History

BACKGROUND OF NAUSORI TOWN

Nausori began its economic boom in the early 1880’s and plays an important role in the history of Fiji. It was declared a town in 1931. Economic opportunities were brought by the Sugar Industry in the small town in 1882 making it the first town in the country to have the Sugar Refining Company. There are quite a number of land marks and historical sites within and around Nausori. This includes old fortified villages’ monuments and buildings left behind by the indentured laborers. Fortified villages dated back to the early colonial era in the early 19th Century have been sighted in Kuku, Nausori which dates back to the 1200’s to 1500’s. Other historical landmarks include the Rewa Bridge, Syria Monuments, Indentured Labors quarters, CSR quarters and the first Methodist Missionaries building in Fiji that was constructed in Davuilevu. Nausori was initially the home to the sugar-cane and rice cultivation before, however due to unfavorable weather conditions these proved futile. Nausori is a getaway to the North Eastern and the Western Side of Viti Levu. The Eastern side is the Nausori Airport and the South Eastern side is the Rewa Delta with the Central part being the interior of Naitaisri.

Source: Nausori Town Planning Scheme, 2010

Source: History of Town Planning in Fiji, 1979

Nausori is a town that has evolved from what was once a thriving sugar industry in the 19^th century for the colony of Fiji, to a rural backwater town on the banks of the Rewa River from 1937 onwards to the present.  It is historic in the sense that it was the first sugar mill established by the Colonial Sugar Refining (CSR) Co. of Australia in 1881. It also hosted the first major influx of Indian labourers in Viti Levu in 1881 to come and work on the sugar plantations in the Rewa Delta. The descendants of those labourers have remained in Nausori and/or have moved to other parts of the country.

Old CSR Quarters in Vunivivi Hill

A lot of the relic of Nausori’s colonial past still stand today as a postmark of what was once Nausori’s golden age between 1881 – 1959. It ceased operations in early 1960’s and the company and its workers left with a town in limbo. A distinct physical character of the town in the 1960’s was the abundance of open spaces for sporting and cultural activities. Over the years these have become eroded by the conversion of some of those spaces into development lots where buildings have begun to establish themselves undermining the order and coherence that once marked the old town.

Baker Hall in Davuilevu (100 years old)

Nausori has grown rapidly in the last few years because of the addition of Naulu/Nakasi and Wainibuku/Davuilevu Housing areas. In the 1996 census the town’s population was 5,744. By 2007 the population was 24,919.  It is likely that the new adjacent areas may be incorporated into the town boundary in 2012.

St. Lawrence Anglican Church in Main St, Nausori

Downtown Nausori is physically located by the Rewa River sitting on the border between the three provinces of Tailevu, Rewa and Naitaisiri. This strategic location makes it an important town serving a regional function for these provinces. It lies at the heart of the agricultural hinterland that was once home to sugar cane and thence rice cultivation. It is the gateway to the flat alluvial plains of the Rewa Delta, which is subject to flooding at intermittent intervals.

Colonial-Style Bungalows in Ram Khelawan Rd

By contrast the newer Nausori from the opposite banks of the Rewa River in Wainibuku, Davuilevu Housing, Naulu and Nakasi are a direct consequence of Suva’s urban sprawl. The resident population of the town is heavily concentrated there because of higher ground which on most cases has saved it from the ravages of the delta flood. The process of urban sprawl is also heavily concentrated in this area, the consequence for which is the heavy traffic jam on Kings Road during the rush hour.

The economic base of the town is primarily in retailing and some services.  There is some food processing but very little industrial or manufacturing base. Nausori could very rightly be regarded as a dormitory town for Suva, growing but not significantly.

The town is primarily composed of Undo-Fijians and the indigenous population. There is very few Chinese, and part Europeans left there from the colonial era. But a lot of new migrants into Nausori can be felt, particularly those coming from the Northern division and many others who have been relocated from Suva. They are mostly located in the suburbs of Nausori. Downtown Nausori itself is not densely populated. Those who do business there live outside of the area. There is much movement in traffic during the day indicating the rather transient nature of the town.

The sense of identity for the town cannot be easily established because of the transient nature of the town and of the sharp divide in the ethnic lines which keeps the Indo-Fijians mostly in town and the indigenous people in their villages. But this is slowly changing in view of the new additions to the township.