Huon Peninsula

Last updated April 16, 2024

Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. The peninsula is dominated by the steep Saruwaged and Finisterre and Cromwell Mountains. The nearest large town is the Morobe provincial capital Lae to the south, while settlements on the north coast include the former German town of Finschhafen, the district capital of Wasu, Malalamai and Saidor with its World War II era Saidor Airport.

History

For over 40,000 years, the region has been home to indigenous communities, such as the Yabob and Morwap, who have relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering for their survival. Their way of life remained largely unchanged until the arrival of European explorers in the 16th century. Stone tools dating back to around 40,000 years ago have been discovered by archaeologists on top of stone terraces, they were believed to be used for agricultural purposes.^[1]

In the 19th century, Christian missionaries established missions on the peninsula, leading to significant changes in the region's social and cultural landscape. During World War II, the Huon Peninsula played a pivotal role in the Pacific War. The Australian and American militaries established bases in the area, and the peninsula became a major staging ground for military operations. After the war, the Huon Peninsula underwent rapid development, with new infrastructure being built to support the growing population. Agriculture and mining became major industries, attracting people from all over Papua New Guinea.

Huon peninsula campaign

The Huon Peninsula campaign was a series of battles fought in north-eastern Papua New Guinea in 1943–1944 during the Second World War. The campaign formed the initial part of an offensive that the Allies launched in the Pacific in late 1943 and resulted in the Japanese being pushed north from Lae to Sio on the northern coast of New Guinea over the course of a four-month period. The campaign was preceded by an amphibious landing by troops from the Australian 9th Division east of Lae on 4 September 1943.

Inhabitants

Below is a table containing some of the traditional inhabitants of the region, their spoken languages, and some notes about their culture. This list is incomplete and there are many other peoples in the area each with diverse set of customs and traditions.

Ethnic groups	Languages spoken	Cultural practices
Morobean	Tok Pisin, English, and several indigenous languages such as Yabem, Bukawa, and Nalik	Traditional music, dance, and art; customary land tenure systems; subsistence agriculture
Siassi Islanders	Siassi language, Tok Pisin	Traditional seafaring and fishing techniques; weaving; oral storytelling
Tewae-Siassi people	Tewae-Siassi language, Tok Pisin	Traditional farming practices; basket weaving; spiritual beliefs centered around the environment and ancestral spirits
Kamula Doso people	Kamula Doso language, Tok Pisin	Traditional hunting and gathering practices; elaborate face and body tattoos; ritual scarification
Bongu people	Bongu language, Tok Pisin	Traditional farming and fishing practices; elaborate woven mats; reverence for ancestors and spirits of the natural world

Geography

The Huon Peninsula is a part of the New Guinea Orogen, which is a mountain range that was formed as a result of the collision between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates.^[2] It is known for its complex geology, including repeated episodic uplift events.^[3] These uplift events have resulted in the formation of regressive terraces that are cut into raised late Quaternary reef tracts.^[3] The peninsula is primarily composed of sedimentary and volcanic rocks, with a few areas of metamorphic rocks. The Huon Peninsula also has significant mineral deposits, including gold, copper, and silver. The area around the town of Wau in the central part of the peninsula was once a major gold mining center during the colonial era, and remnants of the mining operations can still be seen in the area today.

The limestone formations on the peninsula have also contributed to the unique landscape of the region. Studies have shown that up to six regressive terraces occur on the youngest Holocene reef tract, while up to 15 occur on older reef tracts II and III. These tracts span the interval from 33,000 to 52,000 years ago, and the uplift events are believed to be coseismic, meaning they are caused by earthquakes.^[3] The mean recurrence interval of uplift events was found to be between 1,000 and 1,300 years in both the Holocene and late Pleistocene periods.^[3] The amplitude of uplift events averages around 3 meters, and generally increases from northwest to southeast in keeping with the regional late Quaternary trend. However, for some events, the uplift is approximately horizontal over 20 kilometers.^[3]

Rivers

River Name	Estimated Length (km)
Markham River	~120 km
Ramu River	~640 km
Mape River	Unknown
Waria River	Unknown
Kikori River	Unknown
Purari River	Unknown
Vanapa River	Unknown

Mountains

Name	Elevation (meters)	Coordinates	Note
Mount Boising	4,150	5°57′S 146°22′E	Mount Boising is the colloquial (though unofficial) name for the highest point in the Peninsula's Finisterre Range. Until its summiting in 2014, it may have been the world's most prominent unclimbed peak.
Mount Sarawaget	4,121	6°18′S 147°05′E	Mount Sarawaget is the highest point of the Saruwaged Range.

Settlements

Some of the most notable settlements along the Huon peninsula are listed in a table below.

