NEW GUINEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24826, 28 January 1942, Page 6

NEW GUINEA

WEALTHY TERRITORY AUSTRALIA'S MANDATE THE POSITION OF RABAUL The Japanese attacks being made on New Guinea appear so far to have been confined to the mandated territory of New Guinea, which consists of the north-eastern part of the great island of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the northern islands—principally Bougainville and Buka—of the Solomon Group. The Bismarck Archipelago has as its largest islands New Britain. New Ireland, Lavongai or New Hanover, the Admiralty Islands and the North-Western Islands. The territory of Papua and Dutch New Guinea are separate areas on the New Guinea mainland. The target for the main attack, Rabaul, is situated on the island of New Britain, and was the capital of the territory of New Guinea until September 9, 1941, when, because of eruptions of the volcano Matupi, administrative headquarters were removed to Lae, on the New Guinea mainland. Harbour and Aerodrome It has a fine harbour—Simpson Harbour, on Blanche Bay—and the completion of a new aerodrome was announced in 1939. Rabaul was established by the Germans in 1910, when the Norddeutscher Lloyd Company was encouraged by the German Government to develop it as a port of call on the run from Sydney to Hongkong. The only other town on the island is Kokopo, connected with Rabaul by a good road. New Britain, part of the Bismarck Archipelago, is more than 300 miles long, and at its widest point—abreast of the Williaumez Peninsula—9o miles across. Elsewhere it is only 60 miles wide, and the isthmus which separates the Gazelle Peninsula, on which Rabaul is situated, is only 20 miles across. Densely Forested Area The island has 1000 miles of coastline, and an area of 14,600 square miles. Apart from the Gazelle Peninsula and coastal belt, its mountainous and densely forested area is largely unexplored, only having been crossed from north to south in one or two places. The area of the whole mandated territory is 93,000 square miles, 70,000 of which are on the mainland of New Guinea. Besides New Britain, it includes something over 600 named islands.

Rabaul was captured from the Germans by the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force in September, 1914, and the former German territory came under Australian military administration until 1921, when a civil administration was established.

In 1919, however, it had been decided by the principal Allied and Associated Powers that that part of the former German area in the territory of New Guinea should be entrusted under mandate to Australia. Civil Administration

The Council of the League of Nations defined the terms of the mandate in 1920, but the actual mandate did not reach Australia until 1921.

Military administration then gave way to civil administration. Within 10 years the former German plantations had been disposed of, chiefly to Australian returned soldiers, the German civil laws which were at first, in the main, left in force, ceased to apply, and a policy of native improvement was embarked upon in accordance with the spirit of the mandate. In 1933 the system of government was altered, providing for a measure of self-government, and giving the unofficial community a voice in the administration through a Legislative Council.

The population of the Territory quoted for 1939-40, the year of the last Federal Government report, was 6498 non-natives and 668,871 natives. Importance of Bnlolo

The weath of the territory is almost legendary, with its present centre of exploitation to be found in the rich Morobe gold-mining district on the mainland. Here are Bulolo, already bombed by the Japanese, and Wau, administrative centre of the fields.

Bulolo is the headquarters of the Bulolo Gold Dredging Company, many shares in which are held by New Zealanders, and about 50 miles from Lae at the mouth of the Markham River. Bulolo takes its” name from a great river, into which flows the Edie Creek, also celebrated as a goldfield, and, like Bulolo, owing its present state of development to an airways system whose romantic history is well known. The main port of the Morobe goldfields is Salamaua, only 25 minutes away from Wau and Lae. Other centres of importance are Madang and Aitape, on the north coast of the mainland, Kavieng, at the northern end of New Ireland, and Kieta, on the west coast of Bougainville. Madang and Aitape are each the centre of separate districts given mainly to the development of plantations of various descriptions, chiefly coconut, tobacco, coffee, and cocoa, Madang being more important in this respect than Aitape. Kavieng is also largely under coconuts. It is the port of New Ireland, with a wharf capable of berthing ships up to 2000 tons. Most of the area behind the town is low, in contrast with the generally mountainous topography of the island. Kieta is one of the three better harbours of Bougainville.