Port Moresby
Encyclopedia
Port Moresby or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin
, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea
(PNG). It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua
, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea
, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 in World War II
, as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia
from Southeast Asia
and the Americas. In 2000 it had a population of 254,158. As of 2009 it has a population of 307,643, giving it an annual growth rate of 2.1% over a nine year period.
The place where the city was founded has been inhabited by the Motu-Koitabu
people for centuries. The first European to see it was Captain John Moresby in 1873. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
.
According to a survey of world cities by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist
, Port Moresby is one of the world's least livable cities (ranked 137 of 140 cities rated).
Although Port Moresby is surrounded by Central Province, of which it is also the capital, it is not part of that province, but forms the National Capital District.
people of the area now known as Port Moresby traded their pots for sago
, other food and canoe logs, sailing from Hanuabada and other villages built on stilts above the waters of the bay. They also intermarried with the Gulf people
and created strong family and trade links.
The Hiri expeditions
were large scale. As many as 20 multi-hulled canoes or lakatoi, crewed by some 600 men, carried about 20,000 clay pots on each journey. To the Motuans, not only was the Hiri an economic enterprise but it also confirmed their tribal identity through its long and dangerous voyages. These voyages are commemorated in modern times by the annual Hiri Moale Festival held at Ela Beach in September.
There was already an important trade centre on the site of Port Moresby when the English Captain John Moresby
of HMS Basilisk
first visited it. He sailed through the Coral Sea
at the eastern end of New Guinea, saw three previously unknown islands, and landed there. At 10 a.m. on 20 February 1873, he claimed the land for Britain and named it after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
. He called the inner reach "Fairfax Harbour" and the other Port Moresby.
No Europeans settled there until ten years later, when the southeastern part of New Guinea was annexed to the British Empire
. British New Guinea was transferred to the newly established Commonwealth of Australia in 1906, and became known as Papua. From then until 1941 Port Moresby grew slowly. The main growth was on the peninsula, where port facilities and other services were gradually improved. The first butcher's shop and grocery opened in 1909, electricity was introduced in 1925, and piped water supply provided in 1941.
, some Papuan men enlisted in the Papua Infantry Battalion
, and others as carriers over trails and rough terrains (porter
s) as supply support to Allied
and Japan
ese armies during long jungle marches. The biographer of General Douglas MacArthur, noted historian William Manchester
makes it plain in his seminal biography of the General, American Caesar
, that acting as porters was well down the natives list of acceptable voluntary activities and that they would fade away without great inducements.
, William Manchester
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.306: On and about Jul-Sep 1942 and MacArthur's troops stop the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea and General Kenney gifts Port Moresby to the SAC by moving the bomber line 1800 miles to five new air bases.
> Many Papuan residents of Port Moresby either returned to their family villages or were evacuated to camps when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed. The city, while nominated to be abandoned to the Japanese in the spring by Australian factions was, by September, home to an important Allied complex of bases and thousands of troops were eventually stationed in the area or more often, staged through it, as it was the last allied bastion on the island and the last line of defense against the Japanese before Australia
Port Moresby (icon), or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin
, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea
(PNG). It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua
, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea
, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 in World War II
, as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia
from Southeast Asia
and the Americas. In 2000 it had a population of 254,158. As of 2009 it has a population of 307,643, giving it an annual growth rate of 2.1% over a nine year period.
The place where the city was founded has been inhabited by the Motu-Koitabu
people for centuries. The first European to see it was Captain John Moresby in 1873. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
.
According to a survey of world cities by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist
, Port Moresby is one of the world's least livable cities (ranked 137 of 140 cities rated).
Although Port Moresby is surrounded by Central Province, of which it is also the capital, it is not part of that province, but forms the National Capital District.
people of the area now known as Port Moresby traded their pots for sago
, other food and canoe logs, sailing from Hanuabada and other villages built on stilts above the waters of the bay. They also intermarried with the Gulf people
and created strong family and trade links.
The Hiri expeditions
were large scale. As many as 20 multi-hulled canoes or lakatoi, crewed by some 600 men, carried about 20,000 clay pots on each journey. To the Motuans, not only was the Hiri an economic enterprise but it also confirmed their tribal identity through its long and dangerous voyages. These voyages are commemorated in modern times by the annual Hiri Moale Festival held at Ela Beach in September.
There was already an important trade centre on the site of Port Moresby when the English Captain John Moresby
of HMS Basilisk
first visited it. He sailed through the Coral Sea
at the eastern end of New Guinea, saw three previously unknown islands, and landed there. At 10 a.m. on 20 February 1873, he claimed the land for Britain and named it after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
. He called the inner reach "Fairfax Harbour" and the other Port Moresby.
No Europeans settled there until ten years later, when the southeastern part of New Guinea was annexed to the British Empire
. British New Guinea was transferred to the newly established Commonwealth of Australia in 1906, and became known as Papua. From then until 1941 Port Moresby grew slowly. The main growth was on the peninsula, where port facilities and other services were gradually improved. The first butcher's shop and grocery opened in 1909, electricity was introduced in 1925, and piped water supply provided in 1941.
