Thurston Garden Suva MatthiasSuessen-7911

Thurston Gardens are the botanical gardens of

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. They used to be known as the Suva Botanical Gardens but its name was changed in honour of the fifth Governor of Fiji, Sir John Bates Thurston, who was Governor from February 1888 to March 1897. Thurston Gardens is located in central

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 ...

, between Albert Park and the Government House.

History

Thurston Gardens are built on the site of the original town of

that was burned in 1843 in one of the bloodiest fights in Fiji's history. Many of the inhabitants were killed and eaten by the people of

Rewa Rewa may refer to: Places Fiji * Rewa (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji), a former electoral division of Fiji * Rewa Plateau, between the Kaimur and Vindhya Ranges in Madhya Pradesh * Rewa Province, Fiji * Rewa River, the widest river in Fiji ...

. In 1879, Sir John Thurston invited and asked John Horne (Botanist), the Director of Forests and Botanic Gardens in

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

to visit and make recommendations for a

Botanical Garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

. The gardens were originally named Suva Botanical Gardens, but were renamed in 1976 in memory of Sir John Thurston. In 1913 the Gardens were reorganized and drains were laid underground. The avenues of 101 Royal Palms and 39 tree ferns were also planted. The Clock Tower and band stand were constructed in 1918 in memory of the first mayor of Suva. 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 Ar ...

, now occupies the building that was built in the Botanical Garden grounds in 1955.

The Gardens Today

The Fiji Museum is currently maintaining the gardens. Although many of the buildings and artifacts seem to be in need of attention the gardens are still regularly enjoyed by the people of Suva during the day. Spread throughout the grounds are varieties of palms, gingers, water lilies and other local flora.

References

The Fiji Museum and Thurston GardensThurston Gardens on MyFijiGuide.com - updated January 2008
Botanical gardens in Fiji Parks in Fiji Suva Urban public parks {{Fiji-geo-stub