The town is on the island of Guadalcanal. It was built to replace the former capital of Tulagi at the end of World War II. Honiara became the capital of the Solomon Islands in 1952. The town is on the Kukum Highway, which connects Henderson field in the east of Honiara with the White River in the west, and passes the hospital Nambanaen and the burned down Chinatown. Honiara has a dock from which ships depart to other provinces. The gardens of the National Art Gallery are popular for afternoon strolls. 