, some Papuan men enlisted in the Papua Infantry Battalion
, and others as carriers over trails and rough terrains (porter
s) as supply support to Allied
and Japan
ese armies during long jungle marches. The biographer of General Douglas MacArthur, noted historian William Manchester
makes it plain in his seminal biography of the General, American Caesar
, that acting as porters was well down the natives list of acceptable voluntary activities and that they would fade away without great inducements.
, William Manchester
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.306: On and about Jul-Sep 1942 and MacArthur's troops stop the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea and General Kenney gifts Port Moresby to the SAC by moving the bomber line 1800 miles to five new air bases.
> Many Papuan residents of Port Moresby either returned to their family villages or were evacuated to camps when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed. The city, while nominated to be abandoned to the Japanese in the spring by Australian factions was, by September, home to an important Allied complex of bases and thousands of troops were eventually stationed in the area or more often, staged through it, as it was the last allied bastion on the island and the last line of defense against the Japanese before Australia
Port Moresby (icon), or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin
, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea
(PNG). It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua
, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea
, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 in World War II
, as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia
from Southeast Asia
and the Americas. In 2000 it had a population of 254,158. As of 2009 it has a population of 307,643, giving it an annual growth rate of 2.1% over a nine year period.
The place where the city was founded has been inhabited by the Motu-Koitabu
people for centuries. The first European to see it was Captain John Moresby in 1873. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
.
According to a survey of world cities by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist
, Port Moresby is one of the world's least livable cities (ranked 137 of 140 cities rated).
Although Port Moresby is surrounded by Central Province, of which it is also the capital, it is not part of that province, but forms the National Capital District.
people of the area now known as Port Moresby traded their pots for sago
, other food and canoe logs, sailing from Hanuabada and other villages built on stilts above the waters of the bay. They also intermarried with the Gulf people
and created strong family and trade links.
The Hiri expeditions
were large scale. As many as 20 multi-hulled canoes or lakatoi, crewed by some 600 men, carried about 20,000 clay pots on each journey. To the Motuans, not only was the Hiri an economic enterprise but it also confirmed their tribal identity through its long and dangerous voyages. These voyages are commemorated in modern times by the annual Hiri Moale Festival held at Ela Beach in September.
There was already an important trade centre on the site of Port Moresby when the English Captain John Moresby
of HMS Basilisk
first visited it. He sailed through the Coral Sea
at the eastern end of New Guinea, saw three previously unknown islands, and landed there. At 10 a.m. on 20 February 1873, he claimed the land for Britain and named it after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
. He called the inner reach "Fairfax Harbour" and the other Port Moresby.
No Europeans settled there until ten years later, when the southeastern part of New Guinea was annexed to the British Empire
. British New Guinea was transferred to the newly established Commonwealth of Australia in 1906, and became known as Papua. From then until 1941 Port Moresby grew slowly. The main growth was on the peninsula, where port facilities and other services were gradually improved. The first butcher's shop and grocery opened in 1909, electricity was introduced in 1925, and piped water supply provided in 1941.
, some Papuan men enlisted in the Papua Infantry Battalion
, and others as carriers over trails and rough terrains (porter
s) as supply support to Allied
and Japan
ese armies during long jungle marches. The biographer of General Douglas MacArthur, noted historian William Manchester
makes it plain in his seminal biography of the General, American Caesar
, that acting as porters was well down the natives list of acceptable voluntary activities and that they would fade away without great inducements.
, William Manchester
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.306: On and about Jul-Sep 1942 and MacArthur's troops stop the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea and General Kenney gifts Port Moresby to the SAC by moving the bomber line 1800 miles to five new air bases.
> Many Papuan residents of Port Moresby either returned to their family villages or were evacuated to camps when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed. The city, while nominated to be abandoned to the Japanese in the spring by Australian factions was, by September, home to an important Allied complex of bases and thousands of troops were eventually stationed in the area or more often, staged through it, as it was the last allied bastion on the island and the last line of defense against the Japanese before Australia > and conversely, a key staging and jumping off point as the Allies got their feet underneath themselves under MacArthur, and began conducting offensive warfare themselves, pushing back the Japanese advances. General George Kenney
's outnumbered and out classed old fighters, when staged forward from new bases about Port Moresby, would effect Japanese decisions to withdraw from their beachhead on Milne Bay
because the allied fighters were only minutes away and enjoyed a rapid turn around time to resume sweeps against long ranged Japanese air during the Battle of Milne Bay
—and that earned Kenney a promotion for it was the first time Japanese aggression had been repulsed in any landing.
