The Bose Levu Vakaturaga was a formal gathering of Fiji's indigenous (iTaukei) chiefs. It was established by the British Colonial Government in 1875 as an advisory body and named the Council of Chiefs (the term “Great” was added sometime later in the twentieth century). The complex at Draiba was completed in 2009 for Council meetings but was destroyed by fire ten years later. The North and South wings of the complex house the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Ministry of Lands and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Architecture in Suva is reflective of the many different influences over time. These include the indigenous itaukei people who first occupied the land, other Pacific Islander, Asian and Indian migrants who settled since the late 1800s, and government officials and traders who built large colonial dwellings in and around the town centre.

The village of Nabutautau is a remote village located in the head waters of the Sigatoka River in the district of Navatusila in the province of Nadroga/Navosa. Nabutautau is infamous in history as the place where Reverend Thomas Baker was killed, the only European missionary killed in Fiji on 21 July 1867 along with five i-Taukei teaching assistants. Beyond Baker’s death, relatively little is known about the village’s rich history.

The Anglican Church was first established in Levuka in 1870. It came under the administration of the Diocese of Polynesia which was created with the consecration of its first Bishop in 1908. The cathedral in Suva was constructed in several stages between the 1950s and 1970s.

The Fiji Museum was established in 1904 and has moved several times over the last century. It has been situated in Thurston Gardens since the 1950s and contains artefacts up to 3700 years old.

The ivi triangle has been a popular resting place in Suva, and features an old ivi (Tahitian nut) tree. A small plaque sits beneath the ivi tree at the corner of Renwick Road and Scott Street. The inscription contains some misleading information about Fiji’s history.

The market has been a vibrant meeting place for Suva residents and visitors to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, yaqona and traditional wares. The original Suva market was located near Pier Street, next to the Queen’s Wharf. It was moved to Cumming Street in the early 1900s until a new market was constructed at the present location between Harris Road and Rodwell Road in 1949.

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 Sacred Heart Cathedral is the headquarters of the Catholic Archdiocese of Suva. The construction of the Cathedral began in 1894 and was not completed until 1994, 150 years after the first Marist missionaries arrived in Fiji. The grand European design includes sandstone blocks imported from Australia, concrete staircases and balustrades, and two towers. The central stained glass window above the altar contains an image of a bilo cup beneath the Sacred Heart of Jesus.