Settlement Name	Province	Description
Lae	Morobe Province	Largest city in the region, major port and industrial center
Finschhafen	Morobe Province	Historic German colonial town, popular tourist destination
Salamaua	Morobe Province	Former gold-mining town, now mostly abandoned
Wau	Morobe Province	Historic gold-mining town, now a small service center
Bulolo	Morobe Province	Mining town, site of a large gold mine
Madang	Madang Province	Coastal town, popular tourist destination
Bogia	Madang Province	Remote coastal village, known for its traditional culture
Saidor	Madang Province	Coastal town, site of an Allied victory in World War II

Climate

The Huon Peninsula experiences a tropical rainforest climate. This type of climate is characterized by high humidity, high temperatures, and abundant rainfall throughout the year.^[4]

The annual average temperature on the peninsula is around 27°C (81°F), with very little seasonal variation.^[4] The warmest months are from October to March, when temperatures can reach up to 32°C (90°F). ^[4]The coolest months are from May to August, with temperatures averaging around 23°C (73°F). The amount of rainfall in the region varies depending on the location, with some areas receiving up to 6,000 millimeters (236 inches) of rain annually. The rainy season typically lasts from December to March, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in February. The dry season, which lasts from June to September, is characterized by less rainfall and lower humidity. The Huon Peninsula also experiences occasional tropical cyclones and monsoons, which can bring extremely heavy rain and strong winds. These weather events can cause flooding and landslides.^[4]

Economy

The region is known for its production of cocoa, copra, and palm oil, which are exported to other parts of Papua New Guinea and to international markets. Additionally, small-scale farming is common in the area, with many families growing crops such as bananas, taro, and sweet potato for subsistence and sale.

At intermediate altitudes within the region mandarins are produced as a cash crop.^[5]

Tourism

In addition to its natural attractions, Huon Peninsula also has a rich cultural heritage. The region is home to several indigenous communities, each with its unique language, customs, and beliefs. Visitors can learn about these communities by visiting their villages, attending cultural festivals, and participating in traditional ceremonies. Some of the most popular cultural experiences on the peninsula include the Baining Fire Dance,^[6] the Morobe Show,^[7] and the Sepik River Crocodile Festival.^[8]

Some of the most notable sites include the Madang Museum,^[9] the War Cemetery in Lae,^[10] and the ruins of the Japanese wartime base at Salamaua.

Agriculture

Within several areas of the region some of the local populations practice a type of soil erosion prevention, they do so by weaving the stems of Piper aduncum into 2-3 meter tall fences which are then used to create a type of terrace.^[11]

Flora and fauna

The rainforests that cover these remote mountains provide habitats for many birds and animals and have been designated the Huon Peninsula montane rain forests ecoregion. The rainforest of the hillsides consists of shorter trees and more herbs than you would find in lowland rainforests around the world, with predominant species of tree including Pometia , Canarium , Anisoptera , Cryptocarya laurels, and Terminalia , while the higher slopes have thicker forests of yet smaller trees and the higher slopes of the Cromwell Range in particular hold the best-preserved large forest of Dacrydium conifers in the southern hemisphere.^[12]

Mammals indigenous to the Huon region include the endangered Matschie's tree-kangaroo, while the birds include many of typical Australasian families such as bowerbirds, Australian robins, honeyeaters (including the endemic spangled honeyeater) and birds of paradise (including the endemic Huon astrapia). There are also endemic butterflies. Although some logging has taken place, the forests of the Huon Peninsula mountains are mostly undisturbed.^[12]

Frogs & Lizards

Below is a table containing some of the frogs and lizards commonly found within the area.^[13]

