Honiara in Capital Territory, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands — Oceania (Melanesia in the Pacific Ocean)

Álvaro de Mendaña

Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, August 23, 2022

1. Álvaro de Mendaña Marker

Inscription.

Álvaro de Mendaña
(1542, Congosto, Spain - 1595, Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands)

After the discovery of the Pacific Ocean in 1513, the Spanish Crown dispatched several expeditions in search of the alleged terra australis incognita. Álvaro de Mendaña commanded two of those missions. The first one, with two vessels and 150 men, resulted in the discovery of the Solomon Islands on 7th February 1568. Pedro de Ortega, captain of one of the vessels, discovered the island he named Guadalcanal, in honour of his birthplace. During the second expedition in 1595, Mendaña, commanding four vessels and 400 men, was accompanied by his wife, Isabel Barreto, who took over the command of the expedition after his death. Only one of the vessels, under the leadership of Pedro Fernández de Quirós, who later discovered Vanuatu, could make her way back to the Philippines.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is February 7, 1568.

Location. 9° 25.856′ S, 159° 57.248′ E. Marker is in Honiara, Guadalcanal, in Capital Territory. Marker is on Mendana Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Independence of Solomon Islands (within shouting distance of this marker); Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI)

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Kawaguchi Brigade Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Guadalcanal Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Solomon Islands Scouts and Coastwatchers (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); First Meeting of the Assemblies of God Church (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Memorial of the Cross (approx. 1.2 kilometers away); St. Joseph Statue (approx. 1.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Honiara.

Also see . . . Álvaro de Mendaña at Wikipedia. (Submitted on September 7, 2022.)

Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, August 23, 2022

2. Álvaro de Mendaña Marker

Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, August 23, 2022

3. Álvaro de Mendaña Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2022, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. This page has been viewed 196 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 7, 2022, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.