Thus it was doubly a strategic target of the Japanese invasion fleet meant to conduct a direct sea-land amphibious assault in May 1942, but the invasion was prevented in the historic Battle of Coral Sea,
, William Manchester
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.290-307: On and about Feb-Dec 1942 and MacArthur's reorganization of troops, lack of theater priority, his support for Guadalcanal and his daring offensive gamble in going to meet the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea as a way of conducting a forward defense of Australia, rather than risk a war of maneuver when he had insufficient forces to move around.
> the first of five carrier versus carrier sea battles in mankinds' history. As long anticipated by MacArthur, the Japanese kept trying to reach Port Moresby, for their strategic bid for air dominance by setting up a network of bases commanding the Sea lines of communication
was obvious as was their desire to isolate and cut off Australia as a war aim. But with a mixed command he was reorganizing and training up on the fly (Many Australian units were drilling with wooden mockups of rifles in August of 1942) before MacArthur's people could set up his planned defensive bases on the north coast of eastern Papua
, the Japanese Army'd moved in and taken both north-coast villages he'd targeted for bases as reinforcements and war materials finally began to trickle in from the States in July— Buna
and Gona
— several weeks before the forces and transports his staff was organizing could have reached them in strength—at a time when Japan's Navy and Air forces were dominant every where they chose to go. The good news was some of those allocated forces were already forward at Milne Bay
, where he was setting a trap with the veteran mid-East blooded 7th Australian Division, for he fully expected the Japanese would continue trans-coastal landings in an attempt to out flank Port Moresby, bringing ground forces in and around the point, in a end-around past the eastern tip of New Guinea and land on undefended beaches there. Once established, under cover from their air bases in the Solomon Sea
they would be easy to resupply and hard to dislodge, and they could march overland to Port Moresby
without negotiating mountains along the coast—in effect, the army would end up with terrain suitable for bombers to dominate the Coral Sea as they'd intended in landing in May when assaulting amphibiously from the Coral Sea. Buna and Gona were their last successes in the New Guinea Campaign
, for MacArthur's trap at the Battle of Milne Bay
resulted in a see-saw battle that in the end had the Japanese abandon their beachhead and retreat for the first time in the war. The Japanese then attempted to take the city by land over the Kokoda Track
staging from Buna and Gona.
As Supreme Allied Commander of the South West Pacific Area
], General Douglas MacArthur
had after months of arguments with that victory, finally convinced Australian politicians in early August of 1942 to "defend Australia by defending Port Moresby"—a forward defense strategy. During this period Port Moresby, especially its "villages", fell into disrepair as the Fifth Air Force under General George Kenney
"pushed his bomber line forward 1800 miles" rapidly establishing no less than five air bases around the sparsely populated town, and troops from a variety of nations under MacArthurs' direction transited through the vicinity; which became a major allied staging base feeding men and material forward from Brisbane, Australia which lies 1,800 miles across the Coral Sea
and about six hours away by B-17 bomber or C-47 transport. By the mid-September MacArthur established a Forward Head Quarters in Port Moresby, and by its end his staff was setting a lunch table in both Headquarters, so often was he splitting his time between locales. With such a influx of non-natives and after the war the whole town had to be rebuilt.
In 1945, the Territory of Papua and New Guinea
was formed when Papua and the former German New Guinea
, which had been administered by Australia since 1918, were amalgamated under a single Australian administration. Port Moresby became the capital of the new combined territory and a focal point for the expansion of public services.
to house government departments, including a National Parliament Building, which opened in 1984 and blends traditional design with modern building technology. The PNG National Museum and National Library are also located at Waigani
.
Unfortunately, several of these government buildings have now been abandoned due to long-term neglect. Chief amongst these are Marea Haus (known to most locals as the "Pineapple Building") and the Central Government Offices. Nearby buildings such as Morauta Haus and Vulupindi Haus are now starting to show significant signs of decay due to a lack of maintenance, including crumbling fire stairs, grimy restrooms and elevators that are always out of service.
The population of the Port Moresby area expanded rapidly after independence. In 1980 the census registered 120,000; by 1990, this had increased to 195,000.
starts in December and ends in May; the dry season
covers the remaining six months. Port Moresby's average yearly rainfall is just over 1000 mm. Average daily high temperatures range from 28°C to 32°C depending on time of year, while the average low temperature shows very little seasonal variation, hovering around the 24°C mark. It tends to be slightly cooler in the city during the dry season.
Port Moresby refers to both the urbanised area of the National Capital District and more specifically to the main business area, known locally as "Town". Other neighbourhoods of Port Moresby include: Koki, with its popular fresh produce market, Newtown, Konedobu
, Kaevaga, Badili, Gabutu, Kila Kila, Matirogo
, Three Mile, Kaugere, Sabama, Korobosea
, Four Mile, Hohola
, Hohola North
, Boroko
, a major shopping area, Gordons, Gordons North, Erima
, Saraga
, Waigani
, Morata
and Gerehu
. There are also villages like Hanuabada, the largest village in Papua New Guinea.
, the biggest international airport and Papua New Guinea Defence Force Air Wing base in the country. Air Niugini
and Airlines PNG both conduct regular domestic and international services from the airport, while Pacific Blue Airlines flies to Brisbane
.
