TheGazelle Peninsula is a largepeninsula in northeasternEast New Britain,Papua New Guinea located on the island ofNew Britain within theBismarck Archipelago, situated in the southwesternPacific Ocean.TheRabaul caldera is located on the northern tip of the peninsula. Upon the Gazelle Peninsula are theBaining Mountains, of which the highest point isMount Sinewit at 2,063 m (6,768 ft).[2][3]The Gazelle Peninsula housesVulcan Crater andMount Tavurvur, both of which conducted volcanic activity in the 20th and 21st centuries and have provided extremely fertile soils.The body of the Gazelle Peninsula is about 80 km (50 mi).The southern isthmus upon which the Gazelle Peninsula is connected to the main body ofEast New Britain is reduced to about 32 km (20 mi).[4]
TheTolai people of the peninsula probably colonised the peninsula fromNew Ireland not long before German arrival, although it is likely the area had earlier inhabitants.[5]
The peninsula was named by Prussian explorerGeorg von Schleinitz after his ship,SMS Gazelle.
1884: German forces seized territories of what is known (as of April 22, 2019) asGerman New Guinea andNew Britain.1899: Until this point theGerman New Guinea Company controlled these territories, then control was relinquished to the Imperial Government.1909: Administrative headquarters of the Imperial Government inPapua New Guinea were relocated toRabaul.[6]
1914: Australian forces seized and controlledPapua New Guinea. 1921:Australia was mandatedPapua New Guinea by theLeague of Nations. 1937:Vulcan andTavurvur erupted, resulting in the destruction ofRabaul.[6]
1941: Suspension ofAustralia's mandatedPapua New Guinea was absolved whenJapan seized control ofRabaul until 1945.1946: Trusteeship ofPapua New Guinea was awarded toAustralia by theUnited Nations General Assembly. 1966:New Britain was divided intoWest New Britain andEast New Britain.Rabaul remained as the headquarters ofEast New Britain,Kokopo became the capital ofEast New Britain, andLassul Bay became a significant point of interest in the administration ofEast New Britain.[6]
The indigenous people of the Gazelle Peninsula are mostly concentrated within theRabaul caldera, particularly the town ofRabaul.
Ethnically the people are typically ofMelanesian descent and are referred to asTolai by title of government. A second and less common indigenous people referred to asBaining, are semi-nomadic and tend to live in theBaining Mountains. They are distinct from theTolai'sMelanesian ethnicity. TheTolai are regarded as being the most successful people ofPapua New Guinea; defined by wealth, sophistication, adaptation to modern culture, and instinct for trade.
InTolai society, currency is used in similar fashion to coin via the medium known as tambu, a shell. Tambu can be bound together as coils to form alternative values and may be used to purchase goods in the Gazelle Peninsula. Marriage forTolai is typically handled in economic fashion between two groups known as moieties and the son of one family is responsible for paying the bride-price in tambu to the family of the daughter. Marriage of two people within the same moiety is not allowed and the bride-price is generally determined by family status and wealth of the daughter.[7][8]
Administratively, the peninsula falls underGazelle District inEast New Britain Province. The district comprises the followinglocal-level governments.
