Levuka Historical Port Town World Heritage Site

Official name

Levuka Historical Port Town | UNESCO

Country

Fiji | Map

Continent

Australia

Location

-17.6833° Lat, 178.8345° Lon | Map

Code

1399

Time Zone

Pacific/Fiji (+12, +1200)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2013. The town and its low line of buildings set among coconut and mango trees along the beach front was the first colonial capital of Fiji, ceded to the British in 1874. It developed from the early 19th century as a centre of commercial activity by Americans and Europeans who built warehouses, stores, port facilities, residences, and religious, educational and social institutions around the villages of the South Pacific island’s indigenous population. It is a rare example of a late colonial port town that was influenced in its development by the indigenous community which continued to outnumber the European settlers. Thus the town, an outstanding example of late 19th century Pacific port settlements, reflects the integration of local building traditions by a supreme naval power, leading to the emergence of a unique landscape.