Fiji Land and Property

The Native Land Trust Board (NLTB) was established in Fiji in 1940 for the purpose of securing, protecting and managing land ownership rights assigned to local indigenous ownership and to facilitate the commercial transactions that revolve around its use. Native land, managed by the NLTB, comprises 87% of the land in Fiji and was permanently deeded by the British Crown in the 1880's. To put it simply, this land cannot be sold. It will forever remain as property of the landowning unit unless sold back to the State and then solely for public purpose. Native land is available for public use by lease agreement. Leases can vary from 30 years for agricultural purposes up to 99 years for most other uses (commercial, residential, etc).

Land records
These records were created to document transfers of property from one person to another and can be used to establish residence and relationships. They include land claims, native land records, land court grants, native lease land, tax allotments, and others with significant genealogical content. Earliest records begin in the 1890s.

Records generally include the names of the persons involved in the transaction, dates, residences, relationships, proof of ownership, and property descriptions. Records can be found at local land offices, courts, commissions, and other governmental administrations.

See the FamilySearch catalog entries Fiji - Land and property and Fiji - Land and property - Indexes to see what records are available at the Family History Library.