Levuka
| Levuka | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
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| Coordinates | 17 ° 41 ′ S , 178 ° 50 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Fiji | ||
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division |
Eastern | ||
| province | Lomaiviti | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | FJ-E | ||
| Residents | 4397 (2007) | ||
Levuka is a small town on the Fiji - Archipelago belonging island of Ovalau .
The city is not only the administrative seat of the Lomaiviti Province , but also the capital of the Eastern Division . Levuka was the capital of the British Crown Colony of Fiji (English: Fiji) until 1882 . With 4,397 inhabitants according to the 2007 census, Levuka is the largest settlement in the Eastern Division.
Levuka was founded in 1820 by European settlers and traders. Levuka is considered the first modern city in Fiji and became an important port and transshipment point. In the early days, the white population consisted of a mixture of adventurers, missionaries, traders, shipbuilders and speculators.
The city was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in June 2013 as “an outstanding example of a Pacific port city from the late 19th century” .
history
In 1824, the American sailor David Whippy arrived there, befriended the local chief, "Tui Levuka", and began producing the bêche-de-mer , which is popular in Asia as an aphrodisiac and soup ingredient . Its activities attracted more settlers and the place soon developed into Fiji's most important trading center. Around 1830, when the shipping of Bêche-de-mer was already noticeably decreasing, a small whale- hunting settlement was established in Levuka, whose inhabitants engaged in a lively trade in the tabua (teeth of the sperm whale) , which occupies an important place in the ritual life of the Fijians .
European life suffered a temporary breakdown in 1844 when the king of Bau , Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (1815-1883), attacked the settlers after the warlike mountain dwellers (Kai-Lovoni) who opposed the construction of houses on their territory Put up resistance, accused of disloyalty and expelled to Vanua Levu . As a result, however, the whites escaped a devastating massacre that the Kai-Lovoni wreaked two years later among the local population and which killed 400 people. However, when the exiled whites asked for resettlement, the Tui Bau granted their request, as it could not do without the income and weapons associated with it. Although the city continued to grow as a result, the social fabric became increasingly unbalanced. From then on Levuka was considered a refuge for drunkards, thugs and racists.
However, this changed radically with the arrival of new immigrants from Australia and Europe in the wake of the "Cotton Boom". Within a very short time, a well-organized city of European character emerged, which had all the important economic, social and cultural institutions. Marist Fathers (Society of Mary, Marists) founded a mission station in 1858 under the direction of Father Bréhéret. F. & W. Hennigs (1863) and Hedemann, Ruge & Co. (1871) were among the first companies to settle there . By 1870 the city had a population of around 800 residents.
When the Kingdom of Fiji was established as a constitutional monarchy in 1871 and Cakobau (spelling also: Thakombau) was crowned king ( Tui Viti ), Levuka rose to become the capital of the archipelago. On October 10, 1874, the British Empire annexed Fiji as a colony, but Levuka remained residence until 1881, although the administration had already been transferred to Suva in 1877 .
Many institutions were first established or established in Levuka, including the first bank in Fiji, the first post office, the first public school, a hospital, a city hall for local government. In 1869 the Fiji Times was founded in Levuka , which then moved to Suva. The work for the infrastructure had to be carried out by the forced recruits who were transported to Fiji from the Pacific region by the Blackbirding and who were needed as workers for sugar cane and cotton plantations.
Beach Street, Levuka
Sacred Heart Church, Beach Street
War Memorial, Beach Street
economy
Its importance as an intermediate port in the copra trade decreased significantly at the end of the 1950s, and economic decline threatened.
To compensate for this, PAFCO - Pacific Fishing Company was founded in 1963 as a joint venture between the Fiji government and the Japanese Ministry of Commerce. Pafco has been a public company since 1987 with a 98% government share and is now the largest employer with around 800 employees in the processing of tuna . The main market is sales by the American Bumble Bee Foods LLP.
tourism
So far (2013) tourism has not played a major role, although the city itself is attractive due to the colonial architecture. From time to time cruise ships stop here .
See also
literature
- Levuka. Living heritage. By people of Levuka. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Levuka Historical & Cultural Society, Suva, Fiji 2007, ISBN 982-02-0312-0 .
- Chapter: Levuka - an early example of a multi-ethnic and multicultural community. In: Dominik Schieder: The phenomenon of the coup culture. Political conflicts on the Fiji Islands (= sources and research on the South Seas. Series B: Research. 5). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2012, ISBN 978-3-447-06615-0 , pp. 42-46.
Web links
- Levuka Town Council website
- Levuka Ovalau Tourism Association website
- Levuka History and Timeline
- Levuka Guide
Individual evidence
- ↑ Population 2007 Census, p. 33 ( Memento of the original from October 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF); 314 kB. English, viewed April 13, 2013.
- ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Levuka Historical Port Town , English, viewed June 22, 2013.
- ↑ Stephan A. Lütgert: From the history of Levukas . In: Conrad Machens. A Merchant's Life Between Germany and Fiji (1856–1930) , Husum Publishing Group 2009, p. 166
- ↑ Winston Halpua: Living on the fringe: Melanesians of Fiji. Institute of Pacific Studies, Suva, Fiji 2001, ISBN 982-02-0315-5 Online on Google Books
- ↑ Limited preview in Google Book Search, 2001 edition.
