White River, Honiara


White River is a suburb on the fringe of Honiara, Solomon Islands and is located west of the main center on the Tandai Highway. White River is in the Honiara City Council ward of Nggosi. A water spring supplies water to the community.
White River is East of Kakabona and West of Tandai.

Tandai and Tadai Highway

In 1966, the main coastal road out of Honiara west of Rove Creek as far as Poha River was named Tadai which connected the Mendana Avenue through Honiara and after Mataniko River to Prince Philip Highway.

Villages

  • Wind Valley
  • Independence Valley
  • Laundry Valley
  • Banana Valley
  • Namoruka

Squatter settlements

According to a 2009 study 23% of the White River community are squatter settlements. Tensions surrounding the squatters continue and in 2014 houses in the Independence Valley were burnt down.
Government approved areas were provided in White River where people were allowed to settle providing they had a licence and had to pay rent to the Lands Division usually for a 12-month period at $10.00 per household per year.

Education

Churches

Culture

A dance program held in 1974 at White River recorded 20 dancers taking part in the mu'aabaka

Law and order

  • White River Police Post
Before the 2006 riots 3,000 Malaitans, mainly youths and young men insulted by graffiti, went in pursuit of Rennell and Bellona settlers in White River. Shops were ransacked and people were injured and forty-five arrests were made, the national Government paid Malaita Province S$200,000 in compensation.

2014 Floods

White River was severely affected as a result of the 2014 floods

Commerce

There are several commercial areas in the area, near the Centre there are six or seven shops, and on the main road across from Karaina is one of the largest betel nut markets in Solomon Islands. There are several new Chinese shops near the O1 and O2 bus stops.
The White River market was established in 2001 by the Westside Women for Peace. Women 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, with marketers targeted by the Honiara City Council for operating without a license.
  • Eucheuma Cottonii Seaweed business

Employment

A study reports that 67% of youths at White River state they receive no regular income sources.

Tourism

Recording studios

The song Bereft of a mother was recorded in 1928 and in 1973 at White River. The composer mourns the death of his mother in a moving reference to the care she took.
  • Mountol Sound Studio
  • Brekin Records

Sport

  • White River Demons AFL football Club
  • White River High School rugby
  • White River High School Soccer Club
  • White River Boxing Club
  • White river Rookies Basketball Team
  • West side Bullets Basketball Team
  • White River Rainbow Volleyball Team
  • West crown Tigers Soccer Club
  • Avaiki Rugby Club
  • Tia warriors Rugby Club

Health

  • White River Health Clinic

Power station

Land has been acquired for the construction of a 33kV White River Substation.

Languages

Notable people

  • Jimmy Nare