At the northern end of Levuka Town, opposite today’s War Memorial, sits a house that stands out among the rest due to its turquoise exterior decor.
Called The Sailors Home, the house was built in 1860 by a ship carpenter and joiner who came to the Old Capital on a ship of the same name.
The property is believed to be the oldest surviving colonial residence in Fiji.
According to some historical records obtained by The Sunday Times, the builder of The Sailors Home constructed three homes in Levuka, two of them on Mission Hill, a place accessible by the famous 199 steps.
One of the homes the settler built was destroyed by fire. The other is understood to have been ravaged by a hurricane.
The Sailors Home was constructed using Canadian Oregon timber, hence its outstanding ability to withstand the harsh elements over the past 150 years.
It has a single stud-bolted timber structure with floors slopping towards the outside walls, giving visitors the feeling looking out from a ship’s deck.
Old photos of Levuka show that the house was once opposite Cakobau’s Parliament on Niukabe Hill, where the War Memorial stands today.
The United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842) reported in 1840 that the then town of Levuka contained “about forty houses”.
It is not known whether The Sailors Home had been built by then or was part of the 40 houses mentioned by the expedition report.
In the 2004 book called Moon Handbooks South Pacific, written by David Stanley, the author noted that The Sailors Home got its name from a steamship that operated the England-China route in the 1850s.
He also said there were historic accounts of a ‘Sailors Home’ in Liverpool, England in the 1840s and another in Melbourne, Australia which opened its doors in 1865, as an accommodation alternative for seafarers.
“It is unclear if the reasoning is the same for Sailors Home in Levuka but the port town of Levuka, its hometown, makes this a possibility,” Stanley said in his book.
‘Sailors Home’ was also a non-profit lodge for international merchant seamen, incorporated in May 1855 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Another ‘Sailors Home’ was set up in Sydney. In fact, most sea ports had a ‘Sailors Home’ in the 1800s to specifically cater for seamen’s travel needs.
Levuka’s The Sailors Home home changed ownership only a few times since it was built and one of the former owners was a member of the Pattersons, a local family synonymous with the local shipping industry since 1928 when it introduced its first vessel AK Jubilee to service between Levuka and Viti Levu.
The Patterson family member sold the property to an Australian who then sold it to its current owner, Lisa Ditrich, in 2001.
The home’s sleeping area consists of two flanking halves, each with two large beds.
Each bedroom connects to a smaller bedroom that enjoys a panoramic vista of the sea, which on good weather reveals the shimmering Bligh Waters in the horizon.
The bedrooms lead to a shared space made up of a warm and spacious kitchen and a cosy lounge area designed for indoor leisure activities.
Here visitors could join each other for a hearty meal or an evening grog and talanoa session by the television.
While The Sailors Home appears rustic and simple on the outside, the inner rooms reveals a subtle blend of modernity and style.
“I have tried to keep its heritage by restoring it slowly and by giving it modern comforts and welcoming guest into my home as a homestay,” Ditrich told The Sunday Times.
“When we actually bought the house it needed a lot of repairs. It has been, and still is, “a work in process.”
The Sailors Home is popular charm, a perfect place to stay in the Old Capital, whether you are the ‘peace and quiet’ type, a traveller looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of life or the bold adventurer ready to explore a unique piece of Fiji’s amazing colonial history.
One of the spacious bedrooms.
Picture: LENAITASI CAVUILATI
The cosy lounge area, adjacent to the kitchen. Picture: LENAITASI CAVUILATI
A ship’s wheel adorns one of the walls.
Picture: LENAITASI CAVUILATI
The kitchen and area. Picture: JOHN KAMEA