After a thirty-minute journey along the winding Sawani-Serea Road, the team from The Sunday Times arrived at a vast flatland characterized by rows of century-old rubber trees that stood still in the fields. This area, known locally as Veirapa, was once the hub of Fiji’s rubber trade in the Naitasiri province during the colonial era.
In addition to sugar, copra, and bananas, Fiji had a modest rubber industry, with Serea being one of the few locations where rubber was cultivated, harvested, and processed. Historical accounts suggest that British colonial administrators experimented with various agricultural crops to generate revenue and bolster the empire.
Although those who engaged in rubber farming in Serea are no longer alive, local residents shared that the expansive plantation may have belonged to a Mister Witherow, who had interests in banana and dairy farming during the 20th century. A November 1912 article in the New Zealand newspaper Marlborough Express indicated that rubber farming was gaining traction in Fiji, with one of the early prominent figures being Mister F. Powell, who oversaw multiple rubber plantations on behalf of New Zealand owners.
Powell managed 400 acres of rubber farms at Waidoi, 300 acres at Yarawa, 500 acres at Qaraniqio, 300 acres at Taunovo, and 200 acres at Naloa in Serua province. The article noted that trees were planted 18 feet apart with rows 8 feet wide, averaging 155 trees per acre. To offset costs until the rubber trees were ready for tapping, bananas were cultivated between the young trees, creating a forest within six to seven years.
Historical sources indicate that Fiji’s rubber trees were initially introduced from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), but the distance rendered this method impractical. Eventually, seeds were utilized to grow rubber plants, which were then transplanted into the fields at around 18 months of age. The favorable condition of the plantations in the early 1900s was attributed to effective management and the country’s suitability for cultivating this valuable crop.
Approximately 500 indentured laborers worked on the plantations, and their working conditions dispelled rumors of the “enslavement of British subjects.” Although the rubber industry’s future in Fiji appeared bright, it did not endure. The Marlborough Express reported a forecasted production of 419.375 cwt. of rubber in 1912, valued at over £8 million. However, production dwindled significantly by the late 1920s.
According to Professor Brij Lal, Fiji’s nascent rubber industry emerged between 1923 and 1926 but collapsed due to the global depression and devastating natural disasters during that period. The rubber industry faced decline, with other sectors such as pineapple canning and sugar also struggling.
Today, the remnants of this once-thriving industry are represented by the nearly bare rubber trees scattered across Serea, Wainadoi, and other regions of Fiji. Rueli Rawalana, a landowner in Veirapa, recalled the historical significance of the area, stating that two major planters employed indentured laborers from India, who found employment in Serea after the Nausori Mill’s closure. Rueli recounted the harsh treatment the laborers faced, including being overseen by plantation owners who would lash those who fell behind.
Though over 100 rubber trees remain on Rueli’s property, he regards them as remnants of a bygone industry that has become a farming nuisance. He recalled that nearby, there was once a processing facility, where latex—harvested from tapped trees—was prepared for the market.
Rueli also shared his memories of the plantation owner, who utilized machinery to cultivate the fields, and noted that after the rubber industry faltered, the owner turned to growing bananas and dairy farming, leading to the construction of old dairy sheds still found within the rubber block today.
In terms of native rubber trees, historical documents from the Royal Botanic Gardens mentioned a specimen of native caoutchouc received from Fiji’s governor in 1877. This rubber’s quality was favorably reviewed, and a successful rubber industry was anticipated, but the expectations were never fully realized.
Rubber trees in Fiji can thrive for more than a century and grow as tall as 130 feet. Traditionally, they were not tapped until they reached eight years of age, with latex extracted through a process of gashing the inner bark. Local families, descendants of those laborers, continue to reside in Serea, fostering community ties and sharing stories of better days.
As the once commercially significant rubber trees slowly succumb to age, their historical footprint in Fiji may soon fade. The recent Discovering Fiji story, alongside Rueli’s account, captures the history of rubber fields in Veirapa, Serea, highlighting a chapter in Fiji’s agricultural legacy.