Lautoka

History

The name of the city is derived from two Fijian words meaning "spear hit." According to an oral tradition, the name arose following a duel between two chiefs. As one speared the other, he was reported to have cried "Lau-toka!" ("Bull's eye!"). The first known European sighting of the Lautoka area took place on 7 May 1789. Captain William Bligh spotted and roughly charted the coasts of Lautoka while making his epic voyage to Timor, in the wake of the mutiny on the Bounty. This city is central to sugar cane production in Fiji, and was populated by large numbers of indentured labourers working on the sugar cane plantations from the late 19th century onwards, many having come from India. In some respects, the city maintains a unique cultural identity in Fiji to this day, with a proud musical tradition linked to the early development of jazz. During World War II, the US Navy built a base at Lautoka as part of Naval Base Fiji. In 2012, Lautoka was announced as the administration capital of the western division.