Vitu Islands
Encyclopedia
The Vitu Islands are a volcanic group
with an area of 37 sq mi (96 km²) located in the Bismarck Archipelago
of Papua New Guinea
in the South West Pacific.
The islands are volcanic ocean peaks, much as they are reef-ringed, not atolls, and are thereby highly fertile. Garove[Vitu, or Big Witu] and Unea["Bali"] are the largest islands. The group is the chief copra
center of Papua New Guinea, although the main crop harvested now due to the depressed prices available for copra is cocoa.
The islands are situated west of north of Talasea peninsula, Nth Coast New Britain, with Unea some 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) E of south of the main group, and the remaining other islands Mundua ("Ningau"), situated 7 miles (11.3 km) NW of Garove, and Narage' some fifteen miles (24 km) NW of Mundua, the final extension of the sub-aqueous peaks chain being the Attilian reef further NW of Narage', this last all but totally submerged at all tide states, and dangerous to shipping. Narage' is a post-explosive-eruption volcanic remnant of approx 52 acres (210,436.7 m²) of what was an island of 150 acre (0.607029 km²) prior to eruption, this occurring back in 1892-3.
The tsunami from this reached 100 metres on impact on Ningau, wiped out all but two persons of the lowest-lying of three villages - Goru - (they were absent on Garove) and was causative to major disruption and reduction of population over a wide area of the N Coastal areas of New Britain and quite possibly New Guinea and the Western Islands group, plus other islands. A wave of such magnitude would have made the 1997 Itape wave little more than a reef or shore break.
In German times prior to World War I this was - outside of Kokopo, at Rabaul - the stamping ground and major enterprise of the American-Samoan, Queen Emma, whose island group H/Q was Langu plantation, Vitu, and whose manager, a Dane named Peter Hansen, became quite famous for his retinue of concubines, some 26 in number, this the more surprising as the male:female birth ratio in Vitu proper was of the order of 103 males:100 females post-weaning. Interestingly, that is reversed upon Unea, and the social doyens of the upper Witus are or were the ladies happily bride-stolen by the Mundua and Witu lads on wife raids, there being no bride price to pay, and this keeping the populations pretty much stable and balanced wrt genders and genetic make-up. These figures are from the late 1960s and may not apply today, as one in fifty persons in Nuigini are now positive to HIV {Air Nuigini In-Flight magazine, Sept. 2009]. Nonetheless it is an extremely rare occurrence wrt population make-up.
On expulsion of the Germans post World War I the group was acquired by the island trading group Burns Philp, plantations comprising Lama, Meto, Ilia and Langu on "Big Vitu" - Garove - and Ningau as the plantation whole for Mundua-Narage'. Langu was ceded by Burns Philp to the Coote family post World War II as compensation for the execution of their family head and Burns Philp Rabaul store manager by the Japanese for refusing them the keys to Burns Philp's Rabaul enterprises on invasion, and for the duration of the war Vitu was occupied by Japanese who had the sense to treat the native population well.
Nonetheless, Coast-Watch activities proceeded, and one Tumbuan Tuagolo, or "Talasea" of Mundua acted as guide to Eric Feldt within the New Britain area.
One of the greater claims to international fame of Vitu is that a daughter of the Langu manager for the Coote family, and later, owner, Richard {"Dick"] Doyle became Miss Nuigini.
Under the German Roman Catholic mission at Vuonopope, Kokopo, a mission was established inside the caldera which is the bulk of Garove, a wise choice considering the Group's exposure and sea-states at times of both the NW Monsoon and the SE Trades, the island comprising basically at places only the precipitous higher ground of the caldera rim.
This mission, Peterhafen, was the redoubt of the notorious militant German Archbishop Wolffe, and was to the left of the passage outside the entrance to which the Australian Navy laid blockade to the German raider of the same name - Wolf - which lay behind the entrance island to the caldera with her masts dropped to not be in visibility, all guns laid. in hope of luring the Australians in. Her call there was both protective and for purposes of de-fouling of the hull, her max speed being just eleven knots with economical cruise of eight knots, clean.
Formerly called the French Islands, the group is sometimes known as the Witu Islands.
Peter Hanson pioneered Witu plantings his HQ was Meto not Langu Langu was planted in 1911 The Coote Family acquired Langu after 1946 when Dianna Martell (nee Coote) inherited 50% when Mrs Baker died late 1946. Coote family bought out the other 50% from GB Sowerby. Dick Doyle acquired Langu 100% in 1993 his Daughter Tania won Miss PNG a year later (1994).
A tsunami passed through Witu in 1888 when the Ritter volcano near Gloucester collapsed into the sea 50 feet (15.2 m) at immediate Ritter area about 25 feet{?} at Witu and 6 feet (1.8 m) in Rabaul
Catholic mission established on Witu 1952 inside big caldera Johanne Albrecht Harbour.
For Meto, Peter Hanson Queen Emma details see RW Robson's QUEEN EMMA.