Jacksons has international flights to Brisbane
, Cairns, Sydney
, Honiara
, Nadi
, Manila
, Singapore
, Hong Kong
and Tokyo
.
As the national highway system is not fully linked, there are many internal flights to other towns, e.g. Madang
, which cannot be reached by ground transport, such as minibuses, known locally as PMVs (Public Motor Vehicles).
in Port Moresby.
, People's Republic of China
(Province Shandong
) since 28 September 1988 Palm Desert
, United States
(California
) Townsville, Australia
(Queensland
) since 1983
Associated town: Jayapura
, Indonesia
(Province Irian Jaya
)
Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin is a creole spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an official language of Papua New Guinea and the most widely used language in that country...
, is the capital and largest city 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...
(PNG). It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua
Gulf of Papua
The Gulf of Papua is a 400 kilometer wide region on the south shore of New Guinea. Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River and Purari River, flow into the gulf, making it a large delta. While the western coast is characterized by swampy tidal...
, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and the Americas. In 2000 it had a population of 254,158. As of 2009 it has a population of 307,643, giving it an annual growth rate of 2.1% over a nine year period.
The place where the city was founded has been inhabited by the Motu-Koitabu
Motuan
The Motuans are native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesian immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesians of the area...
people for centuries. The first European to see it was Captain John Moresby in 1873. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
Fairfax Moresby
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB , born in Calcutta, India, to English parents was a British naval officer.-Early life:Moresby was the eldest son of Fairfax Moresby, Lieut...
.
According to a survey of world cities by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, Port Moresby is one of the world's least livable cities (ranked 137 of 140 cities rated).
Although Port Moresby is surrounded by Central Province, of which it is also the capital, it is not part of that province, but forms the National Capital District.
Before colonization
The MotuanMotuan
The Motuans are native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesian immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesians of the area...
people of the area now known as Port Moresby traded their pots for sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
, other food and canoe logs, sailing from Hanuabada and other villages built on stilts above the waters of the bay. They also intermarried with the Gulf people
Gulf Province
Gulf Province is a province of Papua New Guinea located on the southern coast. The provincial capital is Kerema. The 34,500 km² province is dominated by mountains, lowland river deltas, and grassland flood plains, the Kikori, Turama, Purari and Vailala rivers all meet the sea known as the...
and created strong family and trade links.
The Hiri expeditions
Hiri trade cycle
Hiri is the name for the traditional trade voyages that formed an important part of the culture of the Motu people of Papua New Guinea.-Origins:...
were large scale. As many as 20 multi-hulled canoes or lakatoi, crewed by some 600 men, carried about 20,000 clay pots on each journey. To the Motuans, not only was the Hiri an economic enterprise but it also confirmed their tribal identity through its long and dangerous voyages. These voyages are commemorated in modern times by the annual Hiri Moale Festival held at Ela Beach in September.
Colonisation
John Moresby
Captain John Moresby was a British Naval Officer who explored the coast of New Guinea and discovered the site of Port Moresby.Moresby was born in Allerford, Somerset, England, the son of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby...
of HMS Basilisk
HMS Basilisk
Ten ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Basilisk, after the Basilisk, a mythical lizard: was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1695 and broken up in 1729. was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1740 and sold in 1750...
first visited it. He sailed through the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
at the eastern end of New Guinea, saw three previously unknown islands, and landed there. At 10 a.m. on 20 February 1873, he claimed the land for Britain and named it after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
Fairfax Moresby
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB , born in Calcutta, India, to English parents was a British naval officer.-Early life:Moresby was the eldest son of Fairfax Moresby, Lieut...
. He called the inner reach "Fairfax Harbour" and the other Port Moresby.
No Europeans settled there until ten years later, when the southeastern part of New Guinea was annexed to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. British New Guinea was transferred to the newly established Commonwealth of Australia in 1906, and became known as Papua. From then until 1941 Port Moresby grew slowly. The main growth was on the peninsula, where port facilities and other services were gradually improved. The first butcher's shop and grocery opened in 1909, electricity was introduced in 1925, and piped water supply provided in 1941.
World War II and after
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, some Papuan men enlisted in the Papua Infantry Battalion
Royal Pacific Islands Regiment
The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force . The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non-commissioned officers in the territories of Papua and New Guinea...
, and others as carriers over trails and rough terrains (porter
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
s) as supply support to Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese armies during long jungle marches. The biographer of General Douglas MacArthur, noted historian William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
makes it plain in his seminal biography of the General, American Caesar
American Caesar
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964 is a 1978 biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur by American historian William Manchester...
, that acting as porters was well down the natives list of acceptable voluntary activities and that they would fade away without great inducements.
American Caesar
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964 is a 1978 biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur by American historian William Manchester...
, William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.306: On and about Jul-Sep 1942 and MacArthur's troops stop the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea and General Kenney gifts Port Moresby to the SAC by moving the bomber line 1800 miles to five new air bases.
