Onverdacht started as a wood plantation in 1737.[1] In 1863, the slaves were emancipated, and the plantation closed. In 1874, the land reverted back to the Surinamese government.[2]
In 1939, bauxite was discovered at Onverdacht by the Dutch Billiton company (nowadays part of BHP).[3] In 1941, a concession was granted to start mining at Onverdacht.[4] A prefab housing estate was built near the village to accommodate the workers,[5] however Onverdacht remained relatively small due to its proximity to Paramaribo.[3] In 1947, a recreation centre opened.[6] In 1949, a school opened.[7] A library,[8] and a fire department opened as well.[9]
In 1993, Billiton signed a joint venture with Suralco (Alcoa), and in 2009 closed their operations in Suriname.[10] In 2018, the police station closed down.[11]
Suriname
