Nukulau

 island  Add category

Nukulau Island, an islet off the east coast of Suva, has a rich history. Purchased by John Brown Williams, an American settler in 1846, the island went on to define Fiji's relations with the rest of the world for the best part of three decades. The inability of King Seru Epenisa Cakobau to pay alleged debts to Williams was largely responsible for his decision to cede the nation of Fiji to the United Kingdom in 1874.

More recently, the island has gained a notorious reputation as the locale of Nukulau Prison, where George Speight and other convicted perpetrators of the coup which deposed the civilian government in 2000, were imprisoned until late 2006. Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Fiji's interim military ruler, announced on 18 December 2006 that the prison would be closed and the island converted to a public park.