People, land and government in Suva, Fiji

Abstract

This study evaluates the contribution of three cultural factors to the growth and contemporary character of Suva. The three factors selected - a colonial form of government, the presence of a multiracial society and the system of land tenure in the Colony - are examined in each chapter and their significance in both time and space is assessed. The first two factors may be found in other situations but the third, the system of land tenure although having parallels elsewhere, is peculiar to Fiji. It is argued that the relationships and interactions between the three factors have been and are largely responsible for the formal and functional organisation of the city. The thesis is divided into two parts each of three chapters. The first part is largely concerned with tracing the evolution of Suva and its relationships with the other Fijian towns. Chapter One follows the evolution of all the towns in the Colony from pre-Cession days to the present. Major emphasis in this chapter lies on the changing composition of the urban population as the Indians achieve numerical superiority in the towns. The second chapter covers the same time span and concentrates on the reasons why Suva was chosen as the site for the capital and its subsequent growth. The influence of land tenure on the choice of the site and the changing role of the various ethnic groups in the city is examined. The various forms of local government are also detailed in this chapter. Chapter Three concentrates on the place of the port in the development of the city, the present work of the wharf and the associated industrial development in the city, Government legislation, protective tariffs and lending agencies are considered of major importance in this section. Part Two analyses the contemporary character of certain segments of the city. The chapter dealing with the commercial structure of the city shows how the various ethnic groups have arranged themselves within the central business area with the result that two distinct sectors are identifiable. In the fifth chapter the ethnic composition of the city's population appears to have been responsible for the character of many of the residential areas. In this chapter it is almost impossible to divorce the influence of government from that of race in creating areas dominated by one or other of the major ethnic groups. Land tenure becomes important in understanding the distribution of unauthorised dwellings which constitute one of the city's major problems . . Chapter Six illustrates the way in which proximity to the city, land tenure and the various racial groups have affected the periurban area of Suva. The differences between the use and management of Crown and Native land are also presented in this chapter. The conclusion assesses the individual significance of each of the three cultural factors in the urban geography of the city and the extent to which they will influence its development over the next five years. An attempt is also made to indicate the relevance of this method of studying an urban centre with respect to other Pacific towns.