ON the outskirts of the Bilo peninsula in Veisari outside Suva lie the remains of guns used in World War II.
For many, setting foot at this historical site feels like a step back in time to a place that seemed to be a zone of protection during Japan’s invasion across the Pacific in the 1940s.
Years later, the remnants of where the guns were placed continue to lie idle at the Bilo gun site. While the stakeholders have plans for the upkeep of this historical site, school excursions and tourist groups are often found wandering the unique outdoor museum.
Members of the mataqali Nakaubeqa, in conjunction with the Fiji Museum, are responsible for keeping the site clean through a project funded by the US Embassy.
Guns
These were placed at the site to guard the passage in the reef leading into Suva harbour.
I was told this was the biggest gun site in the South Pacific and the actual guns were taken away by the Fiji military. The Bilo battery had two six-inch cannons supported by two 4.7 inch guns.
Uraia Naicovi is the turaga ni mataqali Nakaubeqa and landowner of where the site is located.
Uraia says only two gun turrets, lookout post, tunnels, underground cellars and ammunition storage place remain with stories and memories of a place, which was once a hive of activity during the early war days.
After the war, he said the gun site became a drinking spot, lovers’ lane and scenic lookout.
It was the location for a film shoot but had become a tourist attraction site.
He said it was also a safety zone for the people of Bilo during hurricanes and other natural disasters. From the gun site, the view of the Suva bay, Capital City and passage in the reef are breathtaking and leaves much to be appreciated.
Sharing stories that were told to him of the history of the site, Uraia said soldiers had two lighthouses by the beach and a giant lookout tower with a huge telescope.
This, he said, were another pair of eyes for the guns on the hill.
History
According to a story published by this newspaper in 2011, the Bilo battery was built in January, 1941 by the New Zealand army, which had replaced the Fiji Defence Force.
The US army came in later and built their base in and around Suva and pulled out in 1944 to head for the Solomons and Papua New Guinea as the battle continued against the Japanese for the Pacific.
Excerpts from Fiji Museum records say the Bilo battery withstood a deadly and powerful hurricane in February, 1941, which devastated infrastructure in Suva and surrounding area but any damage to the Bilo battery was quickly fixed and military training and planning continued as if nothing happened.
The Bilo battery was a key part of Fiji’s defence because it was one of several gun positions guarding entrances in the reef.
There were guns at Nasonini and Flagstaff, which looked out to Nukulau Island, there was a lookout at Yaqaga Island in Bua and there were the guns at Momi in Nadi, which guarded the Nacula Passage but the two biggest guns were at Bilo.
Location
The Bilo gun site is an 8km drive out of Suva on the Queens Rd towards Veisari.
There is a sign by the road as you take the turn, travelling 2kms on a gravel road to the gun site.
Uraia said the road used by the soldiers during the war ran down to the beach where the lighthouses stood but this was blocked by overgrown bushes.
Inside one of the rooms of a concrete shelter are posters with articles from the war. In a glass case are relics from the war including a small empty glass Coke bottle from 1942.
Development
Uraia said members of his mataqali clan were committed to maintaining the upkeep of the Bilo gun site and acted as tour guides for visitors.
Tourists wanting to visit the site are required to pay $5 at the gate while locals are charged $3 for adults and $1 for children.
“What we are doing is to help our mataqali. We want to develop this place.
“We want to have electricity and water supplied to the place because of the number of visitors coming here to visit this historical site. At least we can serve cold drinks and coffee to our visitors,” he said.
Uraia said he had big plans for the development of the area but needed assistance from donors to make this dream a reality.
“I am planning to build a lounge area on the hill as a resting place for visitors.
“We normally get a lot of tourists when there is a cruise ship berthed at the wharf. We can get two to three chartered buses full of visitors from the cruise ships.”
He said the mataqali also owned Orchid Island, a getaway they would explore next week.
