While travelling on Queen Elizabeth Drive, you cannot miss a Georgian-style building next to the Botanical Gardens- perched on a hill and surrounded by natural fauna.
The building in question is Government House, now commonly known as the State House, the official residence of the President of the Republic of Fiji.
Previously, it served as the official residence of the Governors and Governor-Generals of Fiji during the colonial and post-independence era.
If you sit by the Nasese seawall in the afternoon and look above, you would see a colony of bats flying above the building grounds and while the sight could be eerie, it can evoke a peaceful and calming atmosphere.
The ceremonial guards outside the gate of the residence are clad in white sulu and vivid red tunics. The National Archives book called ‘Fiji’s Past on Picture Postcards’ gives a brief on this landmark.
According to the book, before September 1882, the Governor’s official residence was at Nasova, about half a mile south of the wharf area in Levuka.
Fiji’s third governor of Fiji, Sir George William Des Voeux, wrote in his autobiography titled ”My colonial service in British Guiana, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Fiji, Australia, Newfoundland, and Hong Kong, with interludes” and spoke of the shifting of Government House from Levuka to Suva.
Sir George was the governor from 1880 to 1885. Move to a new home In his memoir, Des Voeux said during 1881 and 1882, time was spent mostly on the transfer of the capital of Fiji. Initially, he had disapproved of this projected change.
“I fully recognised that Suva, with its fine harbour and the abundant space available for building, was naturally a better site for the capital than Levuka and that it might someday become necessary to remove thither,” he penned.
“But for reasons afterwards given in the paper written for the Australasian Convention of 1883 with reference to the Pacific islands generally, I did not think that the removal ought to come about at least for some years.” Des Voeux stated Levuka would have “served sufficiently well”.
“The heavy expense involved in removal to a place without a single building fit for public purposes and without wharves, streets, waterworks, etc seemed then needless.” However, nothing could be done and the move was officially announced.
“I was reluctantly forced to the conclusion that the necessary compensation to purchasers and others with whom agreements had been made, together with the sums required for providing a court house and other grievously required accommodation in Levuka, would on the whole cost more than removal.
“This removal would ordinarily have been comparatively easy, but with our limited resources of men and money was very difficult. Part of the Nasova complex was taken apart to contribute to the new house in Suva.
The Suva Times on October 14, 1882, reported that this was part of the drawing room which included the governor’s private apartments. The annexe specially built by Des Voeux for the 1881 visit of the then Prince of Wales and Duke of Clarence was also moved.
“The building being of wood, could be easily transported to Suva, and later was actually floated down thither almost intact.”
The move to Suva took place in August 1882 and according to Fiji’s Past on Picture Postcards, Government House was constructed on the previously forested site of a fortified Fijian village. It stated that the inhabitants were moved to Suvavou across the harbour.
Des Voeux added that the site of the house had been settled upon the previous year.
“When our way was cut to the spot through a thick growth of forest trees, it was to the credit of the credit of the overburdened Works Department that it had in so short a time rendered the house at all fit for occupancy.”
Despite the surroundings being in a rough condition and covered with all sorts of debris, the house itself was ‘sufficiently habitable’.
“We were however more amused than pleased to observe that our colourblind architect had caused the house to be painted a light orange-red which he had mistaken for the red-lacquer colour which we had chosen,” Des Voeux said.
“Straitened means prevented my having the work done over again, and so the flamboyant aspect of Government House remained as an apparent monument of our bad taste until the end of our time in Fiji.”
Although Des Voeux described the house as ugly, it was far more comfortable than the Nasova property as the rooms were larger.
“The partitions being of wood and the roof shingled instead of thatched rendered us freer from noxious insections.
“On the other hand life in it was decidedly duller.”
Des Voeux and his wife missed the fishing parties of women who often caused great amusement in waters off Nasova.
“While the water at our pier being somewhat shallow, we had but little opportunity to observe the movements of fish, which at our former residence had been a constant source of interest.
“A lawn tennis court and an excellent billiard table, manufactured in Melbourne, afforded to the staff some recreation, for which exigencies of work rarely afforded me any leisure.”
Since the house was built on a previously forested site and was closely surrounded by trees, various sorts of wild parrots would liven their days with their screeching.
“Of visitors staying in the house we had at Suva few by comparison with the numbers of such in other colonies.
“Captain Zembsch, the German Consul-General at Samoa, and various captains of ships-of-war, English and foreign, were with us for a few days from time to time.”
Down in flames The Sydney Morning Herald reported on April 4, 1921, that during a very heavy thunderstorm with drenching rain, a lightning bolt struck the Government House at around 1.55 pm the previous week.
“The lightning was seen to run along the ridge, and in a few minutes, fire burst through the roof, which is of shingles covered with galvanised iron,” the article read.
The building burnt like tinder and the then governor Sir Cecil William Hunter-Rodwell and his wife Lady Rodwell, escaped but lost all their belongings.
While Lady Rodwell lost most of her jewellery, the house full of valuable historic pictures and documents also perished.
This included the governor’s library which contained valuable records which could never be replaced. As a temporary residence, a native bure was constructed within the grounds.
However, according to Sydney Mail on October 19, 1927, it was never occupied but served useful for council meetings. On November 14, 1921, The Daily Telegraph reported that discussions were made in the Colony by the Government to build a new Government House at the cost of £40,000.
It was stated that Rodwell had spent many nights planning a new home which had been nicknamed in official circles as ‘the house of stairs.’
“It had steps and stairs everywhere; stairs which would save a few yards walk were inserted without any thought of expense.”
However, Rodwell’s estimated cost received a howl of protest because the revenue of the colony was at about half a million and the finances of Fiji were in a bad shape.
“The elected members who are generally slow to contest Government proposals to spend money are unanimous in opposing such an expenditure and have recommended that £20,000 be sufficient for the present.”
The local press stated that £10,000 would provide excellent accommodation and ridiculed the statement by Rodwell that £40,000 should be spent to uphold the dignity of the colony.
The Brisbane Courier on March 21, 1928, reported that the new Government House which cost more than £25,000 was practically completed.
The concrete building occupied a commanding position at the site. Inside were private suits upstairs and a large ballroom that opened up to wide verandahs and conservatory.
It was completed by the Whan Construction Company on April 10 and was designed by the government architect Mr Ludolph.
Sir Eyre Hutson was the first Governor to reside in the new Government House from April 14, 1928. Following the military coup in 1987, it became the residence of Fiji’s first president, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau.
• History being the subject it is, a group’s version of events may not be the same as that held by another group. When publishing one account, it is not our intention to cause division or to disrespect other oral traditions. Those with a different version can contact us so we can publish your account of history too — Editor.
