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“Borron House overlooking the Waimanu Road area, around 1942” Source: Time Connections: A Quarterly Newsletter from the Friends of the Fiji Museum, 1996
Borron House

Borron House was once the home of a wealthy colonial planter family and is now used as a state guesthouse by the Government of Fiji to accommodate VIP guests.

“CWM Hospital 1923”, Source: Fiji Museum P19.1/14
Colonial War Memorial Hospital

This hospital was opened in 1923 in memory of the Fiji veterans who served in World War I. It is also the site of the oldest medical school in the Pacific Islands. It is still in use today as the main hospital for the greater Suva area. 

“Tarua & Beverely, n.d.” Source: Nicholas Rollings
Royal Suva Yacht Club

The current Royal Suva Yacht Club was built in 1948 at Walu Bay. It is believed to have begun earlier (possibly the 1930s) in the heart of Suva city near the old wharf at Pier Street before the land was reclaimed. 

“Wreck of the Syria Memorial, Nausori” Source: Nicholas Halter 2012
Wreck of the Syria Memorial, Nausori

The monument at Nausori was built in memory of people who died aboard the Indian immigrant ship Syria when it was wrecked on Nasilai reef in 1884. It was one of the worst maritime disasters in Fiji history - 59 people died in the tragedy.

An example of diagrams at the Nasonini Battery outlining how to use the defensive equipment, photographed in 2016 and partially defaced by graffiti (taken from Global Archaeology).
Nasonini Gun Battery

The gun battery now nestled within the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s main premises has deteriorated like its sister structure in Veiuto, with it also existing in less-than-ideal conditions. However, only one of its guns remains in it (broken up into pieces, unfortunately) and one of its three emplacements has been demolished so a residence for the High Commissioner of New Zealand could be built in its stead.

“Centenary Methodist Church”. Source: Nicholas Halter 2020
Centenary Methodist Church

The Methodist Church of Fiji is the largest Christian denomination in Fiji. The Centenary Methodist Church was announced in 1935 during the Centenary celebrations of the first Wesleyan missionaries who arrived in Fiji. The building was opened in 1954, and ten years later the Methodist Church of Fiji became independent from Australia.

“A small child, possibly the Governor’s son, Jack, seated on a pony with two Fijian attendants in front of Government House in Nasova, Ovalau Island, Fiji”. Source: collected by A. von Hügel, 1875-77, Museum of archaeology and anthropology, P.99680.VH, http://maa.cam.ac.uk/photo-government-house-p-99680-vh/
Government House

Government House was the residence of the British Colonial Governors of Fiji since 1892 and was rebuilt after a lightning strike in 1921. Today it is known as the Presidential Palace.

“Boys Grammar School postcard”, Co-operative (W.J.B. Stinsone), c.1930s? Source: http://www.justpacific.com/fiji/fijiphotos/grammar/bgs3.jpg
Suva Grammar School

The original Suva Grammar School was built in 1917 on Victoria Parade specifically for European boys. Girls were educated at another building on Selbourne Street a year later. Suva Grammar School is a co-ed school currently located at Nasese.

“The University opened its doors for classes on 5 February 1968” Source: 2018. Treasures of the Past – The Humble Beginnings of USP, https://www.usp.ac.fj/news/story.php?id=2826
The University of the South Pacific (Laucala Campus)

The University of the South Pacific was the first of its kind in the Pacific Islands when it was established in 1968. Laucala Campus was once a New Zealand Air Force base until the land and buildings were converted into USP's first campus. Since then the university has expanded to 12 member countries of which Laucala Campus is the largest campus in the region. 

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Website content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. All material used on this site retains the original Creative Commons Licences and can only be re-used under their respective licences. Note that corporate logos (such as the Fijian History logo) and images used in some collections and branding are specifically excluded from the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, and may not be reproduced under any circumstances without the express written permission of the copyright holders.

Fijian History © 2018 - The University of the South Pacific
About

This project was a collaborative effort by staff and students of The University of the South Pacific to document some of the historic sites of Fiji.

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