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36-644: Lomaloma ( Fijian pronunciation: [lomaloma] ; officially Lomaloma Tikina , Fijian pronunciation: [lomaloma tikina] ) is a village at the south of the island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau archipelago of Fiji . The settlement is part of the tribal district of Tikina, Lomaloma and consists of 9 villages, 13 Yavusa (tribes), 42 Mataqali (clans), and 54 family units known as Tokatoka. The nine villages of Lomaloma Tikina are Lomaloma, Sawana, Susui, Narocivo, Namalata, Uruone, Levukana, Dakuilomaloma, and Tuvuca. From early records, first documented in 1881 by

72-448: A hospital with associated quarters for doctors and nurses, a police post, and a post office. 17°17′S 178°59′W  /  17.283°S 178.983°W  / -17.283; -178.983 Vanua Balavu This coral and volcanic island has a land area of 53 square kilometres (20 square miles). Its maximum elevation is 283 metres (928 feet). The island is characterized by steep undercut cliffs with fertile volcanic soil. It

108-756: A key port of call between Tonga and Viti Levu . Lomaloma became famous in Fiji's history as the base from which Enele Ma'afu waged his campaign under the supervision of the Tui Nayau . Ma'afu opted to settle in Lomaloma in the village of Sawana. His installation as the Tui Lau in Lakeba in February 1869, and his assuming control of all Tongan land in Fiji, saw his confirmation as a Fijian Chief. Three months later in 1869, at Sawana, his position

144-614: A long barrier reef off the northern shore. The antimeridian passes through this island, just touching its northeastern tip. A rugged mountain range divides the island horizontally, forming much of the boundary between the Provinces of Cakaudrove and Macuata . The highest peaks are Mount Batini, also known as Nasorolevu , with an elevation of 1,111 metres (3,645 feet), and, 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) further north-east, Dikeva , also known as Mount Thurston, with an elevation of 1,030 metres (3,380 feet). Vanua Levu's main mountain ranges lie near

180-466: A native of Vanua Balavu through their paternal line. This article about a geographical location in Fiji is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vanua Levu Vanua Levu (pronounced [βaˈnua ˈleβu] , lit.   ' Big Land ' , Hindi : वानुआ लेवु ), formerly known as Sandalwood Island , is the second largest island of Fiji . Located 64 kilometres (40 miles) to

216-488: A post office in Lomaloma copra port, and a small hospital. There was also the Lomaloma Copra Biofuel Project which provided power to three villages, Naqara, Sawana and Lomaloma, however, it is now defunct. A large sea cave , named Qaranilaca, on the southeastern tip of Vanua Balavu was excavated in 2000 and shown to have been used by humans more than 10 centuries ago. A notable person from Vanua Balavu

252-553: A staunch trade unionist and former politician, Walker served as a Minister for Women and Social Welfare under the Fiji Labour Party election win in 1999. Mere Samisoni , businesswoman and politician, comes from the village of Lomaloma , as does the former Lami Mayor Tevita Vuatalevu , who hails from the village of Mavana . Current Flying Fijians Josh Matavesi and Sam Matavesi who were born and raised in Cornwall, England are also

288-467: Is Laisenia Qarase , Fiji's Prime Minister from 2000 to 2006, who hails from the village of Mavana. Other prominent Vanua Balavu natives are the academic leader Esther Williams , from Levukana village, former Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale , from Levukana village, and prominent former politician Filipe Bole , also from Mualevu village. Charles Walker , a former politician and Fiji diplomat hails from Sawana village with Lavinia Wainiqolo Padarath;

324-411: Is a popular centre for tourists owing to its diving and yachting facilities. The main industry on the island is sugar cane production, especially in the north. Copra is also an important crop. Tourism has also emerged as a significant industry on Vanua Levu. For administrative purposes, Vanua Levu is divided into three provinces: Bua (in the west), Macuata (in the north-east), and Cakaudrove (in

