Morobe Province Morobe Provins (Tok Pisin) | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea | |
| Coordinates:6°50′S146°40′E / 6.833°S 146.667°E /-6.833; 146.667 | |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Capital | Lae |
| Districts | |
| Area | |
• Total | 33,705 km2 (13,014 sq mi) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
• Total | 674,810 |
| • Density | 20.021/km2 (51.854/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+10 (AEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | PG-MPL |
| HDI (2019) | 0.592[1] medium ·6th of 22 |
Morobe is a province on the northern coast ofPapua New Guinea. The provincial capital and largest city isLae. The province covers 33,705 km2, with a population of 674,810 (2011 census), and since the division ofSouthern Highlands Province in May 2012 it is the most populous province. It includes theHuon Peninsula, theMarkham River, and delta, and coastal territories along theHuon Gulf. The province has nine administrative districts. At least 101 languages are spoken, includingKâte andYabem language.English andTok Pisin are common languages in the urban areas, and in some areaspidgin forms of German are mixed with the native language.
The Morobe Province takes its name from former German administration center ofMorobe southeast of the Lae.[2] Under German administration, Morobe (meaning post) was named Adolfhafen for the German Deutsch Neuguinea-Kompagnie's Adolf von Hansemann and German wordhafen (heɪfən) meaning port[3])[4] and was an outpost of theDeutsch Neuguinea-Kompagnie era. It was located close to the border of British New Guinea.[2]
While there have been various attempts to examine the history of Morobe Province, the works of Ian Willis and Phillip Holzknecht[5][6][7][8][2] can be summarised below;
The largest part of northeasternNew Guinea inGerman New Guinea (German:Deutsch-Neuguinea) was calledKaiser-Wilhelmsland, named in honour ofWilhelm II, theGerman Emperor andKing of Prussia. From 1884 until 1918, the territory was a protectorate of theGerman Empire[9]
The coastline of the northern and eastern portions of New Guinea had been charted by navigators in the early 17th century, and the visible mountain ranges named by British admiralty navigators later in the century. Most German surveying efforts had focused on coastal regions and river basins, where Germans had established plantations. The boundary between Papua and Kaiser Wilhelmsland had been established by a joint British-German expedition in 1909, the interior had not been mapped. Since then, Papuan gold prospectors had crossed into German territory which, from the German perspective, made the accuracy of the border essential.[10]
The first European to spend any length of time in Morobe was Russian biologistNicolai Miklouho-Maclay. He arrived at Astrolabe Bay, south of the present site of Madang, in 1871 and stayed for 15 months before leaving to regain his health,[11]
1874John Moresby onHMS Basilisk sails along Huon Gulf and names Parsee Point (Salamaua), the Markham, Rawlinson Ranges, and explores around the Markham mouth, and meet up with people along the coast; who according to him seem to have met white men before.[2][5][6][7][8]
In the 1870s and 1880s German commercial firms began to site trading stations inNew Guinea. Agents ofJ.C. Godeffroy & Sohn reached the Bismarck Archipelago from theCaroline Islands in 1872. In 1875Hernsheim & Company[12] moved to the Archipelago.
In 1884, theGerman New Guinea Company was founded inBerlin byAdolph von Hansemann, DrOtto Finsch and a syndicate of German bankers for the purpose of colonizing and exploiting resources onNeu Guinea (German New Guinea),[13] whereGerman interest grew after BritishQueensland's annexation of part of easternNew Guinea.
Von Hansemann's task was to select land for plantation development on the north-east coast of New Guinea and establish trading posts. Its influence soon grew to encompass the entire north-eastern part of New Guinea and some of the islands off the coast.
Most of theGerman settlers to Kaiser-Wilhelmsland were plantation owners, miners, and government functionaries, and the number ofEuropean settlers, including non-Germans, was never very high.
On 19 August 1884, Chancellor Bismarck ordered the establishment of a German protectorate in the New Britain Archipelago and north-eastern New Guinea.
In 1885 and 1887,Johann Flierl established missionary stations in Simbang andTimba Island. After malaria epidemics in 1889 and again in 1891 killed almost half of the European settlers on the coast in Finschhafen, many of the Europeans moved towardFriedrich Wilhelmshafen (nowMadang). Flierl established a Mission station atSattelberg, 700 metres (2,297 ft) in the highlands. In 1890 and 1891, he built the Sattelberg Mission Station there and constructed a road approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) between the station and the Finsch harbor (Finschhafen), which cut the traveling time from three days to five hours.[14]
In 1885,Lutheran andCatholic congregations sent clergy to establish missions, who experienced moderate, but very slow, success with the indigenous peoples. Missionaries and plantation owners alike were limited by tropical diseases, travel, and communication barriers.
German colonial rule in New Guinea lasted for a period of thirty years, For the first fifteen years the colony was administered under imperial charters by a private company, in the manner of the old British andDutch East India Company. From 1899 to 1914, the Imperial Government administered German New Guinea through a governor, who was assisted after 1904 by a nominated Government Council.
