A historic moment was celebrated in the country’s first capital township of Tulagi on Friday, 2nd May, in which the restored former residence of the British Resident Commissioner, built in 1904 was officially unveiled.
The historic home, located on a hill above Tulagi Township, with a 360-degree view of stunning ocean views and islands looking across the Iron Bottom Sound, was the home of British Resident Commissioner Charles Woodford during the British Protectorate over the Solomon Islands during the Colonial era.
The building is both a residence and an office that Commissioner Woodford operated from to administer the affairs of the protectorate for the British Government.
Abandoned in 1942 during the Japanese invasion of the Solomon Islands during World War 2, the building was left in ruins after the war.
However, its historic significance remained untouched until recent discussions between the National and Provincial Governments decided to restore and turn it into the country’s second Museum of history.
The building will add to the abundant and rich colonial and World War 2 history that Tulagi holds as a product for tourism in the country.
The ceremony was officiated by the Minister for Culture and Tourism and Member of Parliament for Gela Constituency, Honorable Choylin Yim Douglas, the Premier of Central Islands Province, Hon. Michael Salini, and the Contractor in the presence of VIPs, including senior government officials, diplomats, chiefs, community leaders, and students.
Minister Choylin Douglas praised the ceremony as a moment of pride.
“It is a tremendous honour for me, both personally and in my official roles, to see this project finally come to life here in Tulagi. It is a moment of pride — to witness this historic site begin its journey towards becoming a true national treasure,” Mrs Douglas said.
The restoration project was made possible through the collective support of the Central Islands Provincial Government and the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, through the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) approach.
A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, MPGIS, and CPG to jointly administer and implement the project.
Through this partnership, the project was successfully delivered – a key result for both the Government and the people of Tulagi and the Province.
Branded as the Haus No.1 project, it was an important national initiative to preserve the country’s heritage and history, and to create an anchor for tourism development in the historic township.
Hon. Douglas said the Island of Tulagi holds multiple layers of rich and significant history — from its indigenous cultural heritage, to its role as the first capital of Solomon Islands under British colonial administration; from its prominence in World War II history, to its role in the early commercial story as the site of the country’s first fish cannery.
“Our vision is to develop a museum here that brings together these diverse strands of history, and presents them in a way that educates, inspires, and connects our future generations to our past, while also attracting visitors to experience Tulagi as a cultural and heritage destination.
Work to begin the important task of collecting, curating, and exhibiting historical materials that will add value to the historic building is underway.
“When all of this is done — when the walls of Haus No.1 begin to speak through the stories they carry — we will return for a much bigger celebration: the official opening of one of the major milestone achievements of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in partnership with our provincial, national, and international partners, hopefully towards the end of this year,” Hon. Douglas said.
– OPMC
