Sculpture of Solomon Scout and Coastwatcher donated to Nambawan Haus Museum in Tulagi

10/08/2026 – Honiara, Solomon Islands: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) is privileged to receive a historic sculpture of the Solomon Scout and Coastwatcher, along with storybooks on Solomon Scouts and World War II, from the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatcher Trust (SSCWT), last week.

The materials were handed over by SSCWT Founder and Chairperson, Sir Bruce Saunders and Lady Kaithie Saunders to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Bunyan Sivoro, which will later transfer to Tulagi to be part of the collections at the newly opened Nambawan Haus Museum.

The donation follows a conversation with Millicent Design and Kastom Keepers during the recent opening of the Nambawan Haus Museum, where the Trust expressed its wish to dedicate the sculpture to the museum.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Sir Bruce Saunders explained that the “Solomon Scouts and Coastwatcher” sculpture was created to honour the courageous role played by local Solomon Islanders during the Second World War.

The sculpture depicts three Solomon Islanders providing watch and protection for a Coastwatcher, reflecting the vital roles played by the Solomon Scouts in providing intelligence, reconnaissance and protection for the servicemen. Their contributions had helped the allied forces a lot in their efforts during the Guadalcanal campaign.

However, Sir Bruce noted that “there’s nothing here honouring the Solomon Scouts,” which led the SSCWT to develop the sculpture as a tribute to their contribution. The sculpture can now be seen along Commonwealth Street in Honiara.

Along with the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatcher sculpture, Sir Bruce also handed over two books written by Mr. Michael Ben and Dr. Annie Kwai on the history of World War II in the Solomon Islands.

Sir Bruce said the books tell the stories of Solomon Islanders during the war and will serve as valuable educational resources for schools and universities, particularly in Solomon Islands.

Permanent Secretary Sivoro expressed his sincere gratitude to Sir Bruce Saunders and Lady Kaithie Saunders for the donation, as well as for their continued hard work and passion in advocating for the preservation of Solomon Islands’ history.

PS Sivoro said the Ministry received the sculpture and books with great appreciation and assured that the materials would be transferred to the Nambawan Haus Museum for exhibition.

He also encouraged the SSCWT to continue sharing historical information and materials with the Ministry, as the Ministry is still collecting information and resources for the museum.

Deputy Secretaries and Director staffs of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism join PS Bunyan Sivoro to receive the donation from Sir Bruce Saunders and Kaithie Saunders.