In 1881, the Union Steam Ship Company began its operations to the Fiji Islands with its vessel “Southern Cross” establishing service from New Zealand.
The company offered services to and from New Zealand and Australia, extending across the Pacific to North America. It was once the largest shipping line in the southern hemisphere and New Zealand’s biggest private-sector employer.
According to nzshipmarine.recollect.co.nz, at its peak, the company “ran a hotel in Fiji, owned offices and wharves in Australia, a printing works and coal business in New Zealand, and a chain of branch offices throughout the South Pacific. It also operated airlines.”
Records from The Fiji Times show the company’s first Suva office, a timber structure, was built in 1900 and lasted until 1934 when a modern building was erected. Before setting up its own office, the company was served by agents such as Ernest Ford in 1884 and A.M. Duncan in 1888.
The land for the first office had its backyard facing the sea, necessitating reclamation work, which added 220 pounds to the company’s budget of 650 pounds for constructing the wooden building.
The wooden structure, though cool with its walls and shingled roof, was primitive and vulnerable to water inundation during extreme weather. Electric lighting wasn’t installed until 1920, relying on kerosene and petrol gas lamps until then.
The only telephone system on the island was the private exchange run by the CSR Company. Until the office connected with the CSR exchange, it borrowed the use of a phone at Brown and Joske’s office down the street.
By 1920, the wooden office became increasingly dilapidated with rotting boards and a leaky roof. However, the company’s business in Fiji continued to expand, servicing many famous ships such as Aorangi, Niagara, Matua, Tofua, and Tarawera.
The company also worked as an agent for Union South Pacific, which commenced RoRo services in Fiji.
In 1934, the wooden office in Suva was replaced with modern concrete structures costing 3000 pounds. The new building was described by The Fiji Times as a “handsome addition to Suva’s rapidly growing number of modern premises.”
Further reclamation was made in 1939 to the seaward side of the property, enabling it to withstand hurricanes in 1941 and 1952, and the earthquake and tidal wave of 1955. Over the years, interior layouts and decorations changed, but remained relatively unaltered for at least four decades.
In 1980, another major renovation was done for the construction of the Union Travel Plaza, temporarily relocating the office to Harris Street in 1979 to allow for the upgrade work.
The plaza became a prime shopping destination in central Suva, located between the general post office and Westpac Bank. One of the shops in the plaza was The Crossroads, owned by Jane Usher, who sourced products from Italian craftsmen, as well as tableware from England, Norway, France, Korea, Austria, and New Zealand.
Boomerang Duty Free, owned by Jayanti Lal, also opened in the plaza, selling products distributed in Fiji by Motibhai and Company, such as Akai equipment, Casio watches, Sharp radios, Olympus cameras, Sanyo hi-fi systems, and Hitachi products. Other businesses included A.J. Swann Pharmacy and The Shoe Tree.
One major reason the Union Steamship Company became a household name in Suva was its connection to the early 20th-century construction of the Grand Pacific Hotel.
The hotel’s planning began in 1908 by Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. Founded by James Mills in Dunedin in 1875 with Scottish backing, the company was acquired by P & O around World War I.
The site of the Grand Pacific Hotel, once known as Na Vunivesi and Na Mulomulo for the local flora, was developed with plans by Salmon and Vanes featuring contemporary colonial architecture. It opened on May 23, 1914, with 35 rooms suited for tourists stopping over in Fiji.
The hotel mirrored the luxury accommodations aboard Union Steamship Company ships, and upon its opening, The Fiji Times described it as a “magnificent structure” designed to “catch the cooling tradewinds.”
The hotel featured broad verandas, luxurious lounges, a roof garden, and various amenities aimed to provide comfort in the tropical climate. Rooms were initially priced from 15 shillings.
By 1958, the hotel was under Cathay Hotels (Fiji) Ltd, led by Wesley Barret M.L.C. Today, the location of the shipping company’s first Suva office still stands, now called Marchant Finance Plaza, hosting businesses such as Optic Eyecare and Macquarie Travelworld.