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32-640: Simbang is a village and a ward on the Huon Peninsula , in Yabim Mape Rural LLG , Morobe Province , Papua New Guinea . In 1886, the first Lutheran mission station was built near Simbang by Johann Flierl . So Simbang was the starting point of Christianization in Papua New Guinea. This Morobe Province geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Huon Peninsula The Huon Peninsula

64-484: A biological research station situated near Wau. The first strike at Wau, the start of what would be known as the Morobe Goldfield , was made at Koranga Creek by William ‘Shark-Eye’ Park, probably towards the end of 1921. Park and his partner, Jack Nettleton, ran a clandestine mining operation for twelve months from April 1922 until a new Mining Ordinance enabled them to get their gold out legally. Nettleton, it

96-472: A whole, 6816 of whom were classified as involved in mining at Wau and Bulolo. But that was the limit of local involvement until 1957 when the Administration began to issue miner’s permits to Papua New Guineans. By this time the peak of alluvial production was past, but from this point the proportion of the total in local hands rose to 80% by 1975, according to a 1975 analysis of buying records. Most of

128-668: Is a table containing some of the frogs and lizards commonly found within the area. The below table contains some of the birds commonly encountered at higher elevations along the Huon peninsula. 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. In 2009 the YUS Conservation Area

160-560: 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. 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

192-450: Is home to a diverse range of indigenous communities, each with their own unique cultures and traditions. The region is known for its rich biodiversity, with a wide range of flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the world. The Huon Peninsula Conservation Area is home to numerous endangered species, including the Huon tree kangaroo and the golden-mantled tree kangaroo . The area was

224-469: Is known, took out 6000 troy ounces , or about 190 kg, of gold in August 1923. Only a handful of miners worked the field, rich as it was, until 1924. From 1924 to 1926 perhaps 20 miners were on the field producing about 200 kg of gold a year. The real rush began in 1926 with much bigger discoveries at Edie Creek, above Wau. The new rush made air transport viable and Wau's airstrip opened in 1927 by

256-690: Is situated at an altitude of around 1100 metres. Wau was the site of a gold rush during the 1920s and 30s when prospective gold diggers arrived at the coast at Salamaua and struggled inland along the Black Cat Track . At the Battle of Wau in January 1943, the Australian Army stopped an advance by the Japanese . A road was established soon after World War II to Lae and this fostered

288-539: The Australian 9th Division east of Lae on 4 September 1943. 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. The Huon Peninsula is a part of the New Guinea Orogen , which is a mountain range that

320-512: The Biangai villages. Accusations of theft from gardens against coastal carriers resulted a number being killed. In response, miners burned a Biangai village, and killed three men and a woman who died in a house that was burnt down. The beginning of air transport reduced the need for lines of carriers. In 1972, in the 6000 hectares case, PNGLR 71 (19 July 1972) the Biangai won the restitution of

352-590: 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. The Huon Peninsula campaign

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384-687: The Morobe Goldfields in the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea and compensation was awarded in respect of historical gold sales. Park quit Wau in 1926 as a wealthy man. After this properly capitalised companies were formed. New Guinea Goldfields, Ltd (NGG) was the biggest operator, but there were many others: for example, Koranga Gold Sluicing, Sandy Creek Gold Sluicing, Edie Creek Gold Mining Company, The Golden Deeps N.L., Upper Watut Gold Alluvials, Placer Development Limited, and so on. In subsequent years, NGG consolidated control over much of

416-520: The Namie area both before and after the war. Most were small and short-lived; the richest was Golden Peaks, producing about six and half tonnes of gold between 1962 and 1977. The Golden Peaks mill also processed ore brought to it by an aerial ropeway from new workings at Upper Ridges. Bulolo Gold Dredging (BGD) began operations at the sister town of Bulolo in 1932 and was responsible for the bulk of pre-war gold production: about 40 tonnes in total. Seven of

448-640: The Parer brothers originally of Spanish descent. In 1928 there were 200 miners and production was about three tonnes a year. The influx of miners was often in conflict with the area's indigenous populations, including the Biangai along the Bulolo River and the Watut along the Watut River . During the early gold rush (1924–1927) prospectors and carriers employed from the coast followed paths through some of

480-414: 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. 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,

512-427: 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. Below

544-673: The eventual eight dredges worked the Bulolo Valley gravels; one only, No. 6, worked in the Wau Valley. Large operations ceased to be attractive after WWII, partly due to pegging of the gold price at pre-war prices and the last dredge ceased operating in 1965. At peak production, the Morobe Goldfield was the largest consumer of indentured labour in the Territory of New Guinea. On 30 June 1936 there were 13,121 labourers in Morobe as

576-401: The further development of local timber and agricultural industries that were originally established in support of the mining industry. While much of the mineral reserves have been extracted, industrial gold mining continues at Edie Creek and at the newly established Hidden Valley Gold Mine operated by Morobe Goldfields (a subsidiary of Harmony Gold - South Africa). The Wau Ecology Institute is

608-595: 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 . 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

640-465: 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. 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. The amplitude of uplift events averages around 3 meters, and generally increases from northwest to southeast in keeping with

672-596: The mineral reserves using its large capitalisation to purchase the smaller leases. Underground mining began with the Day Dawn mine in 1931; a number of similar operations were opened before and after the Second World War. These mines were very small by modern standards, the biggest being Upper Ridges with a total production of 2.9 tonnes over eighteen years. Open cut mining was carried out at Golden Ridges mine between 1932 and 1941, and other pits yielded gold in

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704-514: The miners were, and still are, operating with the simple methods of dishing and boxing, or gold panning . They make little capital expenditure and have a limited ability to discover new reefs. Production has dropped steadily since a post-war peak in 1953, as the small-scale miners attempt to make a living from alluvial ground constantly worked over since the 1920s. Timber mills in Wau were started by Roy Hyde in 1935, who arrived with his wife, two sons and

736-873: The most popular cultural experiences on the peninsula include the Baining Fire Dance , the Morobe Show, and the Sepik River Crocodile Festival. Some of the most notable sites include the Madang Museum , the War Cemetery in Lae , and the ruins of the Japanese wartime base at Salamaua . Within several areas of the region some of the local populations practice a type of soil erosion prevention, they do so by weaving

768-473: The peninsula is around 27°C (81°F), with very little seasonal variation. The warmest months are from October to March, when temperatures can reach up to 32°C (90°F). 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

800-435: The regional late Quaternary trend. However, for some events, the uplift is approximately horizontal over 20 kilometers. Some of the most notable settlements along the Huon peninsula are listed in a table below. 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. The annual average temperature on

832-544: The site of the Huon Peninsula campaign of World War II , in 1943-44 as Japanese troops retreating from Lae fought their way over the Finisterre Mountains to Madang on the north coast. 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

864-406: The stems of Piper aduncum into 2-3 meter tall fences which are then used to create a type of terrace . 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

896-469: 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

928-469: 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. Mammals indigenous to the Huon region include

960-601: 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

992-480: Was established in the northern part of the peninsula. YUS stretches over 760 km and includes the three rivers, Yopno, Uruwa and Som, for which it was named. 6°25′00″S 147°30′00″E  /  6.416667°S 147.5°E  / -6.416667; 147.5 Wau, Papua New Guinea Wau is a town in Papua New Guinea , in the province of Morobe . It has a population of approx 5,000 and

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1024-602: Was formed as a result of the collision between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates . It is known for its complex geology, including repeated episodic uplift events. These uplift events have resulted in the formation of regressive terraces that are cut into raised late Quaternary reef tracts . 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

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