> Many Papuan residents of Port Moresby either returned to their family villages or were evacuated to camps when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed. The city, while nominated to be abandoned to the Japanese in the spring by Australian factions was, by September, home to an important Allied complex of bases and thousands of troops were eventually stationed in the area or more often, staged through it, as it was the last allied bastion on the island and the last line of defense against the Japanese before Australia
Port Moresby (icon), or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin is a creole spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an official language of Papua New Guinea and the most widely used language in that country...
, is the capital and largest city 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...
(PNG). It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua
Gulf of Papua
The Gulf of Papua is a 400 kilometer wide region on the south shore of New Guinea. Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River and Purari River, flow into the gulf, making it a large delta. While the western coast is characterized by swampy tidal...
, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and the Americas. In 2000 it had a population of 254,158. As of 2009 it has a population of 307,643, giving it an annual growth rate of 2.1% over a nine year period.
The place where the city was founded has been inhabited by the Motu-Koitabu
Motuan
The Motuans are native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesian immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesians of the area...
people for centuries. The first European to see it was Captain John Moresby in 1873. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
Fairfax Moresby
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB , born in Calcutta, India, to English parents was a British naval officer.-Early life:Moresby was the eldest son of Fairfax Moresby, Lieut...
.
According to a survey of world cities by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, Port Moresby is one of the world's least livable cities (ranked 137 of 140 cities rated).
Although Port Moresby is surrounded by Central Province, of which it is also the capital, it is not part of that province, but forms the National Capital District.
Before colonization
The MotuanMotuan
The Motuans are native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesian immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesians of the area...
people of the area now known as Port Moresby traded their pots for sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
, other food and canoe logs, sailing from Hanuabada and other villages built on stilts above the waters of the bay. They also intermarried with the Gulf people
Gulf Province
Gulf Province is a province of Papua New Guinea located on the southern coast. The provincial capital is Kerema. The 34,500 km² province is dominated by mountains, lowland river deltas, and grassland flood plains, the Kikori, Turama, Purari and Vailala rivers all meet the sea known as the...
and created strong family and trade links.
The Hiri expeditions
Hiri trade cycle
Hiri is the name for the traditional trade voyages that formed an important part of the culture of the Motu people of Papua New Guinea.-Origins:...
were large scale. As many as 20 multi-hulled canoes or lakatoi, crewed by some 600 men, carried about 20,000 clay pots on each journey. To the Motuans, not only was the Hiri an economic enterprise but it also confirmed their tribal identity through its long and dangerous voyages. These voyages are commemorated in modern times by the annual Hiri Moale Festival held at Ela Beach in September.
Colonisation
John Moresby
Captain John Moresby was a British Naval Officer who explored the coast of New Guinea and discovered the site of Port Moresby.Moresby was born in Allerford, Somerset, England, the son of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby...
of HMS Basilisk
HMS Basilisk
Ten ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Basilisk, after the Basilisk, a mythical lizard: was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1695 and broken up in 1729. was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1740 and sold in 1750...
first visited it. He sailed through the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
at the eastern end of New Guinea, saw three previously unknown islands, and landed there. At 10 a.m. on 20 February 1873, he claimed the land for Britain and named it after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
Fairfax Moresby
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB , born in Calcutta, India, to English parents was a British naval officer.-Early life:Moresby was the eldest son of Fairfax Moresby, Lieut...
. He called the inner reach "Fairfax Harbour" and the other Port Moresby.
No Europeans settled there until ten years later, when the southeastern part of New Guinea was annexed to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. British New Guinea was transferred to the newly established Commonwealth of Australia in 1906, and became known as Papua. From then until 1941 Port Moresby grew slowly. The main growth was on the peninsula, where port facilities and other services were gradually improved. The first butcher's shop and grocery opened in 1909, electricity was introduced in 1925, and piped water supply provided in 1941.
World War II and after
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, some Papuan men enlisted in the Papua Infantry Battalion
Royal Pacific Islands Regiment
The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force . The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non-commissioned officers in the territories of Papua and New Guinea...
, and others as carriers over trails and rough terrains (porter
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
s) as supply support to Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese armies during long jungle marches. The biographer of General Douglas MacArthur, noted historian William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
makes it plain in his seminal biography of the General, American Caesar
American Caesar
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964 is a 1978 biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur by American historian William Manchester...
, that acting as porters was well down the natives list of acceptable voluntary activities and that they would fade away without great inducements.
American Caesar
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964 is a 1978 biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur by American historian William Manchester...
, William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.306: On and about Jul-Sep 1942 and MacArthur's troops stop the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea and General Kenney gifts Port Moresby to the SAC by moving the bomber line 1800 miles to five new air bases.
