[1][2] Based on a private collection of Second World War material, the museum was initially funded by the Nauru Phosphate Corporation.
[3] In 2014, strategy for a new museum was presented to UNESCO's Framework Convention for Climate Change, as part of the government of Nauru's aim to "preserve Nauruan language and cultural heritage".
[4] The collection is made up of historic objects, items relating to the island during the Second World War, objects relating to radio and police, as well as a photographic collection.
[3][2] In 2019 Nauru Museum publicly appealed for more objects to be donated to the collection.
[9] The National Museum of Australia has collected objects relating to Nauru's refugee crisis.