Kwato Island

Kwato Island

Kwato Island
Geography
Location	Oceania
Coordinates	10°36′19″S150°37′55″E / 10.60528°S 150.63194°E / -10.60528; 150.63194 [1]
Archipelago	Louisiade Archipelago
Adjacent to	Solomon Sea
Total islands	1
Major islands	Kwato
Area	0.35 km2 (0.14 sq mi)
Length	1 km (0.6 mi)
Width	0.85 km (0.528 mi)
Coastline	3 km (1.9 mi)
Highest elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Administration
Papua New Guinea
Province	Milne Bay
Island Group	Samarai Islands
Island Group	Logea Islands
Ward	Logea North
Largest settlement	Kwato(pop. 50)
Demographics
Population	66 (2014)
Pop. density	189/km2 (490/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Papuans, Austronesians, Melanesians.
Additional information
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
ISO code	PG-MBA
Official website	www.ncdc.gov.pg

Kwato Island an island in China Strait, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is part of the Louisiade Archipelago. The island covers just 70 acres (28 ha).

Administration

The island belongs to Logea North Ward, which is part of the Bwanabwana Rural Local Level Government Area LLG, Samarai-Murua District in Milne Bay Province. ^[2]

History

In 1891, Rev Charles Abel and his wife Beatrice and another missionary, F. W. Walker, started a London Missionary Society mission on the island, which was at the time uninhabited but had previously been used by Chinese and European traders. The tombs of Abel and his wife are on the island, behind the church. They developed Kwato into a self-supporting mission with a boarding school, teaching boat-building, agriculture and management skills to the boys and sewing and lace work for the girls, as well as reading, writing and arithmetic and Bible study for all. A saw mill and a machine room were constructed for boat building. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

Geography

The island is part of the Logea group, itself a part of Samarai Islands of the Louisiade Archipelago. It is about two miles long and one mile wide and has a boomerang shape. The church built by the missionaries is in the centre of the island at its highest point. ^[4]

Economy

The islanders, like other from Samarai Islands, are experts in boat building.

Demographics

The present population of around 50 is now split between two villages: Kwato missionary which is inland, and Isuhina which is on the coast. Kwato serves as a meeting place for the surrounding islands, which have around one thousand people. ^[4]

Sport

The London Missionary Society introduced cricket to Kwato island. It became very popular, and in a short time many of the neighbouring islands started to play the game. It is still very popular in Milne Bay and in other parts of PNG. Kwato still has a cricket ground. ^{[6] [8] [9]}

Transportation

There is a dock on the island.

References

1. Prostar Sailing Directions 2004 New Guinea Enroute, p. 168
2. LLG map
3. "Lonely Planet". Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
4. "Kwato Island, Papua New Guinea". Richard Edwards. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
5. "Kwato: A Peaceful Island Mission". The Advertiser, Adelaide. 14 September 1937. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
6. Lutton, Nancy. Abel, Charles William (1862–1930). Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7 , 1979. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 29 June 2025.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
7. Wetherell, David (1982). "The Fortunes of Charles W. Abel of Kwato 1891-1930". The Journal of Pacific History. 17 (4): 195–217. doi:10.1080/00223348208572449.
8. "Milne Bay Cricket". PNG Haus Bung. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
9. "Search: Kwato Island". Google Maps. Retrieved 29 June 2025.