March 21, 2025 – March 21, 2025Â
Trace New Caledonia’s history at two museums, one reflecting the island’s strong ties to the sea, the another revealing the island’s strategic role in World War II. Much of this seafaring past is displayed in the Museum of Maritime History, whose thousands of artifacts date to the early Melanesian and Polynesian settlers. Other historical marine highlights include two frigates that were sunk in the late 18th century but not found until 2005 when one of the ship’s sextants was discovered at the bottom of the sea. The second museum reflects Noumea serving as a headquarters for the United States military during World War II. From 1942 until the end of the war, more than one million U.S. and Australian soldiers were stationed on New Caledonia, and their presence left a lasting impact. Before the war, the island was known for little more than being a French penal colony.
