Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Honiara The American development of Honiara as an army base and war depot turned Honiara into the new capital for the British Solomon Islands. The Catholic population tripled between 1947 and 1957, from 1000 to 3000. The first Holy Cross Church, built in 1947, was replaced by a much larger structure in 1957. The statues of the Blessed Virgin and St Joseph, which had somehow survived the Japanese air raids of the Battle of Guadalcanal, were positioned outside the 1957 church. These statues were re-positioned once again outside the 1978 cathedral; damage caused by bullets can be easily seen on both.
White River, Honiara from rural North West Guadalcanal, on the provincial side of White River, would bring fresh vegetables, root crops, fish, and raw meat such as wild pig. Women from Malaita, based in the capital Honiara, would bring non-perishable food items from the stores. On October 11, 2005, notices were served and signed by the government official, instructing the Westside Women for Peace to remove all privately built stalls in the market within five days, to cease market activities on Sundays and to cooperate with government officials on any developments in the area. The White River Markets still operate unlicensed and informal,