Alotau
Encyclopedia
Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province
, a province of Papua New Guinea
. It is located on the northern shore of Milne Bay
.
The town is located within the area in which the invading Japanese army
suffered their first land defeat in the Pacific War
in 1942, before the Kokoda Track
battle. A memorial park at the old battle site commemorates the event. Alotau became the provincial capital in 1969 after it was shifted from Samarai
.
There is a road from Ulumani to Alotau which passes the local Gurney Airport
is named after squadron leader Charles Raymond Gurney of the RAAF
, who was killed in the area in 1942. The airport is 12 km from the town.
Alotau is the gateway to the Milne Bay Province which contains some of the most remote island communities in the world. The whole of Milne bay is noted for its coral reef and scuba diving experiences.
Alotau is also the annual forum for Australian and Papua New Guinean ministers
Milne Bay Province
Milne Bay is a province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Alotau. The province covers 14,000 km² of land and 252,990 km² of sea, within the province there are more than 600 islands, about 160 of which are inhabited...
, a province of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It is located on the northern shore of Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
.
The town is located within the area in which the invading Japanese army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
suffered their first land defeat in the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
in 1942, before the Kokoda Track
Kokoda Track
The Kokoda Trail or Track is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland — in a straight line — through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea...
battle. A memorial park at the old battle site commemorates the event. Alotau became the provincial capital in 1969 after it was shifted from Samarai
Samarai
Samarai is an island and former administrative capital in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. Located off the south-eastern tip of New Guinea in the China Strait Samarai has an area of just ....
.
There is a road from Ulumani to Alotau which passes the local Gurney Airport
Gurney Airport
Gurney Airport is an airport serving Alotau in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.The airport is a single runway general aviation facility, however in December, 2008, the PNG Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Don Polye announced that aviation company Skyworld had been granted...
is named after squadron leader Charles Raymond Gurney of the RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, who was killed in the area in 1942. The airport is 12 km from the town.
Alotau is the gateway to the Milne Bay Province which contains some of the most remote island communities in the world. The whole of Milne bay is noted for its coral reef and scuba diving experiences.
Alotau is also the annual forum for Australian and Papua New Guinean ministers