Levuka (Fijian pronunciation: [leβuka]) is a town located on the eastern coast of Ovalau, an island in Lomaiviti Province, which is part of the Eastern Division of Fiji. Before 1877, Levuka was the capital of Fiji. According to the 2007 census, the last one conducted, Levuka town had a population of 1,131 people. An additional 3,266 people lived in the areas around the town, as reported by the Bureau of Statistics. This means Levuka had about half of Ovalau’s total population of 8,900 people. Levuka is the economic center and the largest of 24 settlements on the island. It was nominated for a UNESCO World Heritage Site many years before and was officially named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2013. This recognition honors Levuka’s unique example of a late colonial port town in the Pacific.

History

The modern town of Levuka was founded around 1820 by European settlers and traders. It became the first modern town in the Fiji Islands and an important port and trading post. The population of Levuka included traders, missionaries, shipwrights, speculators, and businessmen. The US Exploring Expedition visited Levuka in 1840.

During the mid-1800s, Levuka became a major center for the sea cucumber trade. In 1858, Marist priests led by Father Jean-Baptiste Bréhéret established a mission in Levuka. Wesleyan missions were also built around the same time. Today, the Sacred Heart Church, Marist Convent School, and two Methodist churches still exist. By 1870, Levuka had more than 2,000 people. In 1871, the Kingdom of Fiji was founded, and Seru Epenisa Cakobau was crowned King in Levuka. After Fiji became a British colony in 1874, Levuka remained the capital until 1877. The capital was officially moved to Suva in 1882 because the hills surrounding Levuka limited the town’s growth.

Levuka is known for many of Fiji’s firsts. It was the site of Fiji’s first bank, post office, school, private members club, hospital, town hall, and municipal government. The Fiji Times, Fiji’s first newspaper, was founded in Levuka in 1869 and is still in operation. Levuka’s Royal Hotel is the oldest hotel in the South Pacific still operating. Records show it existed by the early 1860s. Levuka Public School, opened in 1879, was the first public school in Fiji. Many leaders of Fiji were educated there. The oldest Masonic lodge in the South Pacific, Lodge Polynesia 562 SC, was also established in Levuka in 1875. Levuka had Fiji’s first public electricity system, which began in 1927, three days before Suva was electrified.

Much of Levuka’s heritage is in its wooden buildings, which are very vulnerable to fire. The Masonic Lodge, Levuka’s only Romanesque-revival building, was destroyed by fire during a period of unrest after Fiji’s 2000 coup. Some traditional Christian groups in Fiji believe Masons are not followers of their faith. The Lodge had valuable historical records dating back to 1875. The people who started the fire have not been found or punished.

In 2008, a fire destroyed the PAFCO Cold Storage Plant near Levuka’s main road. The fire happened during welding work. In recent years, the old Mavida Guest House and the old General Store on Levuka’s main street also burned down. The General Store Building housed the Westpac Bank, Air Fiji, and a supermarket. It was over 100 years old and part of the now-established UNESCO National Heritage Site. Rumors of arson surround these fires, but no one has been punished. In April 2010, Levuka’s Chief Fire Authority Officer said in a newspaper that Levuka is “a fire hazard waiting to happen.” He noted that there are no fire hydrants in the town and few buildings have fire extinguishers or alarms.

Economy

Levuka's role as a stopover port for ocean vessels crossing the Pacific ended in the 1950s, which threatened the town with economic problems. In 1964, the Pacific Fishing Company (PAFCO) was created by a Japanese firm, specializing in freezing and shipping canned tuna, mostly to markets in Europe and Canada. A cannery, which was a joint project between PAFCO and the government, opened in 1976 and is now the largest private employer on the island of Ovalau. Because of Levuka's isolation, tourism has only a small role in the economy of Levuka and Ovalau.

Governance and politics

Levuka became a town in 1877 and is managed by a Town Council with 8 members, each serving 3-year terms. In the municipal elections on October 22, 2005, the SDL, led by outgoing Mayor Taniela Bulivou, lost to the Balance Party, which won 6 of the 8 council seats. The new council chose George Gibson to replace Bulivou as mayor. A mayor’s term lasts one year but can be extended multiple times. Recently, the council was temporarily halted by Fiji’s interim government, and a local administrator named Napolionio Masirewa has been appointed to oversee the town.

Landmarks

At the northern end of Levuka is the traditional Fijian village of Levuka. The village chief, known as Tui Levuka, is a direct relative of the chief who welcomed the first European settlers. He is also called "Tamana na vavalagi," which means "Father of the Europeans." At the southern end of the town is the village of Nasova, where King Seru Epenisa Cakobau signed the Deed of Cession, giving the islands to Great Britain on October 10, 1874.

The Levuka Community Centre, which includes a branch of the Fiji Museum, a public library, crafts centre, kindergarten, squash court, and meeting hall, is located in a restored store built in 1878 by Morris Hedstrom. This trading company was established in Levuka's early days and continues to operate in Fiji today. Morris Hedstrom donated the building to the National Trust of Fiji in 1980. Next to the Levuka Community Centre is Queens Wharf, which has a maximum depth of eight meters. It was improved in the 1990s and is mainly used by local boats, though foreign ships sometimes stop there. Levuka is one of three official ports of entry to Fiji, along with Suva and Lautoka.

Other notable landmarks include Sacred Heart Church, which was built by the Marist Fathers who arrived in 1858, the Ovalau Club, one of the oldest social groups in the Pacific, and Levuka Town Hall, which is home to the Levuka Town Council. The town hall was built in 1898 to honor Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

Notable people

• Hereward Kesteven – Australian medical scientist
• Graeme Leung – lawyer and former president of the Fiji Law Society
• Maria Liku – Olympic weightlifter
• John Maynard Hedstrom – member of the Legislative Council and founder of Morris Hedstrom
• Katharine Susannah Prichard – Australian novelist and member of the Communist Party of Australia; born in Levuka, December 1883
• Dave Solomon – rugby union player
• Manueli Tulo – Olympic weightlifter
• Josefa Vueti – Olympic weightlifter
• Alfred Wendt – cricketer
• Ratu Josefa Celua – died in Levuka
• Eileen Cikamatana – weightlifter who won a gold medal for Fiji in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.