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.
Honiara Central Market the sex trade involving market women and young girls from the "Central Market". In 2014, fishermen, who were paid to transport girls to foreign fishing vessels outside the harbour of Honiara, described the "Central Market" as one of "the most evident or well-known pickup spots" for prostitution. The market management is headed by a market manager, supervised by Honiara City Council's Finance Director. In 2009, there were eight security guards (who, combined, cover the area day and night) and six full-time cleaners employed at the market; three further workers were in charge of the "ice house" (which features an ice