Honiara is estimated to be littered with thousands of bombs and shells left behind on the battlefield after the six-month Battle of Guadalcanal ended in 1943.
The most interesting development from this year’s FEMM, though, was the endorsement by the new Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa of the ambition to free up the movement of people within the region.
Excavation uncovered several layers of human occupation associated with stone artefacts, animal bones, shells and charcoal – all physical remains discarded by ancient humans living at the cave.
The agreement came at the Japanese hosted 10th Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM10) on Thursday in the capital Tokyo attended by most of the Pacific Islands Forum country leaders.
“This museum will celebrate a vital thread through the history of our modern nation. I can’t think of a better site than Haymarket – a place synonymous with the Chinese-Australian story – or a more fitting time of year to open it.”
