• The Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Dr. Mahendra Reddy
• The Chairman of the National Trust of Fiji, Ambassador Robin Yarrow
• George Gibson, the Evergreen Enduring Senior Citizen
• The Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms Basundra Kumar
• The Director Culture & Heritage, Peni Cavuilagi
• The Chief Executive Officer of Levuka Town Council, Ms Suliana Sandys
• Na Tui Levuka
• Members of the Lomaiviti Provincial Council
• Kemuni na Turaga ni Vanua
• Members of the Business Committee
• Members of the Levuka Tourism Committee
• Talatala Qase Wasewase O Lomaiviti, Simione Ravaga
• Distinguished Guests
• Ladies and Gentleman
• The Youth of Ovalau
• Boys and Girls
Good morning, ni sa bula vinaka, salaam alaykum, namaste.

It is indeed a great honour and a personal privilege for me to be here in Ovalau on this grand occasion to celebrate a significant milestone in the history of Fiji. That is, the inscription of Levuka town, the former capital of Fiji, as the country’s first World Heritage Site.

I have very fond memories of Levuka because this is where I was born and was educated.

It never dawned on me or anyone else then that Levuka town will one day be again celebrated internationally but as a place rich in history and outstanding in universal value.

In fact, all Fijians can be proud that Levuka town is now a World Heritage Site, which gives Levuka and Fiji a unique identity in the South Pacific.

The commemoration of the inscription of Levuka town is an occasion to be remembered. And in doing so, we must pay tribute to all those who initiated the town’s journey close to 200 years ago.

These were the early settlers and visitors from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the United States who came to these shores. They were brave men and women who contributed to Levuka town’s rich history.

In fact, Fiji’s transformation from a primordial island to its current form of – a thriving economy imbued with a great blend of people with varying ethnicities, culture and traditions, a modern island nation universally accepted as the hub of the Pacific - all started in Levuka.

Each building, concrete step and memorial stone of this historic port town tells a story of the early years, the bravery and perseverance of the pioneers who endured unknown and challenging circumstances to create the opportunity for the later generations, including those of us here today and those who will follow after us, to be part of world history. By dint of their hard work, sacrifice and foresight, they laid the platform for this historic event which we are now celebrating.

Today, thanks to the advancements in technology, one can easily find a full account of levuka town’s history through the internet. For our purposes this morning, i wish to quote from some of these accounts:

Quote, “the modern town of levuka was founded around 1820 by european settlers and traders as the first modern town in the fiji islands, and became an important port and trading post.

A disparate band of settlers made up Levuka’s population - traders, missionaries, shipwright, speculators, vagabonds and respectable businessmen.

Marist priests led by Father Breheret, established a Mission in Levuka in 1858. By 1870, the town had a population of more than 800.

When the first modern nation State of Fiji was founded in 1871, Ratu Seru Cakobau was crowned King at Levuka.

Fiji was ceded to Great Britain and became a British colony on 10 October 1874. Levuka remained the capital until 1877, when the administration was moved to Suva, although the move was not made official until 1882.

The move was prompted by concerns that the 600-meter high cliffs surrounding Levuka gave it no room for expansion.

Levuka is famous for many of Fiji’s “firsts.” It was the site of Fiji’s first bank, police station, post office, school, private members club, hospital, town hall, and municipal government, and even the oldest Masonic Lodge in the South Pacific was founded in Levuka.

Fiji’s first newspaper, the Fiji Times, which is still in operation today, was founded in Levuka in 1869.

Levuka’s royal hotel is the oldest hotel in the South Pacific still operating, although historians have not ascertained its exact age, but records show that it was in existence by the early 1860s.

Levuka Public School opened in 1879. It was Fiji’s first public school.
Levuka was also the site of Fiji’s first public electricity system, which began in 1927, three days before the Capital Suva was electrified.” Unquote.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is these legacies and others that have contributed to Levuka town’s listing as a World Heritage Site.

Additionally, the celebration including the unveiling of historical information panels, entry signs, and commemoration plaque that will take place this morning are tributes to all those who have been a part of Levuka town. It is their memory and legacy that we collectively honour this morning.

Here i pause awhile to urge those concerned, if you have not already done so, to fully acknowledge one outstanding man who in his book “Men from Under the Sky”, Stanley Brown says this of him.

Quote, “if ever the township of Levuka should look to its history and decide to honour the man most concerned with its foundation, that man would assuredly be David Whippy”. Unquote

And later in the book, he added:

Quote, “Whippy was one of the few early arrivals who tried to understand the Fijians and probably the first one that the Fijians understood. He confirmed their earlier opinion that these men were “different from each other” and did more to enable others to settle in Fiji in peace than did any other man”. Unquote.
I am particularly pleased to see the participation of the younger generation in these celebrations.

All of you here today – whether you are students or young men and women in your youth – you are now part of a historic event.

World heritage is the shared wealth of humanity. Protecting and preserving this valuable asset demands the combined and consistent effort of all of us in the present generation and those in the future.

Today’s special occasion offers an opportunity to raise greater public awareness about the diversity of our cultural heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as to draw attention to its vulnerability.

I, therefore, urge you all to take a step back and learn to appreciate our very own cultural heritage embedded in the historical buildings, archeological landscapes and the footprints left behind by the town’s forefathers.

Levuka town will now progressively serve as the hub of heritage tourism activity in Fiji and the Pacific. This will promote Fiji’s appeal as an ideal place for tourists – both local and foreign - who yearn to learn and to be inspired by the history of a nation. Those that venture to Levuka will be a welcome boost to the local economy.

The benefits of heritage tourism will undoubtedly extend well beyond the town as the increasing number of tourists, I am told, prefer to visit villages and scenic sites such as the Lovoni Valley and those at Cawaci, among others.

I wish to thank the Tui Levuka the people and the Vanua of Ovalau for your unwavering support.

Your partnership with Government through the Department of Heritage and Arts, the National Trust of Fiji, the Fiji Museum and the Levuka Town Council in the successful nomination and inscription of Levuka as Fiji’s first ever world heritage site, have eventually paid off.

We also acknowledge the efforts of the international community through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and others for their assistance with the listing of Levuka town.

Today, we not only celebrate the inscription of Levuka Town as a World Heritage Site, but we also celebrate the continuous display of wisdom that founded a town that will always be fondly remembered in the course of Fiji’s history.

While I wish you all a meaningful and enjoyable celebration, I also take the opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Thank you, vinaka vakalevu, sukria, bahoot dhanyavaad.