360-726: Is another village within Lomaloma and is home to the Yavusa Tonga with their head being the Tui Lau , a title that is filled following the recommendation of the Yavusa Tonga and the endorsement of the Tui Nayau from the Vuanirewa clan. Ratu Mara was the last Tui Lau and this position remains vacant pending the formalization of the position between the Yavusa Tonga and Yavusa Lakeba. Each of these villages and Yavusa have their own respective Tukutuku Raraba ni Yavusa (Documented tribal history) as referenced in

396-464: Is governed by a mayor and a Town Council , whose members are elected for a three-year term and choose the Mayor from among themselves. At present, normative local body governance is in abeyance, and all cities and towns in Fiji are being run temporarily by Special Administrators appointed by the central government. Vanua Levu was settled about 3,100 years ago, with the settlers living in houses raised above

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432-426: Is known in Fiji for a popular song called Lomaloma na toba vakaloloma , sung by various local Fijian artists and bands, and also a popular pub song. The song was composed by Ratu , Tevita Uluilakeba , Tui Nayau , and the father of Ratu , Sir Kamisese Mara . The government establishments on the northern part of the island include Adi Maopa Primary and Secondary Schools, Ratu Sukuna's now-former home base at Delana,

468-429: Is on the south of Vanua Levu, and supports a population of the vulnerable shy ground doves . The island's main population centres are the towns of Labasa, in the north, and Savusavu , located at the foot of the peninsula. Labasa, with a population of 28,500 at the 2010 census , has a large Indian community, and is a major centre of Fiji's sugar industry. Savusavu is smaller, with a population of just under 5,000, but

504-648: Is the most dangerous, the Wainikoro river, known for its shark attacks. The second is the Dreketi river, the deepest river in Fiji. A 17,600 hectares (43,000 acres) area covering much of the interior of the Natewa/Tunuloa peninsula is the Natewa/Tunuloa Peninsula Important Bird Area . The Important Bird Area covers the largest tracts of the remaining old-growth forest on the peninsula, which

540-489: Is well watered and has hot springs. There is an extensive reef system, including the islets of Qilaqila also known as the Bay of Islands . The traditional owners of Qilaqila are the iTaukei , the mataqalis' from Mavana Village. All visitors to Qilaqila must do sevusevu and have received permission from the village elders of Daliconi Village to visit. The main village on the island is Lomaloma . Vanua Balavu has an airstrip,

576-427: The 1930s led to a collapse in the price of copra. In the same period, Indians founded the town of Labasa , now a major sugar -producing centre. In March 2012, the country of Kiribati began negotiating to buy 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) of the island to house its population, which is expected to need to move as their territory is inundated by rising sea levels . On December 19, 2020, Cyclone Yasa slammed into

612-937: The Fiji Fracture Zone (FFZ) to the north, the 176° Extension Zone (176°E EZ) to the west, and the Hunter Fracture Zone (HFZ) and Lau Ridge to the east. Mio - Pliocene sandstones and marl grade into epiclastics and andesitic volcanics of the Suva Group . The Group forms the Korotini Tableland in the middle of the island, it includes the peaks of Seseleka (1,380 feet or 420 meters), Ndelanathau (2,443 feet or 745 meters), Nararo (2,420 feet or 740 meters), Valili (2,965 feet or 904 meters), Mariko (2,890 feet or 880 meters), Mount Nasorolevu (3,386 feet or 1,032 meters), Ndikeva (3,139 feet or 957 meters), and Uluingala (2,730 feet or 830 meters). The Pliocene Undu Group in

648-665: The Native Lands and Fisheries Commission, there were three Turaga i Taukei (Senior Chiefs) for Lomaloma Tikina listed, namely Ratu Jese Waqalekaleka – Turaga na Rasau , Ma'afu Tui Lau , Roko Tui Lau, Head of the Tovata and also representing Yavusa Toga of Sawana and Jaoti Sugasuga – Turaga Na Ravunisa . Chiefly titles in Lomaloma Tikina are Ravunisa, Rasau, Tui Naturuku, Tui Urone, Tui Levukana, Tui Narocivo, Tui Daku, Tui Susui, Tui Mago (Namalata) and Ramasi (Tuvuca Island). Sawana

