The Gnauna Vinaka Passing the Island of Tavea

Tavua () 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 ...

in Fiji, 91 kilometres from

Nadi Nadi (pronounced ) is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. A 2012 estimate showed that the population had ...

and 9 kilometres from the

gold mining Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. However, with the expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface, ...

settlement of

Vatukoula Vatukoula (; meaning "gold rock" in Fijian) is a gold mining settlement in Fiji, 9 km inland from the Town of Tavua on the island of Viti Levu. Colonial history Vatukoula may be viewed historically as the cradle of the modern gold mining ...

. It was formally incorporated as a Town in 1992 with the appointment of its first Mayor, Iliesa Vula from Tavualevu. The town covers a land area of 100 square kilometres, and had a population of 2,418 at the 1996

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

. Tavua is supposed to be governed by a 9-member Town Council, elected for a three-year term, who elect a

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 ...

from among themselves for a one-year term, renewable indefinitely. At the most recent municipal election, held on 22 October 2005, all 9 seats were won by the Tavua Ratepayers, Landowners, and Tenants Association. The new council reelected Chandra Singh, Mayor since 2001, for another term. In 2009, the

Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

-backed interim government dismissed all municipal governments throughout Fiji and appointed special administrators to run the urban areas. As of 2015, elected municipal government has not been restored. The special administrator of Tavua is Tulsi Ram. He took office in January 2015, replacing Jay Whyte.

Notable Tavuans

Olympic javelin thrower Leslie Copeland was born in Tavua. Hong Kong and Bristol Rugby Union player Luke Nabaro was born and raised there. Vijay Singh. World renowned golfer born and raised there

References

Ba Province Populated places in Fiji {{Fiji-geo-stub