> Many Papuan residents of Port Moresby either returned to their family villages or were evacuated to camps when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed. The city, while nominated to be abandoned to the Japanese in the spring by Australian factions was, by September, home to an important Allied complex of bases and thousands of troops were eventually stationed in the area or more often, staged through it, as it was the last allied bastion on the island and the last line of defense against the Japanese before Australia
Port Moresby (icon), or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin is a creole spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an official language of Papua New Guinea and the most widely used language in that country...
, is the capital and largest city 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...
(PNG). It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua
Gulf of Papua
The Gulf of Papua is a 400 kilometer wide region on the south shore of New Guinea. Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River and Purari River, flow into the gulf, making it a large delta. While the western coast is characterized by swampy tidal...
, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and the Americas. In 2000 it had a population of 254,158. As of 2009 it has a population of 307,643, giving it an annual growth rate of 2.1% over a nine year period.
The place where the city was founded has been inhabited by the Motu-Koitabu
Motuan
The Motuans are native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesian immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesians of the area...
people for centuries. The first European to see it was Captain John Moresby in 1873. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
Fairfax Moresby
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB , born in Calcutta, India, to English parents was a British naval officer.-Early life:Moresby was the eldest son of Fairfax Moresby, Lieut...
.
According to a survey of world cities by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, Port Moresby is one of the world's least livable cities (ranked 137 of 140 cities rated).
Although Port Moresby is surrounded by Central Province, of which it is also the capital, it is not part of that province, but forms the National Capital District.
Before colonization
The MotuanMotuan
The Motuans are native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesian immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesians of the area...
people of the area now known as Port Moresby traded their pots for sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
, other food and canoe logs, sailing from Hanuabada and other villages built on stilts above the waters of the bay. They also intermarried with the Gulf people
Gulf Province
Gulf Province is a province of Papua New Guinea located on the southern coast. The provincial capital is Kerema. The 34,500 km² province is dominated by mountains, lowland river deltas, and grassland flood plains, the Kikori, Turama, Purari and Vailala rivers all meet the sea known as the...
and created strong family and trade links.
The Hiri expeditions
Hiri trade cycle
Hiri is the name for the traditional trade voyages that formed an important part of the culture of the Motu people of Papua New Guinea.-Origins:...
were large scale. As many as 20 multi-hulled canoes or lakatoi, crewed by some 600 men, carried about 20,000 clay pots on each journey. To the Motuans, not only was the Hiri an economic enterprise but it also confirmed their tribal identity through its long and dangerous voyages. These voyages are commemorated in modern times by the annual Hiri Moale Festival held at Ela Beach in September.
Colonisation
John Moresby
Captain John Moresby was a British Naval Officer who explored the coast of New Guinea and discovered the site of Port Moresby.Moresby was born in Allerford, Somerset, England, the son of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby...
of HMS Basilisk
HMS Basilisk
Ten ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Basilisk, after the Basilisk, a mythical lizard: was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1695 and broken up in 1729. was a 4-gun bomb vessel launched in 1740 and sold in 1750...
first visited it. He sailed through the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
at the eastern end of New Guinea, saw three previously unknown islands, and landed there. At 10 a.m. on 20 February 1873, he claimed the land for Britain and named it after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby
Fairfax Moresby
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB , born in Calcutta, India, to English parents was a British naval officer.-Early life:Moresby was the eldest son of Fairfax Moresby, Lieut...
. He called the inner reach "Fairfax Harbour" and the other Port Moresby.
No Europeans settled there until ten years later, when the southeastern part of New Guinea was annexed to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. British New Guinea was transferred to the newly established Commonwealth of Australia in 1906, and became known as Papua. From then until 1941 Port Moresby grew slowly. The main growth was on the peninsula, where port facilities and other services were gradually improved. The first butcher's shop and grocery opened in 1909, electricity was introduced in 1925, and piped water supply provided in 1941.
World War II and after
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, some Papuan men enlisted in the Papua Infantry Battalion
Royal Pacific Islands Regiment
The Royal Pacific Islands Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force . The regiment is descended from the Australian Army infantry battalions formed from native soldiers and Australian officers and non-commissioned officers in the territories of Papua and New Guinea...
, and others as carriers over trails and rough terrains (porter
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
s) as supply support to Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese armies during long jungle marches. The biographer of General Douglas MacArthur, noted historian William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
makes it plain in his seminal biography of the General, American Caesar
American Caesar
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964 is a 1978 biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur by American historian William Manchester...
, that acting as porters was well down the natives list of acceptable voluntary activities and that they would fade away without great inducements.
American Caesar
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964 is a 1978 biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur by American historian William Manchester...
, William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.306: On and about Jul-Sep 1942 and MacArthur's troops stop the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea and General Kenney gifts Port Moresby to the SAC by moving the bomber line 1800 miles to five new air bases.
> Many Papuan residents of Port Moresby either returned to their family villages or were evacuated to camps when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed. The city, while nominated to be abandoned to the Japanese in the spring by Australian factions was, by September, home to an important Allied complex of bases and thousands of troops were eventually stationed in the area or more often, staged through it, as it was the last allied bastion on the island and the last line of defense against the Japanese before Australia > and conversely, a key staging and jumping off point as the Allies got their feet underneath themselves under MacArthur, and began conducting offensive warfare themselves, pushing back the Japanese advances. General George Kenney
George Kenney
George Churchill Kenney was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. He was commander of the Allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific Area from August 1942 until 1945.-Early life:...
