean affairs, was Chairman of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, where he served a two-year term commencing 1 ...
* Jai Ram Reddy
Jai Ram Reddy, CF (12 May 1937 – 29 August 2022) was an Indo-Fijian politician, who had a distinguished career in both the legislative and judicial branches of the Fijian government. In 1998, he received Fiji's highest honour, the Companion ...
* Filipe Bole
Filipe Nagera Bole CBE, CF (23 August 1936 – 19 June 2019) was a Fijian politician who hailed from the village of Mualevu on the island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau Group. He had a reputation as one of Fiji's few politicians untainted by scan ...
* Chris Cracknell (rugby union)
* Iliesa Delana
Iliesa Delana (born 2 December 1984) is a Fijian politician and Paralympic high jumper who has been Member of the Parliament of Fiji and Cabinet Minister since 17 September 2014. He was the first Fijian athlete to win a medal, gold in high jump, ...
* Petero Mataca
Petero Mataca (28 April 1933 – 30 June 2014) born at Cawaci, on Ovalau Island, served as the Roman Catholic archbishop of Suva, Fiji until his resignation in 2012.
Biography
After his education at St. John's College, Cawaci, he was o ...
* Peter Thomson Peter Thomson may refer to:
* Peter Thomson (golfer) (1929–2018), Australian golfer
* Peter Thomson (diplomat) (born 1948), Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
* Peter Thomson (footballer) (born 1977), English footballer
* Peter ...
* Murray McCully
Murray Stuart McCully (born 19 February 1953) is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2017.
Early life
Born in Whangārei, McCully was educated at Arap ...
* Sir Michael Somare
Sir Michael Thomas Somare (9 April 1936 – 26 February 2021) was a Papua New Guinean politician. Widely called the "father of the nation" (), he was the first Prime Minister after independence. At the time of his death, Somare was also the lo ...
Anthony Gates
Anthony Harold Cumberland Thomas Gates was the chief justice of Fiji from 2008 to 2019. Justice Gates is best known for his decision in ''Chandrika Prasad v. Att-Gen of Fiji'' 0002 FLR 89; ''Prasad v. Republic of Fiji & Another'' 0011 LRC 66 ...
* James Ah Koy Sir James Michael Ah Koy, , ( zh, 何志美; born November 30, 1936) is a Fijian businessman, politician, and diplomat of Chinese and Fijian descent. He is Executive Chairman of Kelton Investments, the IT service provider Datec Group Ltd., Hono ...
Officers
* George Konrote
Major-General Jioji Konousi "George" Konrote, (born 26 December 1947) is a Fijian politician and retired Major-General of the Fiji Military who served as the President of Fiji from 2015 to 2021. After commanding a peacekeeping mission in Leba ...
* Manu Korovulavula
* Hari Punja Hari Punja, OF, OBE (born 1936) is an Indo-Fijian businessman and Chairman of Hari Punja Group of Companies. Hari Punja and Sons Limited is a very diversified (and probably the largest) company in Fiji.
Hari Punja was born in Cuvu, Sigatoka, ...
* Taufa Vakatale
* Brij Lal
Brij Lal is a Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He is of Indians in Fiji, Indian descent.
Lal was educated at Labasa College. He later went on to achieve a Teaching certificate from the Lautoka Teachers College, National T ...
* Jeremaia Waqanisau
References
External links
* {{cite web, title=Fiji Honours - Order of Fiji (Companion), url=http://www.wnsstamps.ch/en/stamps/FJ004.08?lang=en, work=World Association for the Development of Philately Numbering System, publisher=Universal Postal Union, access-date=1 September 2013
Orders, decorations, and medals of Fiji
*
Awards established in 1995
1995 establishments in Fiji