Nausori grew up around Fiji's second sugar mill, which functioned between 1881 and 1959. The Rewa Rice Mill is now located there, as is Nausori International Airport, which serves the capital.
Fiji Television reported on March 20, 2006 that an ancient Fijian village, believed to have been occupied by chiefs sometime between 1250 and 1560, had been discovered at Kuku, in Nausori. Its heavily fortified battle fort contained unique features not seen elsewhere in Fiji. Archeologist Sepeti Matararaba of the Fiji Museum expressed astonishment at some of the discoveries at the site, which included an iron axe used by white traders in exchange for Fijian artifacts. Local villages were reported to be rebuilding the site with a view to opening it up to tourists in July 2006.
Nausori was incorporated as a Town in 1931, and is governed by a 12-member Town Council, elected for a three-year term. At the last municipal election, held on 22 October 2005, all seats were won by the Ratepayers' Association. The new council elected Vikash Singh to the mayoralty, a position with a one-year term but renewable.
A new 425m bridge across the river Rewa built by Fletcher Construction opened in 2006 links Nausori to the Capital of Suva
