In 1877, it was decided to make Suva the capital of Fiji. At that time, the colony was being administered from what had been the main European settlement:  Levuka, on the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province. But the geography of Luvuka and its environs had proven too restrictive. The administration of the colony was transferred from Levuka to Suva in 1882.