Levuka

This blog will reflect on the trip to Levuka (many days after it happened!) This for me was a real highlight of the whole experience, due to the town’s great importance to history and tourism in Fiji.

The Director of the Department explained to us (Cami and myself) during the welcome ceremony that many members of the Department had been tirelessly working on the preparation of the final stages of the world heritage nomination (the town currently sits on the tentative world list). 

It was quite a shock to see colonial buildings in Fiji; for me, when I imagine the typical architecture of the Pacific Islands, I picture bure-type huts and other constructions, designed with thatched roofs and woven floors. I understand that Levuka is one of the few settlements in the Pacific retaining this amount of colonial architecture, and this to me suggests it is so incredibly crucial to preserve it. Walking along Beach Street, it was easy to imagine how Levuka would have been in its heyday; a vibrant coastal city, a hive of activity. However, I am wary of the fact that I may have been appreciating Levuka only through a Western lens; with my travels around Europe and even the older towns in Australia, I am quite accustomed to admiring the beauty of the colonial style. It would have been fantastic to have been able to see some of the remains of indigenous settlements and hill forts that surround the township (of which I had read prior to the visit), to understand more clearly how the i-taukei history fits into the more recent history of European traders and whalers and so on. 

One major thing that struck me about Levuka was its cultural diversity. Although the whole of Fijian society is comprised of an incredible melting pot of ethnicities, I had only really seen this to its full extent in Suva; it was not so visible in the smaller, highly indigenous villages. I spoke to a woman in the kava session we attended at a village nearby to Levuka who explained to me that her heritage was a combination of Irish, French, Indian, Chinese and i-taukei blood. To encounter this degree of cultural diversity in one individual, who is, what is more, living in a small and relatively remote village, was quite remarkable, and further indicates to me the essentiality of international recognition of this area. 

I sincerely hope Levuka manages to achieve inscription onto the list. However, I am not entirely optimistic about its chances of doing so; with my research in the Department, I have learned that the process of selection is quite rigorous; under the World Heritage Convention, the site must be of ‘outstanding universal value’ and must meet at least one out of the ten selection criteria. ‘Universal value’ means that the property must transcend national boundaries and have extraordinary qualities that evoke a sense of wonder and admiration to any person who visits it. The sites that I currently know of that are on the World Heritage List are indeed sites of great natural beauty or cultural significance; one immediately thinks of household names, for example, the Great Barrier Reef and the Taj Mahal. However, despite my reservations that perhaps Levuka is not able to compete with these kinds of wonders, I hope that it is determined by UNESCO to have universal significance. A World Heritage listing would be of such benefit in giving Ovalua international recognition, promoting local pride, and, perhaps most importantly, boost tourism. Greater tourist visitation would have immeasurable financial benefit to the people of Ovalau, most of whom still survive off of quite basic facilities, especially in terms of job creation. World listing would also require the Fijian government to enforce a higher level of protection, ensuring that Levuka’s rich cultural heritage remains strong for future generations, and that all are aware of its history. For, in a quote I found in a rapid search in Google, which I am sure is from an entirely reliable source given that only two pop-ups appeared on the website I got it from, it is vital to ‘never forget the importance of history. To know nothing of what happened before you took your place on earth, is to remain a child for ever and ever.’