Shell money as legal tender was introduced when the paramount chief system started in the Solomon Islands thousands of years ago. Romo, the traditional red shell currency on the islands of Malaita, Guadalcanal, Uluwa and Makira, is still in use today for general trading and bride price. During the Romo ceremony, the people of South Malaita re-enact the inauguration of the first Paramount Chief. We witness the Romo shell being harvested from the sea and the customary preparation, cooking and feasting by the villagers, leading up to the ceremonial swearing-in of the Chief.

(1980, 14 mins) A Film Australia Production. Produced for Solomon Islands with Australian Development Assistance Bureau.

© National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.