Frogs & lizards found within the Huon Peninsula region
Type	Scientific name
Monitor Lizards	Varanus i. indicus, Varanus p. prasinus
Skinks	Tribolonotus gracilis, Tiliqua scincoides gigas, Sphenomorphus solomonis, Sphenomorphus muelleri, Sphenomorphus minutus, Sphenomorphus jobiensis, Sphenomorphus granulatus, Sphenomorphus derooyae, Sphenomorphus anotus, Prasinohaema v. virens, Prasinohaema flavipes, Lobulia stanleyana, Lobulia elegans, Carlia fusca, Cryptoblepharus boutonii, Emoia atrocostata, Emoia baudini, Emoia c. caeruleocauda, Emoia cyanogaster, Emoia loveridgei, Emoia mivarti, Emoia p. pallidiceps, Emoia physicae, Emoia submetallica, Eugongylus albofasciolatus, Eugongylus rufescens, Lamprolepis smaragdina, Lipinia longiceps, Lipinia noctua, Lipinia pulchra
Agamid lizards	Gonocephalus dilophus, Gonocephalus modestus, Gonocephalus papuensis
Legless Lizard	Lialis jicari
Gecko	Cyrtodactylus novaeguinea, Cyrtodactylus pelagicus, Cyrtodactylus vankampeni, Gehyra interstitialis, Gehyra mutilata, Gehyra vorax Gekko vittatus, Hemidactylus frenatus, Hemiphyllodactylus t. typus, Lepidodactylus lugubris, Lepidodactylus magnus, Lepidodactylus novaeguineae, Cyrtodactylus loriae, Cyrtodactylus louisiadensis
Microhylid frogs	Cophixalus biroi, Cophixalus cheesmanae, Cophixalus pipilans, Cophixalus shellyi, Cophixalus variegatus, Copiula fistulans, Hylophorbus r. rufescens, Oreophryne sp, Phrynomantis lateralis, Phrynomantis robusta, Sphenophryne mehelyi, Sphenophryne palmipes, Sphenophryne polysticta, Xenobatrachus rostratus, Xenobatrachus subcroceus, Xenorhina doriae
True frogs	Platymantis papuensis, Rana daemeli, Rana grisea
Tree frogs	Litoria amboinensis, Litoria angiana, Litoria eucnemis, Litoria genimaculata, Litoria i. infrafrenata, Litoria micromembrana, Litoria nigropunctata, Litoria thesaurensis, Litoria wollastoni, Nyctimystes disrupta, Nyctimystes foricula, Nyctimystes kubori, Nyctimystes obsoleta, Nyctimystes pulchra
Leptodactylidae	Lechriodus aganoposis
True toad	Bufo marinus

Birds

The below table contains some of the birds commonly encountered at higher elevations along the Huon peninsula.^[14]

Birds found at higher elevations within the Huon peninsula
Scientific Name	Scientific Name
Psitacella brehmii	Grallina bruijni
Psitrichas fulgidus	Chaetorhynchus papuensis
Cacomantis castaneiventris	Paradisaea minor
Chrysococcyx rufcollis	P. guilielmi
Ninox rufa	Chlamydera lauterbachi
Apus pacifcus	Chlamydera cerviniventris
Coracina Montana	Melidectes ochromelas
Ptilorrhoa caerulescens	Melidectes foersteri
Ptilorrhoa leucosticta	Meliphaga Montana
Zoothera heinei	Meliphaga albonotana
Sericornis perspicillatus	Melanocharis crassirostris
Sericornis papuensis	Dicaeum geelvinkianum
Crateroscelis nigrorufa	Daphoenosita chrysoptera
Rhipidura atra	Pitohui kirhocephalus
Machaerirhynchus faviventer	Pachycephala schlegelii
Monarcha rubiensis	Amalocichla incerta
Myiagra alecto	Amalocichla sclateriana
Arses telescophthalmus	Petroica bivitata
Arses insulari	Poecilodryas albonotata
Charmosyna wilhelminae	Psiteuteles goldiei
Otidiphaps nobilis	Gallicolumba beccarii
Megapodius decollatus	Hieraaetus weiskei
Accipiter meyerianus	Accipiter melanochlamys

Conservation

The raised beach coastal terraces of Huon were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on June 6, 2006 in the Mixed (Cultural + Natural) category.^[15]

In 2009 the YUS Conservation Area was established in the northern part of the peninsula. YUS stretches over 760 km² and includes the three rivers, Yopno, Uruwa and Som, for which it was named.^[16]

Related Research Articles

Lae is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River and at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highlands Region and the coast. Lae is the largest cargo port of the country and is the industrial hub of Papua New Guinea. The city is known as the Garden City and home of the University of Technology.

Morobe Province is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital and largest city is Lae. The province covers 33,705 km², with a population of 674,810, and since the division of Southern Highlands Province in May 2012 it is the most populous province. It includes the Huon Peninsula, the Markham River, and delta, and coastal territories along the Huon Gulf. The province has nine administrative districts. At least 101 languages are spoken, including Kâte and Yabem language. English and Tok Pisin are common languages in the urban areas, and in some areas pidgin forms of German are mixed with the native language.

Papua New Guinea together with the West Papua region of Indonesia make up a major tropical wilderness area that still contains 5% of the original and untouched tropical high-biodiversity terrestrial ecosystems. PNG in itself contains over 5% of the world's biodiversity in less than 1% of the world's total land area. The flora of New Guinea is unique because it has two sources of origin; the Gondwana flora from the south and flora with Asian origin from the west. As a result, New Guinea shares major family and genera with Australia and the East Asia, but is rich in local endemic species. The endemicity is a result of mountainous isolation, topographic and soil habitat heterogeneity, high forest disturbance rates and abundant aseasonal rainfall year round. PNG boasts some 15–21,000 higher plants, 3,000 species of orchids, 800 species of coral, 600 species of fish, 250 species of mammals and 760 species of birds and 8 species of tree-kangaroos out of which 84 genera of animals are endemic. Ecosystems range from lowland forests to montane forests, alpine flora down to coastal areas which contains some of the most extensive pristine mangrove areas in the world. Much of this biodiversity has remained intact for thousands of years because the ruggedness of the terrain made the interior lands inaccessible; furthermore low population density and restrictions on the effectiveness of traditional tools, ensured that these biodiversity was never overexploited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finschhafen</span> Place in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea

