Fiji/People Project

Notable Fijians

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1 FIJIAN PEOPLE

FIJIAN PEOPLE

Head of State and Head of Government

Notable	Born	Title	In Office	Photo	Status
Wiliame Katonivere	1964	President	2021		Not Connected
Sitiveni Rabuka	1948	Prime Minister	2022		Not Connected

The Fijian Monarchy

The Kingdom of Fiji was the first unified Fijian state, and it covered all of modern Fiji, except the island of Rotuma. Cakobau was the Vunivalu (Warlord or Paramount Chief) of the island of Bau. His father, Tanoa Visawaqa, had conquered the Burebasaga Confederacy but never subdued western Fiji. Cakobau controlled most of the eastern parts of the Fijian Islands and declared himself King of Fiji (Self-proclaimed Tui Viti). This met with opposition from other chiefs, who regarded him as at best first among equals. However, in June 1871, John Bates Thurston, the British honorary consul, persuaded the Fijian chiefs to accept a constitutional monarchy with Cakobau as the King, but with real power in the hands of a cabinet and legislature dominated by Australian settlers. The Legislative Assembly met for the first time in Levuka in November 1871.

Within months, government overspending had led to the accumulation of unmanageable debt. In 1872, following continuing economic and social unrest, Thurston approached the British government, at Cakobau's request, with an offer to cede the islands. Two British commissioners were sent to Fiji to investigate the possibility of an annexation. The question was complicated by maneuverings for power between Cakobau and his old rival, Maʻafu, with both men vacillating for many months. On 21 March 1874, Cakobau made a final offer, which the British accepted. On 23 September, Sir Hercules Robinson, soon to be appointed the British Governor, arrived on HMS Dido and received Cakobau with a royal 21-gun salute. After some vacillation, Cakobau agreed to renounce his Tui Viti title. On 10 October 1874, Cakobau, Ma'afu, and a group of some senior chiefs of Fiji signed two copies of a Deed of Cession establishing the Colony of Fiji, which lasted for almost a century

Notable	Born	Died	Title	Reign	Photo	Status
Seru Epenisa Cakobau	1815	1883	First and only King of Fiji	1871-1874		Connected

Fijian Notables

Notable	Born	Died	Claim to Fame	Status	Current CC7
George Austin Woods	1828	1905	Premier of the Kingdom of Viti	Connected	356
James Stewart Butters	1832	1912	Speaker of the House in the first Fijian Legislative Assembly	Not Connected	0
Joni Madraiwiwi	1859	1920	Fijian Ratu and early colonial administrator	Connected	30
John Maynard Hedstrom	1872	1951	Fijian Businessman	Connected	2554
Sefanaia Sukanaivalu	1918	1944	Only Fijian Victoria Cross recipient	Not Connected	0
Hector Hatch	1936	2016	Fijian boxer, politician, and civil servant.	Connected	39
Jiko Fatafehi Luveni	1940	2018	First Fijian women Speaker of the House	Not Connected	6
James Wiley (Smith) Snuka	1943	2017	Professional Wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka	Not Connected	0