The Great Papuan Plateau is a
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
in the
Southern Highlands, Hela and
Western Province
Western Province or West Province may refer to:
* Western Province, Cameroon
*Western Province, Rwanda
*Western Province (Kenya)
*Western Province (Papua New Guinea)
*Western Province (Solomon Islands)
*Western Province, Sri Lanka
*Western Provin ...
s of
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
. It is bordered the upper stretches of the
Kikori River
The Kikori River is a major river in southern Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea. The river has a total length of and flows southeast into the Gulf of Papua, with its delta at the head of the gulf. The settlement of Kikori lies on the de ...
and the
Strickland River
The Strickland River is a major river in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. It is the longest and largest tributary of the Fly River with a total length of including the Lagaip River the farthest distance river source of the Strickland ...
on the east and west, respectively, and the
Karius Range, the southern edge of the highlands, including
Mount Sisa (2,650 m), to the north, and
Mount Bosavi
Mount Bosavi is a mountain in the Southern Highlands province, Papua New Guinea. It is the collapsed cone of an extinct volcano on the Great Papuan Plateau, part of the Kikori River basin.Feld, pp.3–4 The crater is approximately 4 km wide ...
(2,507 m) to the south.
[Schieffelin, 5.]
The eastern part of the plateau, east of the
Sioa River, covers about and had a sparse population of 2,100 people (1966 government census), speaking at least five different languages. The dominant ethnic groups of this region are the
Bosavi,
Hawalisi, and
Onabasulu. Further to the west are the
Etoro
eToro is an Israeli social trading and multi-asset investment company that focuses on providing financial and copy trading services. Its headquarters are located in Central Israel, and the company has registered offices in Cyprus, the Unite ...
,
Bedamuni, and
Sonia
Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to:
People
* Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya)
:* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films
:* Sonia ...
.
In general, these groups practice
swidden agriculture
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a Field (agriculture), field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an ar ...
with exploitation of
taro
Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...
.
The Great Papuan Plateau has
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
resources, and a pipeline from the plateau to
Daru
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and a former Catholic bishopric. Daru town falls under the jurisdiction of Daru Urban LLG.
The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is loc ...
is under construction.
The Great Papuan Plateau is included within the Kikori River Basin/Great Papuan Plateau included in 2006 on a tentative list of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
, for its well-preserved natural systems and culturally significant sites.
History
The original inhabitants of the area is unclear, because of a dearth of evidence. According to the Bosavi people, they have always inhabited the plateau. The relationship of the various ethnic groups and languages remains somewhat unclear.
The first Westerners to visit the Great Papuan Plateau were
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n colonial patrol officers
Jack Hides
Jack Gordon Hides (24 June 1906 – 19 June 1938) was an explorer of the then-Australian-controlled territories of Papua and New Guinea, now modern Papua New Guinea. He served as a Patrol Officer from 1931 to 1936, and led several expeditions in ...
and
Jim O'Malley
James John O'Malley (born July 24, 1951) is a former American football linebacker who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du ...
, who led a patrol from the Strickland River to the
Purari River in 1934 and 1935. They approached up the Strickland and then the
Rentoul River Rentoul is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Erminda Rentoul Esler, née Erminda Rentoul, (1852? – 1924), Irish novelist
*Gervais Rentoul (1884–1946), British politician
*Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, née Ida Rentoul, (1888–1960 ...
by
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the term ...
, leaving their boats about five miles (8 km) below the confluence of the eastern and western branches of the river. From there they continued by foot along the south side of the river, travelling several days without seeing any people or signs of habitation. Then they camped at the confluence of the Sioa and Rentoul river, in view of three
longhouse
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America.
Many were built from timber and often rep ...
s on the opposite side of the valley, and their inhabitants, who seemed to take no notice of the explorers.
The next morning, Hides was threatened by a party of natives who had crossed the river in the night. He was able to escape, but continued to meet unfriendly natives, and was forced to open fire on a group ambushing him, killing one to three. Eventually the patrol passed north of the Karius Range.
In March 1936,
Ivan Champion
Ivan Francis Champion (9 March 1904 – 12 August 1989) was an Australian public servant in Papua New Guinea. He served as a member of the Legislative Council between 1951 and 1963.
Biography
Champion was born in Port Moresby in 1904, the eld ...
and
Richard Archbold
Richard Archbold (April 9, 1907 – August 1, 1976) was an American zoologist and philanthropist. He was independently wealthy, being the grandson of the capitalist John Dustin Archbold. He was educated at private schools, and later attended cla ...
flew over the northern foothills of Mount Bosavi to plan an upcoming expedition from the
Bamu River
The Bamu River is a river in southwestern Papua New Guinea. Bamu Riverin Geonames.org (cc-by) post updated 2012-01-17; database downloaded 2015-06-22
See also
*List of rivers of Papua New Guinea This is a list of rivers of Papua New Guinea.
In ...
to the Purari. In response to this incident and the eventual expedition a few months later, the Bosavi people responded by fleeing their longhouses and camping in the forest.
In 1938 a government station was opened at
Lake Kutubu
Lake Kutubu is the second-largest lake in Papua New Guinea,[Lake Kutubu](_blank)
at Ramsar site after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
delayed the planned exploration, and in the meantime a severe
measles epidemic greatly reduced native populations, especially of
Etoro
eToro is an Israeli social trading and multi-asset investment company that focuses on providing financial and copy trading services. Its headquarters are located in Central Israel, and the company has registered offices in Cyprus, the Unite ...
and Onabasulu people. In 1953, a second administration patrol, led by
C.D. Wren, came onto the plateau, escorting a team of petroleum geologists.
The first missionaries arrived in 1964. A
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
who stayed with the Onabasulu people, until he was obliged to leave when the people found out the practice forbade the eating of
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
. That same year,
UFM International
Crossworld is an international Christian missionary organization. As of 2021, Crossworld has more than 300 disciple-makers in 35 countries, who are involved in church ministry, education, healthcare, community development, refugee work, business, ...
arrived in the Bosavi area to build an airstrip for a mission station, for which they recruited local workers.
[Schieffelin, 16-17.]
See also
*
Papuan Plateau languages
Notes
{{Reflist
References
* Edward L. Schieffelin, ''The Sorrow of the Lonely and the Burning of the Dancers''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976.
External links
Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests on the Encyclopedia of Earth
Landforms of Papua New Guinea
Plateaus of Oceania
Southern Highlands Province
Western Province (Papua New Guinea)