's outnumbered and out classed old fighters, when staged forward from new bases about Port Moresby, would effect Japanese decisions to withdraw from their beachhead on 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....
because the allied fighters were only minutes away and enjoyed a rapid turn around time to resume sweeps against long ranged Japanese air during the Battle of Milne Bay
Battle of Milne Bay
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 25 August 1942, and fighting continued until the Japanese retreated on 5...
—and that earned Kenney a promotion for it was the first time Japanese aggression had been repulsed in any landing.
American Caesar
American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964 is a 1978 biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur by American historian William Manchester...
, William Manchester
William Manchester
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, notable as the bestselling author of 18 books that have been translated into over 20 languages...
, 1978, Little Brown Company,793 pages, ISBN:0-316-54498-1, pp.290-307: On and about Feb-Dec 1942 and MacArthur's reorganization of troops, lack of theater priority, his support for Guadalcanal and his daring offensive gamble in going to meet the Japanese in the difficult jungles of New Guinea as a way of conducting a forward defense of Australia, rather than risk a war of maneuver when he had insufficient forces to move around.
> the first of five carrier versus carrier sea battles in mankinds' history. As long anticipated by MacArthur, the Japanese kept trying to reach Port Moresby, for their strategic bid for air dominance by setting up a network of bases commanding the Sea lines of communication
Sea lines of communication
Sea lines of communication is a term describing the primary maritime routes between ports, used for trade, logistics and naval forces...
was obvious as was their desire to isolate and cut off Australia as a war aim. But with a mixed command he was reorganizing and training up on the fly (Many Australian units were drilling with wooden mockups of rifles in August of 1942) before MacArthur's people could set up his planned defensive bases on the north coast of eastern Papua
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, the Japanese Army'd moved in and taken both north-coast villages he'd targeted for bases as reinforcements and war materials finally began to trickle in from the States in July— Buna
Buna
Buna may refer to the official Mbum language of Cameroon, as well as:People:*Buna Lawrie, an Australian Aboriginal musician.Places:*Buna village, a small Bosnia and Herzegovina village at the confluence of the Buna and Neretva rivers...
and Gona
Gona
-History:Gona was the site of an Anglican church and mission.During World War II, Imperial Japanese troops invaded on 21–22 July 1942 and established it as a base. Three missionaries were captured at Gona, Father James Benson, May Hayman and Mavis Parkins. The two women and a six year old boy were...
— several weeks before the forces and transports his staff was organizing could have reached them in strength—at a time when Japan's Navy and Air forces were dominant every where they chose to go. The good news was some of those allocated forces were already forward at 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....
, where he was setting a trap with the veteran mid-East blooded 7th Australian Division, for he fully expected the Japanese would continue trans-coastal landings in an attempt to out flank Port Moresby, bringing ground forces in and around the point, in a end-around past the eastern tip of New Guinea and land on undefended beaches there. Once established, under cover from their air bases in the Solomon Sea
Solomon Sea
The Solomon Sea is a sea located within the Pacific Ocean. It lies between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Many major battles were fought there during World War II.-Extent:...
they would be easy to resupply and hard to dislodge, and they could march overland to Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
without negotiating mountains along the coast—in effect, the army would end up with terrain suitable for bombers to dominate the Coral Sea as they'd intended in landing in May when assaulting amphibiously from the Coral Sea. Buna and Gona were their last successes in the New Guinea Campaign
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
, for MacArthur's trap at the Battle of Milne Bay
Battle of Milne Bay
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 25 August 1942, and fighting continued until the Japanese retreated on 5...
resulted in a see-saw battle that in the end had the Japanese abandon their beachhead and retreat for the first time in the war. The Japanese then attempted to take the city by land over 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...
staging from Buna and Gona.
As Supreme Allied Commander of the South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
], General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
had after months of arguments with that victory, finally convinced Australian politicians in early August of 1942 to "defend Australia by defending Port Moresby"—a forward defense strategy. During this period Port Moresby, especially its "villages", fell into disrepair as the Fifth Air Force under General George Kenney
George Kenney
George Churchill Kenney was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. He was commander of the Allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific Area from August 1942 until 1945.-Early life:...
"pushed his bomber line forward 1800 miles" rapidly establishing no less than five air bases around the sparsely populated town, and troops from a variety of nations under MacArthurs' direction transited through the vicinity; which became a major allied staging base feeding men and material forward from Brisbane, Australia which lies 1,800 miles across the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
and about six hours away by B-17 bomber or C-47 transport. By the mid-September MacArthur established a Forward Head Quarters in Port Moresby, and by its end his staff was setting a lunch table in both Headquarters, so often was he splitting his time between locales. With such a influx of non-natives and after the war the whole town had to be rebuilt.
