A well-known landmark is the Suva City Library or the Carnegie Library, built in 1909 as well as many other colonial buildings.
The Government buildings complex sits on what was once the flowing waters of a creek. This was drained in 1935 and over five kilometres of reinforced concrete pilings were driven into the creek bed to support the massive buildings to be erected. After the foundation stone was laid in 1937, the building was completed in 1939; a new wing was completed in 1967. Parliament, however, was moved to a new complex on Ratu Sukuna Road in 1992.
Government House was formerly the residence of Fiji’s colonial Governors and, following independence in 1970, Governors-General. It is now the official residence of Fiji’s President. Originally erected in 1882, it had to be rebuilt in 1928, following its destruction by lightning in 1921.
The Suva campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) occupies what was once a New Zealand military base. It is the largest of the many USP campuses dotted throughout the South Pacific and the largest University in the Pacific islands outside Hawai’i.
The Fiji Museum, located in Thurston Gardens, was founded in 1904 and originally occupied the old town hall, but moved to its present location in 1954. The museum houses the most extensive collection of Fijian artifacts in the world, and is also a research and educational institution, specializing in archeology, the preservation of Fiji’s oral tradition, and the publication of material on Fiji’s language and culture.
Suva has around 78 parks, these include the new Takashi Suzuki Garden, Apted Park at Suva Point which is a popular spot for viewing sunrise and sunset, Thurston Gardens which was opened in 1913 and has flora from throughout the South Pacific.
Suva also has many shopping and retail areas, notably Cumming street, which has since colonial times, been a vibrant and colourful shopping area. Features of these street include the original colonial buildings and narrow roads. More modern shopping malls, such as the Suva Central Shopping Mall as well as MHCC are all part of the Development of the city to have a more modern sophisticated look.
