 Location of the New Georgia Islands in Solomon Islands | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 8°15′S157°30′E / 8.250°S 157.500°E /-8.250; 157.500 |
| Archipelago | Solomon Islands |
| Area | 2,037 km2 (786 sq mi) |
| Length | 72 km (44.7 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 860 m (2820 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Masse |
| Administration | |
Solomon Islands | |
| province | Western Province |
New Georgia, with an area of 2,037 km2 (786 sq mi), is the largest of the islands inWestern Province,Solomon Islands, and the203rd-largest island in the world. Since July 1978, the island has been part of the independent state ofSolomon Islands.
New Georgia island is located in theNew Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province. The island measures approximately 85 kilometres (53 mi) long by 41 kilometres (25 mi) wide. New Georgia forms part of the southern boundary of theNew Georgia Sound.Kolombangara lies across theKula Gulf to the west,Choiseul to the northeast,Vangunu is to the southeast, andRendova to the southwest, across theBlanche Channel.
New Georgia is a volcanic island, surrounded in some places by acoral reef. The highest point is Mount Masse, with an elevation of 860 metres (2,820 ft).
The climate is wet and tropical, and the island is subject to frequent cyclones. New Georgia is covered with dense vegetation, in the marshy areas mangroves are located.
The population of the island was 19,312 in 1999. Most of the population resides on the south coast; however, the main settlement is the village ofMunda, located in the west. On the southeastern coast is the village of Sege. The islanders speak severalMelanesian languages. The ten languages spoken on the island are from the family ofNew Georgia languages, a subgroup of theNorthwest Solomonic languages within theOceanic languages, a major group of theAustronesian family.
TheKalikoqu is a tribe in the Roviana Lagoon on the southern side of New Georgia Island; the larger tribal polities are the chief districts of Saikile and Kalikoqu.
The central part of New Georgia is the cradle ofRoviana culture. A large complex of megalithic shrines and other structures was developed in the 13th century AD.[1] Later, between the 15th and 17th centuries Roviana people moved over to smaller barrier islands at New Georgia with a hub in Nusa Roviana. Through trade andheadhunting expeditions, Nusa Roviana turned into the regional centre of power and trade.
The island was named New Georgia, byJohn Shortland when his ship, theAlexander, passed by it in August 1789 when returning to England in command of four vessels of theFirst Fleet.[2]
On March 15, 1893, CaptainHerbert Gibson ofHMS Curacoa, declared New Georgia to be part of theBritish Solomon Islands Protectorate.[3][4]
The Colonial Office appointedCharles Morris Woodford as the Resident Commissioner in theSolomon Islands on 17 February 1897. He was directed to control thelabour trade operating in the Solomon Island waters and to stop the illegal trade in firearms.[5]Arthur Mahaffy was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner to Woodford in January 1898.[6] In January 1900, Mahaffy established a government station atGizo, as Woodford considered Mahaffy’s military training as making him suitable for the role of suppressingheadhunting in New Georgia and neighbouring islands.[6][7] Mahaffy had a force of twenty-five police officers armed with rifles, who were recruited from the islands ofMalaita,Savo andIsabel.[8] The first target of this force was chief Ingava of the Roviana Lagoon of New Georgia who had been raidingChoiseul and Isabel and killing or enslaving hundreds of people.[8]
Mahaffy and the police officers under his command carried out a violent and ruthless suppression of headhunting, with his actions having the support of Woodford and theWestern Pacific High Commission, who wanted to eradicate headhunting and complete a “pacification” of the western Solomon Islands throughpunitive expeditions.[6] Mahaffy seized and destroyed large war canoes (tomokos). One of which was used to transport the police officers.[8] Thewestern Solomon Islands were substantially pacified by 1902.[6] During this time Mahaffy acquired artefacts held in high value by the Solomon Islanders for his personal collection.[9]
TheMethodist Mission in New Georgia was established by Rev.John Frances Goldie in 1902.[10] He dominated the mission and gained the loyalty of Solomon Islander members of his church.[11] The relationship with the colonial administrators of the British Solomon Island Protectorate were also fraught with difficulty, at this time due to Goldie’s effective control over the Western Solomon Islands.[11]
From 1927 to 1934Dr Edward Sayers worked at the Methodist mission where he established a hospital at Munda and carried out fieldwork in the treatment ofmalaria.[12]
The island was occupied by theEmpire of Japan in the early stages ofWorld War II. DuringPacific War, theUnited States'New Georgia Campaign opened with landings on New Georgia and nearby islands on 30 June 1943. New Georgia was secured by American forces on 23 August, after weeks of difficult and bloodyjungle fighting, although fighting continued on some nearby islands until October 1943.
Munda, the Japanese base on New Georgia Island, was the main objective of the assault on the island. This base was not overrun until 5 August 1943. The Japanese port atBairoko Harbor, 13 km (8.1 mi) north of Munda, was not taken until 25 August.
Donald Gilbert Kennedy was aCoastwatcher stationed at Seghe (Segi) on New Georgia during theSolomon Islands campaign during the Pacific War.[13]
| Central | |
|---|---|
| Choiseul | |
| Guadalcanal | |
| Isabel | |
| Makira-Ulawa | |
| Malaita | |
| Rennell and Bellona | |
| Temotu | |
| Western | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