In 1945, the Territory of Papua and New Guinea
Territory of Papua and New Guinea
The Territory of Papua and New Guinea was established by an administrative union between the Australian-administered territories of Papua and New Guinea in 1949...
was formed when Papua and the former German New Guinea
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
, which had been administered by Australia since 1918, were amalgamated under a single Australian administration. Port Moresby became the capital of the new combined territory and a focal point for the expansion of public services.
Capital city of an independent Papua New Guinea
In September 1975, Papua New Guinea became an independent country with Port Moresby as its capital city. New government buildings were constructed at WaiganiWaigani
Waigani is a suburb of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. It includes the Parliament Building of Papua New Guinea, the University of Papua New Guinea, Morauta House, the PNG National Museum and the National Library....
to house government departments, including a National Parliament Building, which opened in 1984 and blends traditional design with modern building technology. The PNG National Museum and National Library are also located at Waigani
Waigani
Waigani is a suburb of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. It includes the Parliament Building of Papua New Guinea, the University of Papua New Guinea, Morauta House, the PNG National Museum and the National Library....
.
Unfortunately, several of these government buildings have now been abandoned due to long-term neglect. Chief amongst these are Marea Haus (known to most locals as the "Pineapple Building") and the Central Government Offices. Nearby buildings such as Morauta Haus and Vulupindi Haus are now starting to show significant signs of decay due to a lack of maintenance, including crumbling fire stairs, grimy restrooms and elevators that are always out of service.
The population of the Port Moresby area expanded rapidly after independence. In 1980 the census registered 120,000; by 1990, this had increased to 195,000.
Climate
Port Moresby has a tropical wet and dry climate with relatively constant temperatures throughout the year. The wet seasonWet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
starts in December and ends in May; the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
covers the remaining six months. Port Moresby's average yearly rainfall is just over 1000 mm. Average daily high temperatures range from 28°C to 32°C depending on time of year, while the average low temperature shows very little seasonal variation, hovering around the 24°C mark. It tends to be slightly cooler in the city during the dry season.
Regions and suburbs
Port Moresby refers to both the urbanised area of the National Capital District and more specifically to the main business area, known locally as "Town". Other neighbourhoods of Port Moresby include: Koki, with its popular fresh produce market, Newtown, Konedobu
Konedobu
Konedobu is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. It is located in the valley in between Touaguba Hill and Burns Peak.The suburb is the location of numerous government departments, including the headquarters of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. It also contains...
, Kaevaga, Badili, Gabutu, Kila Kila, Matirogo
Matirogo
Matirogo is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
, Three Mile, Kaugere, Sabama, Korobosea
Korobosea
Korobosea is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea. It contains the Port Moresby General Hospital, a busy teaching hospital....
, Four Mile, Hohola
Hohola
Hohola is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
, Hohola North
Hohola North
Hohola North is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
, Boroko
Boroko
Boroko is a major suburb and commercial centre in Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
, a major shopping area, Gordons, Gordons North, Erima
Erima
Erima is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
, Saraga
Saraga
Saraga is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
, Waigani
Waigani
Waigani is a suburb of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. It includes the Parliament Building of Papua New Guinea, the University of Papua New Guinea, Morauta House, the PNG National Museum and the National Library....
, Morata
Morata, Papua New Guinea
Morata is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
and Gerehu
Gerehu
Gerehu is a large residential suburb to the north of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea....
. There are also villages like Hanuabada, the largest village in Papua New Guinea.
Transport
Port Moresby is served by Jacksons International AirportJacksons International Airport
Jacksons International Airport , also known as Port Moresby Airport, is located 5 miles outside Port Moresby, in Papua New Guinea...
, the biggest international airport and Papua New Guinea Defence Force Air Wing base in the country. Air Niugini
Air Niugini
Air Niugini Limited is the national airline of Papua New Guinea, based in Air Niugini House on the property of Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby. It operates a domestic network from Port Moresby and Lae, as well as international services in Asia, Oceania, and Australia. Its main base is...
and Airlines PNG both conduct regular domestic and international services from the airport, while Pacific Blue Airlines flies to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
Jacksons has international flights to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Cairns, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
, Nadi
Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
As the national highway system is not fully linked, there are many internal flights to other towns, e.g. Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
, which cannot be reached by ground transport, such as minibuses, known locally as PMVs (Public Motor Vehicles).
Economy
Airlines PNG has its head office on the grounds of Jacksons International AirportJacksons International Airport
Jacksons International Airport , also known as Port Moresby Airport, is located 5 miles outside Port Moresby, in Papua New Guinea...
in Port Moresby.
Twin towns
JinanJinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(Province Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) since 28 September 1988 Palm Desert
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) Townsville, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
) since 1983
Associated town: Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
(Province Irian Jaya
Papua (Indonesian province)
Papua comprises most of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands. Its capital is Jayapura. It's the largest and easternmost province of Indonesia. The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea...
)