Port Moresby

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Port Moresby town

Port Moresby (or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin), population 255,000 (2000), is the capital of Papua New Guinea. The city is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea.

The area on which the city was founded was first sighted by a European in 1873 by Captain John Moresby. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby.

1 History
2 Regions and Suburbs
3 Transport
4 Images
5 Twin towns
6 Notes
7 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Before Colonisation

The Motuan 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 silts 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, the Hiri was not only an economic enterprise but they also confirmed their identity as a tribe because of the long and dangerous voyages. These voyages are commemorated in modern times by the annual Hiri Moale Festival held at Ela Beach in September.

[edit] Colonisation

Queensland raises the British flag at Port Moresby 1883

The area was already an important trade centre by the time, Captain John Moresby, of HMS Basilisk first identified the area of the site later to become known as Port Moresby. The Englishman had just ventured through the Coral Sea at the eastern end of New Guinea and upon encountering three previously unknown islands landed there. At 10 o’clock in the morning of the 20th 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.

Actual European settlement of the site did not occur until a decade later when the south-eastern part of New Guinea island was annexed to British Empire. British New Guinea was passed 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. Electricity was introduced in 1925 and piped water supply was provided in 1941.

[edit] World War II and after

During World War II, many Papuan people returned to their villages or were evacuated to camps far from Port Moresby when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed. The city was home to an important Allied base and thousands of troops were stationed in the area as last allied bastion on the island and last defense between the Japanese onslaught and Australia. This key role resulted in it becoming the objective of a Japanese invasion fleet in May 1942 that was stopped by the Battle of Coral Sea. Many Papuan men were enlisted as carriers for supply support to Allied armies. As a result villages in the Port Moresby area fell into disrepair and after the war, Port Moresby had to be reconstructed.

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 regarded as the capital of the combined territory and a focal point for the expansion of public services.

[edit] Capital City of an Independent PNG

In September 1975, Port Moresby became capital city of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. New government buildings were constructed at Waigani to house government departments, including a spectacular National Parliament Building, opened in 1984, which blends traditional design with modern building technology. The PNG National Museum and National Library are also located at Waigani.

The population of the Port Moresby area has expanded rapidly since independence. In 1980 the census registered 120,000; by 1990 this had increased to 195,000.

In 2004 Port Moresby was ranked the worst place in the world to live, in the Economist Intelligence Unit's ranking of 130 of the world's capital cities. High levels of rape, robbery and murder and large areas of the city controlled by gangs of thugs, known locally as "raskols" were cited. According to a 2004 article in the Guardian newspaper, unemployment rates are estimated to be between 60 and 90% and murder rates three times that of Moscow and 23 times the rate in London.^[1]

[edit] 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, Kaevaga, Badili, Gabutu, Kila, Matirogo, Three Mile, Kaugere, Sabama, Korobosea, Four Mile, Hohola, Hohola North, Boroko, a major shopping area, Gordon, Gordon North, Erima, Saraga, Waigani, Morata and Gerehu. Also there villages like Hanuabada Village, the biggest village in Papua New Guinea.

[edit] Transport

Port Moresby is served by Jacksons International Airport. Air Niugini (the national airline of Papua New Guinea), and Airlines of PNG all fly into Jacksons. Jacksons is served internationally by flights to Brisbane, Cairns, Honiara, Manila, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo with Air Niugini. As the national highways system is discontinuous, there are many internal flights to other towns which cannot be reached by buses, known as PMVs locally, eg Madang.

Port Moresby is the only town in Papua New Guinea to have taxis.^{[citation needed]}