When the Imperial Government took over the running of the colony in 1899, its overriding objective was rapid economic development, based on a German- controlled plantation economy.[13]
In April 1911, DrWegener, director of the Meteorological Observatory inApia, stated he was on his way to German New Guinea, to make preliminary arrangements for a series of journeys by balloon across the mainland, the purpose of which was to make aerial surveys.[13][15]
In late 1913, the Imperial Colonial Office appointedHermann Detzner to lead an expedition to survey the border between the British protectorate, calledPapua and the German territory and to survey and map the interior. Detzner, an Austrian, was a military surveyor.[16]
The expedition set off along the Langimar-Watut divide, and traveled by raft down theWatut River to its junction with theMarkham River, and on to the Lutheran Mission station atGabmadzung[13]
On 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. AsWorld War I spread to the Pacific,Australian troops invaded German New Guinea, taking the German barracks in Herbertshöhe (present dayKokopo) and forcing the defending German colonial troops to capitulate on 21 September after theirdefeat at Bita Paka.
On 6 August 1914, residents of the Protectorate were notified by proclamation that a state of war existed between Germany, and England, France and Russia. During this time Detzner continued surveying and avoiding allied forces.
On 11 November 1918, Detzner was advised that the war had ended and surrendered himself atFinschafen complete with sword and sun helmet. He was interned at Sydney and returned to Germany.[13]
Under German New Guinea, powerful wireless stations were constructed at strategic points in the Pacific includingYap,Nauru,Samoa, and atBita Paka, in German New Guinea.
The German protectorate was overrun by British-Australian troops. In 1918, as part of the settlements endingWorld War I, Kaiser-Wilhemsland was administered by theCommonwealth of Australia, aBritish dominion.
In 1918, Kaiser Wilhelmsland and the other territories that comprised German New Guinea (New Pomerania and the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago) were administered by the Commonwealth of Australia. Beginning in 1920, Australia, under a mandate from theLeague of Nations, governed the former German territory of New Guinea. It was administered under this mandate until theJapanese invasion in December 1941 (Operation Mo). Most of the territory of New Guinea, was occupied by Japanese forces before recapture during the final months of the war in the Australian-AmericanNew Guinea campaign.
District officers and patrol officers, known asKiaps provided administrative functions as a one-man representative of the government, taking on policing and judicial roles as well as more mundane tasks as completing censuses. The Kiaps were commissioned as officers of theRoyal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and Magistrates.[17][18][19]
Patrol posts were established in populated areas around the Province. The former German administrative center, Adolfhaven, was renamed the Morobe Patrol Post[20] and a Sub-District headquarters established inKaiapit andKainantu and District headquarters established in Lae and patrol posts established in Wantoat and other areas in the province[21] During the 1960s the kiap became more like amagistrate, moving away fromlaw enforcement.[22]
Morobe province was a key campaign site during World War II. The Japanese had established strong supply bases in the towns ofLae andSalamaua in 1942. TheSalamaua-Lae campaign of the following year was a series of actions in which the Australian and United States forces sought to capture the two Japanese bases. The campaign to take the area began with the Australian attack on Japanese positions near Mubo, on 22 April 1943 and ended with the fall of Lae on September 16, 1943, inOperation Postern. The campaign was notable not only for its classic defense maneuvers at theLanding at Nadzab and the brutal hand-to-hand combat at Salamaua;Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, saw his sole 13 minutes of combat on a bombing mission over Lae. Although the plane he was supposed to fly was shot down, with no survivors, his flight in aMartin B-26 Marauder had repercussions throughout the Pacific theater. Sent as an observer, with instructions to report up the line to Roosevelt, to Congress, and to the Navy brass that the conditions in the Pacific were deplorable, the men had third–rate equipment to fight Japan's first class planes. The effort needed another 6,800 trained and experienced men, plus better supplies, provisions, and generally a higher priority in the war effort.[23]
TheLae War Cemetery is located adjacent to the Botanical Gardens in the center of the city of Lae. The cemetery was begun in 1944 by the Australian Army Graves Services, and the Commonwealth Graves Commission assumed responsibility for it in 1947. The Lae Memorial commemorates 300 men of the Australian forces (including Merchant Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, and the Australian Army) who lost their lives and have no known grave. It contains 2300–2800 burials, of which 444 are unidentified.[24]
After the World War 2, Morobe Province was in a neglected state with the main economic activity being the collection and sale of war disposal equipment. The expatriate population looked at expanding the agricultural sector. The Australian Minister of Territories was Mr.Eddie Ward who refused to allow any land purchases. Following a change of government, Mr.Percy Spender changed this policy, and the introduction of the Ex-Servicemen's Credit Scheme[25] resulted in a significant increase in agricultural activity through all of the country.[26]
