To commemorate Fiji’s first ever Constitution Day, the road alongside Parliament has been renamed from Southern Cross Road to Constitution Avenue.

The announcement was made by President Major-General (Ret’d) Jioji Konrote during the Fiji Constitution Day celebration at Albert Park Pavilion and Grounds yesterday.

“It is also my great privilege to wind up the formal part of our celebration by making an important announcement.

“To commemorate Constitution Day, the road opposite us here that runs along the side of our National Parliament is being renamed, from today, Southern Cross Road becomes Constitution Avenue,” he said.

President Konrote said it was a permanent reminder of the critical importance of our Constitution in our national life and its critical importance to our democracy- the Parliament elected under that Constitution at the general election two years ago.

He said Southern Cross Road as many knew was named after the small plane that the great Australian aviator, Charles Kingsford Smith, landed at Albert Park when he made the first Trans Pacific flight in 1928.

“But 88 years on, our Constitution is clearly more important and the Southern Cross and Kingsford Smith’s remarkable feat will continue to be remembered in the plaque that stands at the corner of Albert Park facing Victoria Parade,” Major General(Ret’d) Konrote said.