684-718: The Native Records. In early Fijian history , Lomaloma village, although small, is regarded as the first modern town in Fiji. It was established by Tui Lau Enele Ma'afu as the capital of the Lau Confederacy, combining the Lau Group (Lakeba, Nayau, Oneata, Ono, Cicia, Fulaga, Kabara, Vanuavatu, Moce, Namuka, and Ogea), Yasayasa Moala Group (Moala, Matuku, and Totoya) and the Somosomo Group (Vanuabalavu, Tuvuca, Kanacea, Mago, Naitauba and Yacata). In Ma'afu's time, it also acted as

720-672: The Rasau, and their people sought refuge in Susui whilst Mataiasi Vave sent his request for assistance to Lakeba. This was referenced in A History of Fiji by R.A. Derrick and Tovata I & II by A.C. Reid gives an account of Ma'afu's influence in Lau. Ma'afu and Wainiqolo campaigned in Lomaloma and Vanuabalavu in what has become known as the "Valu ni Lotu". They defeated the "heathens" and on 3 June 1854, Rev Dr. Lyth in his diary stated: Ma'afu and his men returned quite unexpectedly from Vanua Balavu and reported

756-515: The Tui Naturuku as its leader came from Vanua Levu and landed on the northern part of Vanua Balavu near Daliconi and traveled south dropping off settlers at Levukana to where they finally settled at Delainakorolevu. These three Yavusas settled into their new village called Nakoro, short for Delainakorolevu, within the greater settlement of Lomaloma. They were of equal standing within their village of Nakoro. All three Yavusas left no doubt about who

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792-504: The area in 1797 in his ship Duff . Traders began exploiting sandalwood thickets in the Bua Bay area around 1805, which had been discovered by shipwrecked sailors of the schooner Argo . By 1815, however, the supply had been depleted and apart from the occasional visit from whalers and bêche-de-mer traders, the island received little further attention until 1840, when a young sailor known as Jackson deserted his crew at Somosomo , on

828-824: The distribution of turtle meat, within the Nakoro clan of Ravunisa. Motukavonu is where the Mataqali Nadawavula killed the turtles for meat. The aggrieved party from the Mataqali Naitasiri of the Yavusa Qala (also the Ravunisa clan), approached relatives in Yaro in Mualevu, who with the co-operation of the Naturuku people, carried out the gruesome killings. Mataiasi Vave, the surviving Ravunisa,

864-498: The island is roughly shaped like a tall, thin triangle 30 to 50 kilometres (19–31 miles) in width and 180 kilometres (110 miles) in length, rotated so that the point is to the northeast. This point, the northernmost in the Fiji chain, is Udu Point . From the southeastern side of this triangle, a long peninsula stretches out into the Koro Sea . The island is rough and hilly, and is surrounded by coral reefs, including Cakaulevu Reef ,

900-619: The last clear indication of warfare about 1860. The Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first known European to sight Vanua Levu, in 1643. He was followed by Captain William Bligh in 1789, en route to Timor while escaping from the Mutiny on the Bounty , in which his crew had forced him and those loyal to him off deck and cast them adrift in a launch. Captain James Wilson subsequently explored

936-518: The nearby island of Taveuni, was adopted by a local Chief , and explored much of eastern and northern Vanua Levu. Settlers from Australia and New Zealand established coconut plantations in the Savusavu area in the 1860s. Intermarriage with Fijian people produced a mixed-race elite, which also prospered from the sale of copra, of which Savusavu was a major centre, until the Great Depression of

972-526: The north of the larger Viti Levu , the island has an area of 5,587.1 square kilometres (2,157.2 sq mi) and a population of 135,961 as of 2007 . Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate . The Fiji Platform lies in a zone bordered with active extension fault lines around which most of the shallow earthquakes were centred. These fault lines are

