British Solomon Islands

Although little prehistory of the Solomon Islands is known, material excavated on Santa Ana, Guadalcanal, and Gawa indicates that a hunter-gatherer people lived on the larger islands as early as 1000 B.C. Some Solomon Islanders are descendants of Neolithic Austronesian-speaking peoples who migrated from Southeast Asia.

The European discoverer of the Solomons was the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendaña Y Neyra, who set out from Peru in 1567 to seek the legendary Isles of Solomon. British mariner Philip Carteret entered Solomon waters in 1767. In the years that followed, visits by explorers were more frequent.

Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-1800s. The evils of the labour trade, the often brutal recruitment of labourers for the sugar plantations in Queensland and Fiji, prompted the United Kingdom to declare a protectorate over the southern Solomons in 1893. In 1898 and 1899, more outlying islands were added to the protectorate; in 1900 the remainder of the archipelago, an area previously under German jurisdiction, was transferred to British administration. Under the protectorate, missionaries settled in the Solomons, converting most of the population to Christianity.

In the early 20th century, several British and Australian firms began large-scale coconut planting. Economic growth was slow, however, and the islanders benefited little. With the outbreak of World War II, most planters and traders were evacuated to Australia, and most cultivation ceased.

From May 1942, when the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought, until December 1943, the Solomons were almost constantly a scene of combat. One of the most furious sea battles ever fought took place off Savo Island, near Guadalcanal, also in August 1942. Before the Japanese completely withdrew from Guadalcanal in February 1943, over 7.000 Americans and 21.000 Japanese died. By December 1943, the Allies were in command of the entire Solomon chain.

Following the end of World War II, the British colonial government returned. The capital was moved from Tulagi to Honiara to take advantage of the infrastructure left behind by the United States military. A native movement known as the Marching Rule defied government authority. There was much disorder until some of the leaders were jailed in late 1948. Throughout the 1950s, other indigenous dissident groups appeared and disappeared without gaining strength.

In 1960 an advisory council of Solomon Islanders was superseded by a legislative council, and an executive council was created as the protectorate's policymaking body. The council was given progressively more authority.

In 1974 a new constitution was adopted establishing a parliamentary democracy and ministerial system of government. In mid-1975 the name Solomon Islands officially replaced that of British Solomon Islands Protectorate. On 2 January 1976, the Solomons became self-governing, and independence followed on 7July 1978.

Capital: Honiara

Government: British protectorate

Area: 27.556 km²

Population: 90.000 (1950)

Currency: British Pound (20 shilling, 1 shilling = 12 pence); from 14 February 1966: Australian Dollar (100 cent)

For more stamps see:

Solomon Islands

Links

Solomon Islands in Wikipedia.

Flag of British Solomon Islands (1947-1956) in Flags of the World.

Flag of British Solomon Islands (1956-1966) in Flags of the World.

Stamp catalogue

UPU 75th anniversary

date: 10 October 1949

designer: -

printer: Waterlow & Sons, London (1 and 4), Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., New Malden (2 and 3)

perforated: 13½:14 (1 and 4), 11:11½ (2 and 3)

1 2 d Hermes, globe, letter, airplane, boat, train, text "UNIVERSAL / POSTAL UNION / 1874 1949"

red-brown

(cat. Michel 76/SG 77/Yvert 75)

2 3 d hemispheres, airplane, steamer, text "1874 / UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1949"

deep blue

(cat. Michel 77/SG 78/Yvert 76)

3 5 d Hermes scattering letters over globe, text "UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1874 / 1949"

deep blue-green

(cat. Michel 78/SG 79/Yvert 77)

4 1/- UPU monument, Berne, text "UNIVERSAL / POSTAL / UNION / 1874 / 1949" and "UNION

POSTALE UNIVERSELLE"

blue-black

(cat. Michel 79/SG 80/Yvert 78)

