Rennell and Bellona – Polynesian outliers in a Melanesian archipelago
Rennell and Bellona are two inhabited raised coral atolls whose people speak a Polynesian language, which makes them Polynesian outliers within the largely Melanesian Solomon Islands. Islanders call their homes Mungava and Mungiki, meaning 'large island' and 'small mountain'. Oral traditions tell of ancestors who reached these shores by canoe from 'Uvea Gago, finding Rennell empty and, on Bellona, a people known as the Hiti. The first known European to sight the islands was Mathew Boyd, commander of the merchant ship Bellona, in 1793, and European charts followed his names. With about 4,100 residents in 2019, this is the least populous province of the country. Share your memories, photographs and family stories with the community.