1008-473: The northeastern portion of the island, consists of breccia , tuff , and flows of rhyolite and dacite overlain by pumiceous strata . The Plio- Pleistocene Mba Grouop is found on the southwestern portion of the island and consists of porphyritic basalt flows and volcanoclastics grading into greywacke . The Group includes the peak of Navotuvotu (2,763 feet or 842 meters) and the Mt. Kasi Mine. The main part of

1044-414: The raiders of Mualevu. The 'Tukutuku Raraba ni Yavusa', as referenced in Tovata I & II by A.C. Reid, confirmed that the people of Nakoro were migrants and travelers from other parts of Fiji who settled on the island. Yavusa Qala had the Ravunisa as its leader. He was brought from Narocivo and installed as their leader even though they had their own traditional Tui Lomaloma title as their head. The Ravunisa

1080-486: The reefs on the shores. Between 1250 and 1350, the Pacific sea level fell 30 centimetres (12 in), exposing the tops of the reefs. This killed the abundant sea food, it also dropped the ground water table below the depth of the roots of the crops. The scarcity of food caused conflict and war. In response, the people moved from seaside villages, for mountaintop fortified villages. These forts were occupied until about 1870, with

1116-555: The south-east). These three provinces also comprise the Northern Division of Fiji. Together with the remote Lau Islands , Vanua Levu and its outliers form the Tovata Confederacy , one of three traditional alliances of Fiji's chiefs. The Paramount Chief, who is based on the nearby island of Taveuni , holds the title of Tui Cakau . Only two population centres - Labasa and Savusavu - have been incorporated as Towns . Each

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1152-567: The war between the heathens and the Christians had ended in favour of the latter. Ma'afu returned to Lakeba with the murderers (the Naturuku people) to be captives for life, in Lakeba. In 1855, Ma'afu had acquired sovereignty over northern Lau and established Lomaloma as his base following his exchanges with Tui Cakau Tuikilakila. A.C. Reid, in his book Tovata I & II, accounted for the people that lived in Lomaloma when Ma'afu took control of Vanuabalavu, who had surrendered to him for protection from

1188-621: The windward, southern coasts, making them much wetter. Northern Vanua Levu, by contrast, has a dry climate eight months of the year, enabling sugar cane , the island's major crop , to thrive there. Vanua Levu has a number of rivers, including the Labasa , the Wailevu , and the Qawa . These three form a delta on which the town of Labasa stands. None of the island's rivers are navigable by large vessels. There are also many well known rivers on Vanua levu. The first

1224-631: Was confirmed when the Chiefs of Cakaudrove, Bua, and Lau installed him as Tui Lau and President for Life of the Tovata Confederacy. On Easter Friday 1854, Ma'afu responded to the news that seventeen people were murdered in a massacre similar to the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre , from Rev Dr. Lyth, the resident minister on Lakeba, who had received the news from Mataiasi Vave, a fellow Tongan on Vanua Balavu. The massacre took place because of an apparent quarrel over

1260-533: Was exiled from the Senimoli clan of Yaro who were later called Mualevu. These were the people that plotted to murder the Ravunisa which resulted in the "Valu ni Lotu". Yavusa Buca had the Rasau as its leader, who was exiled from Bau after a bloody coup led by the then Vunivalu and traveled along Vanua Levu , Somosomo , and accidentally landed at Lomaloma. He was welcomed by the Naturuku people and provided shelter and people to care for and support them. Yavusa Naturuku with

1296-461: Was in charge with all three surrendering their land and their people as inducement for Ma'afu to conquer Mualevu. When Ma'afu settled and created his village called Sawana, he relocated the rest of the people to where they are today and formed the greater settlement called Lomaloma made up of Nakoro, Sawana, Nagara, and the settlement to the north to cater for the Colonial government services. Lomaloma

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