From 1874, when Fiji was ceded to Queen Victoria, until 1879 Levuka was the capital city of Fiji. Actually it was little more than a village, one kilometer from end to end.

Once the capital was transferred to Suva its decline began. An attempt to revitalise it was made when a tuna canning plant was built, but otherwise, the streetscape along the waterfront from the Cession Stone to Gun Rock remains pretty much unchanged. Even if the streets have reverted to gravel, as they would have been in 1879, Levuka still has its charm.