Volcanic group
A volcanic group is a collection of related volcanoes or volcanic landforms. Note that the term is also used in a different sense when it denotes a suite of associated rock strata largely of volcanic origin; see group for details.-Notable volcanic groups:-See also:*Complex...
with an area of 37 sq mi (96 km²) located in the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
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...
in the South West Pacific.
The islands are volcanic ocean peaks, much as they are reef-ringed, not atolls, and are thereby highly fertile. Garove[Vitu, or Big Witu] and Unea["Bali"] are the largest islands. The group is the chief copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
center of Papua New Guinea, although the main crop harvested now due to the depressed prices available for copra is cocoa.
The islands are situated west of north of Talasea peninsula, Nth Coast New Britain, with Unea some 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) E of south of the main group, and the remaining other islands Mundua ("Ningau"), situated 7 miles (11.3 km) NW of Garove, and Narage' some fifteen miles (24 km) NW of Mundua, the final extension of the sub-aqueous peaks chain being the Attilian reef further NW of Narage', this last all but totally submerged at all tide states, and dangerous to shipping. Narage' is a post-explosive-eruption volcanic remnant of approx 52 acres (210,436.7 m²) of what was an island of 150 acre (0.607029 km²) prior to eruption, this occurring back in 1892-3.
The tsunami from this reached 100 metres on impact on Ningau, wiped out all but two persons of the lowest-lying of three villages - Goru - (they were absent on Garove) and was causative to major disruption and reduction of population over a wide area of the N Coastal areas of New Britain and quite possibly New Guinea and the Western Islands group, plus other islands. A wave of such magnitude would have made the 1997 Itape wave little more than a reef or shore break.
In German times prior to World War I this was - outside of Kokopo, at Rabaul - the stamping ground and major enterprise of the American-Samoan, Queen Emma, whose island group H/Q was Langu plantation, Vitu, and whose manager, a Dane named Peter Hansen, became quite famous for his retinue of concubines, some 26 in number, this the more surprising as the male:female birth ratio in Vitu proper was of the order of 103 males:100 females post-weaning. Interestingly, that is reversed upon Unea, and the social doyens of the upper Witus are or were the ladies happily bride-stolen by the Mundua and Witu lads on wife raids, there being no bride price to pay, and this keeping the populations pretty much stable and balanced wrt genders and genetic make-up. These figures are from the late 1960s and may not apply today, as one in fifty persons in Nuigini are now positive to HIV {Air Nuigini In-Flight magazine, Sept. 2009]. Nonetheless it is an extremely rare occurrence wrt population make-up.
On expulsion of the Germans post World War I the group was acquired by the island trading group Burns Philp, plantations comprising Lama, Meto, Ilia and Langu on "Big Vitu" - Garove - and Ningau as the plantation whole for Mundua-Narage'. Langu was ceded by Burns Philp to the Coote family post World War II as compensation for the execution of their family head and Burns Philp Rabaul store manager by the Japanese for refusing them the keys to Burns Philp's Rabaul enterprises on invasion, and for the duration of the war Vitu was occupied by Japanese who had the sense to treat the native population well.
Nonetheless, Coast-Watch activities proceeded, and one Tumbuan Tuagolo, or "Talasea" of Mundua acted as guide to Eric Feldt within the New Britain area.
One of the greater claims to international fame of Vitu is that a daughter of the Langu manager for the Coote family, and later, owner, Richard {"Dick"] Doyle became Miss Nuigini.
Under the German Roman Catholic mission at Vuonopope, Kokopo, a mission was established inside the caldera which is the bulk of Garove, a wise choice considering the Group's exposure and sea-states at times of both the NW Monsoon and the SE Trades, the island comprising basically at places only the precipitous higher ground of the caldera rim.
This mission, Peterhafen, was the redoubt of the notorious militant German Archbishop Wolffe, and was to the left of the passage outside the entrance to which the Australian Navy laid blockade to the German raider of the same name - Wolf - which lay behind the entrance island to the caldera with her masts dropped to not be in visibility, all guns laid. in hope of luring the Australians in. Her call there was both protective and for purposes of de-fouling of the hull, her max speed being just eleven knots with economical cruise of eight knots, clean.
Formerly called the French Islands, the group is sometimes known as the Witu Islands.
Peter Hanson pioneered Witu plantings his HQ was Meto not Langu Langu was planted in 1911 The Coote Family acquired Langu after 1946 when Dianna Martell (nee Coote) inherited 50% when Mrs Baker died late 1946. Coote family bought out the other 50% from GB Sowerby. Dick Doyle acquired Langu 100% in 1993 his Daughter Tania won Miss PNG a year later (1994).
A tsunami passed through Witu in 1888 when the Ritter volcano near Gloucester collapsed into the sea 50 feet (15.2 m) at immediate Ritter area about 25 feet{?} at Witu and 6 feet (1.8 m) in Rabaul
Catholic mission established on Witu 1952 inside big caldera Johanne Albrecht Harbour.
For Meto, Peter Hanson Queen Emma details see RW Robson's QUEEN EMMA.