Freedom from Hunger Campaign

date: 4 June 1963

designer: Michael Goaman

printer: Harrison & Sons, London

perforated: 14½

5 1/3 collection of 'protein foods', text "FREEDOM FROM HUNGER"

ultramarine

(cat. Michel 101/SG 100/Yvert 99)

ITU Centenary

date: 28 June 1965

designer: Michael Goaman

printer: Johan Enschede en Zonen, Haarlem

perforated: 11:11½

6 2 d globe and flash, text on telex tape "INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION /

+ CENTENARY + 1865 + 1965"

orange-red, turquoise-blue

(cat. Michel 128/SG 127/Yvert 125)

7 3 d globe and flash, text on telex tape "INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION /

+ CENTENARY + 1865 + 1965"

turquoise-blue, olive-brown

(cat. Michel 129/SG 128/Yvert 126)

International Co-operation Year

date: 25 October 1965

designer: Victor Whiteley

printer: Harrison & Sons, London

perforated: 14½

8 1 d ICY emblem, text "1965 / INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION YEAR"

reddish purple, turquoise green

(cat. Michel 130/SG 129/Yvert 127)

9 2/6 d ICY emblem, text "1965 / INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION YEAR"

deep bluish green, lavender

(cat. Michel 131/SG 130/Yvert 128)

Inauguration of WHO Headquarters, Geneva

date: 20 September 1966

designer: Michael Goaman

printer: Harrison & Sons, London

perforated: 14

10 3 c WHO emblem, building, text "New Headquarters Building / 1966 / WHO"

black, yellow-green, light blue

(cat. Michel 156/SG 155/Yvert 150)

11 50 c WHO emblem, building, text "New Headquarters Building / 1966 / WHO"

black, light purple, yellow-brown

(cat. Michel 157/SG 156/Yvert 151)

UNESCO 20th anniversary

date: 1 December 1966

designer: Jennifer Toombs

printer: Harrison & Sons, London

perforated: 14

12 3 c UNESCO emblem, pen and blocks, text "20TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNESCO / EDUCATION"

state-violet, red, yellow, orange

(cat. Michel 158/SG 157/Yvert 152)

13 25 c UNESCO emblem, retort and ears of wheat, text "20TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNESCO / SCIENCE"

orange-yellow, violet, deep olive

(cat. Michel 159/SG 158/Yvert 153)

14 $ 1 UNESCO emblem, harp and temple, text "20TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNESCO / CULTURE"

black, bright purple, orange

(cat. Michel 160/SG 159/Yvert 154)

UPU Centenary

date: 29 August 1974

designer: Jennifer Toombs

printer: Questa Colour Security Printers, London

perforated: 14

15 4 c origami figure 'postman', map of part of the Solomon Islands, UPU emblem, text "UNION POSTALE

UNIVERSELLE / UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1874-1974" and "POSTMAN"

light yellow-green, deep green, black

(cat. Michel 259/SG 258/Yvert 253)

16 9 c origami figure 'carrier-pigeon', map of part of the Solomon Islands, UPU emblem, text "UNION POSTALE

UNIVERSELLE / UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1874-1974" and "CARRIER-PIGEON"

light olive-bistre, lake-brown, black

(cat. Michel 260/SG 259/Yvert 254)

17 15 c origami figure 'Saint Gabriel', map of part of the Solomon Islands, UPU emblem, text "UNION POSTALE

UNIVERSELLE / UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1874-1974" and "ST GABRIEL - PATRON SAINT OF

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & PHILATELY"

mauve, purple, black

(cat. Michel 261/SG 260/Yvert 255)

18 45 c origami figure 'Pegasus', map of part of the Western Pacific, UPU emblem, text "UNION POSTALE

UNIVERSELLE / UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1874-1974" and "PEGASUS"

cobalt, dull ultramarine, black

(cat. Michel 262/SG 261/Yvert 256)

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last revised: 22 September 2008