Finschhafen is a town 80 kilometers (50 mi) east of Lae on the Huon Peninsula in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. The town is commonly misspelt as Finschafen or Finschaven. During World War II, the town was also referred to as Fitch Haven in the logs of some U.S. Navy men.

Morobe United FC, formerly known as Blue Kumuls (1970s–2005), Shorncliffe Blue Kumuls (2005), Tuguba Laitepo Blue Kumuls (2006), Morobe Kumuls FC (2007), Gigira Laitepo Morobe FC, Gigira Laitepo Central Coast FC (2011–12), and Welgris Morobe United FC, are a Papua New Guinea professional soccer club founded in the 1970s and based in Lae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malahang</span> Suburb in Lae District, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea

Malahang is a suburb of Lae, Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea.

Kabwum District is a district of the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Kabwum. The population of the district was 43,472 at the 2010 census. The four local level governments (LLGs) are Komba, Selepet, Timbe or Deyamos and YusIt shares its borders with the following districts of Morobe namely Finchhafen, Nawaeb and Tewai-Siassi. It also shares its border with Raicoast District of Madang Province. There is no direct road link from Lae City, the Provincial Capital to Kabwum District.

YUS Conservation Area is a protected area on the Huon Peninsula, Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. It was established in 2009 as Papua New Guinea's first conservation area, and named after the Yopno, Uruwa and Som rivers that flow through it. The 760 km² area of tropical forests is stretching from coral reefs off the northern coast to the 4,000-metre peaks of the western Saruwaged Mountains. It is a critical habitat for the endangered endemic Matschie's tree-kangaroo.

The Cromwell Mountains is a mountain range on the Huon Peninsula in north-eastern Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Situm</span> Ex-Servicemen Block in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea

Situm is a government ex-servicemen block outside of Lae in Labuta Rural LLG, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

Voco Point is a suburb of Lae in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country and coastal vessels from throughout the country, from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo line up at the wharves. The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, the Siassi islands, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak. The local Lae villages call the area around Voco Point Asiawi, which according to mythology, used to be a long point that went out much further but was eaten by the evil spirit Yaayaa.

Chinatown is a suburb of Lae in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

Eriku is a suburb of Lae in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

The Lae Botanic Gardens are located in Bumneng, Eriku and Lae City in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Within this location is the Papua New Guinea Forest Research Unit, the Papua New Guinea National Herbarium and the Lae War Cemetery.

Bugandi is a suburb of Lae in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

Yalu is a large village in Wampar Rural LLG, located in the Markham Valley of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. It lies along the Highlands Highway 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) north-west of Lae, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southeast of Nadzab. The landscape is typically lowland rainforest.

3 Mile is a suburb of Lae in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

6 Mile is a suburb of Lae in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

9 Mile is a large village in the Markham Valley of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. It lies along the Highlands Highway 9 miles (14 km) from the center of Lae between the foothills of the Atzera Range and the Markham River. The Atzera Range starts at Bugandi and runs adjacent to the Markham River has an elevation of 280 meters above sea level. northwest of Lae, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southeast of Nadzab. The landscape is typically lowland rainforest.

References

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↑ "Face-To-Face With the Baining Fire Dancers of Papua New Guinea". Discover by Silversea. 2023-02-18. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
↑ "Morobe Show". Papua New Guinea. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
↑ "Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival". Papua New Guinea. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
↑ The future of indigenous museums : perspectives from the southwest Pacific. Nick Stanley. New York: Berghahn Books. 2007. ISBN 978-1-84545-188-2. OCLC 137331464.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
↑ CWGC. "Lae War Cemetery | Cemetery Details". CWGC. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
↑ R., Michael Bourke (2009). Food and Agriculture in PNG. ANU Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-921536-61-8. OCLC 1076714793.
1 2 "Huon Peninsula montane rain forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
↑ Zweifel, Richard. "Frogs and lizards from the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea". American Museum of Natural History. 165 (5). hdl:2246/1047.
↑ Freeman, Benjamin G (2013). "Ornithological survey of the mountains of the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea" (PDF). Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 133 (1): 4–18.
↑ Huon Terraces - Stairway to the Past - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Retrieved 2009-03-03.
↑ Conservation International, retrieved 19 May 2010