In 1970 mineral exports were a mere 1 percent of total exports. Within 2 years, this figure had risen to 55 percent.[27]
Papua New Guinea is part of theAustralasian realm. Througheco-tourism, the province capitalizes on its spectacular scenery, readily accessible diving locales, and its mountains and jungles to offer tourists rich experiences in coral reef, rain forest, sub-alpine and alpine and tropical habitats. The province's jungles and forests are also popular for viewing over 1,000 of species of birds and mammals,[28] including the colourfulemperor bird of paradise, the flightlesscassowary and varieties ofmacropods, including thetree-kangaroo and over 15,000 species of plants.[28] The Huon Peninsula, which comprises most of the provincial land-mass, is a uniquemontane eco-region that offers a variety of plants and conditions found nowhere else in the world. Its coral reefs and volcanic inlets are home to thousands of species of fish and oceanic life that thrive in the reefs and wrecks.[citation needed]
In 2009, theYUS Conservation Area has been established in the northern part of theHuon Peninsula. YUS stretches over 760 km2 and includes three rivers: Yopno, Uruwa and Som, after which it was named. It is a critical habitat for the endangeredmatschie's tree-kangaroo.[29]
Morobe Province's economy has grown at the rate of approximately two percentper annum since 2006. The economic base of the Morobe Province depends on the production and harvesting ofcocoa,coffee,copra andsugar, and tropical fruits (bananas, coconuts). Oil and gas industries are emerging, as is new mining and energy industry.[30] Deteriorating roads and the lack of manufacturing and transportation/communication infrastructure impedes economic development.[31]
TheHidden Valley mine is a gold and silver mine built byHarmony Gold from South Africa over 2006 to mid-2009, withNewcrest from Australia buying into the project in mid-2008 to form the Morobe Mining Joint Venture or ‘MMJV’ (shared 50-50%). The MMJV operates the Hidden Valley mine and all exploration work on MMJV tenements, which includes the large Wafi-Golpu copper-gold deposit.[32]
The relative youth of the Morobe province population puts an increasing strain on schools and education services to combatilliteracy and its accompanying problems. Eight percent of the population (children) depend on twenty percent of the population (adults) for economic support, and population continues to grow at about 2.8 percent per year,[needs update] which is higher than other developing countries.[31]
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The population of Morobe speak over 100 languages, representing 27 language families. The majority of the indigenousPapuan languages of Morobe Province belong to theFinisterre-Huon branch of theTrans-New Guinealanguage family. During the 20th century, two well-studied local languages,Kâte andYabem, were used for the purposes of evangelisation by the Lutheran Church, based inFinschhafen. In theory, Kâte was intended for use in the mountainous hinterlands, wherePapuan languages are spoken, and Yabem in coastal and lowland areas, particularly along the coast and in the Markham Valley, where speakers of theAustronesian family of languages predominate. However, in some inland areas such as Wau, both Kâte and Yabem were introduced by mission groups coming from different directions. Today, English, and especiallyPidgin English, are the common urban languages in Lae.
The Province sends nine members to thenational parliament, and has 14 members of theTutumang the provincial assembly.Tutumang means "the coming together," and the Province maintains that name for its assembly, as is permitted under the Organic Law on Provincial Government and Local Government. From the 2022 National Election the Morobe Governor wasLuther Wenge.
Each province in Papua New Guinea has one or more districts, and each district has one or more Local Level Government (LLG) areas. Forcensus purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units.[33][34][35]
The province was governed by a decentralised provincial administration, headed by a Premier, from 1978 to 1995. Following reforms taking effect that year, the national government reassumed some powers, and the role of Premier was replaced by a position of Governor, to be held by the winner of the province-wide seat in theNational Parliament of Papua New Guinea.[36][37]
| Premier | Term |
|---|---|
| Pama Anio | 1978–1980 |
| Utula Samana | 1980–1987 |
| Enny Moaitz | 1987–1988 |
| Haggai Joshua | 1988–1989 |
| provincial government suspended | 1989–1990 |
| Jerry Nalau | 1991–1992 |
| Titi Christian | 1992 |
| provincial government suspended | 1992–1994 |
| Titi Christian | 1994-1995 |
| Governor | Term |
|---|---|
| Jerry Nalau | 1995–2002 |
| Luther Wenge | 2002–2012 |
| Kelly Naru | 2012–2017 |
| Ginson Saonu | 2017–2022 |
| Luther Wenge | 2022–2025 |
The province and each district is represented by a Member of theNational Parliament. There is one provincialelectorate and each district is an open electorate.
Madang-Morobe travel guide from Wikivoyage| Bulolo District | | |
|---|---|---|
| Finschhafen District | ||
| Huon District | ||
| Kabwum District | ||
| Lae District | ||
| Markham District | ||
| Menyamya District | ||
| Nawae District | ||
| Tawae-Siassi District | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
