History in Port Moresby

Port Moresby History goes back many centuries. Currently Port Moresby is the largest city of Papua New Guinea; in 2000 the population was 255,000. Port Moresby is located on the coast of New Guinea, and along the shores of the Gulf of Papua.

Before Colonization

Before the area was colonized, the area was inhabited by the Motuan people who would trade their pots for the items they needed to live. To help create strong family ties, and to strengthen their trade links the Motuan people married the Gulf people. The Hiri expeditions, which carried as many as 20,000 clay pots, helped conform the Motuans' identity as a tribe because of the dangerous journey. These expeditions are still honored today through the Hiri Moale Festival.

Colonization

Captain John Moresby later colonized the area when he landed there after his travels through the Coral Sea. Captain John Moresby landed on the shores of Port Moresby on February 20, 1873, and upon landing, he immediately claimed the land for Britain. This area became known as Port Moresby when he named the area after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby. Although Port Moresby was claimed by Captain Moresby, European settlement of the area did not happen for another decade. Even after being settled Port Moresby grew slowly, the first grocery and butcher shop didn’t open until 1909, and a piped water supply wasn’t provided until 1941.

World War II and Beyond

During World War II, some of the Papuan men enlisted in the Papua Infantry Battalion, either as soldiers or as carriers for supply support to both the Allied and Japanese armies. Most of the Port Moresby residents simply stayed in the village or they were evacuated to camps because of the threat of the Japanese invasion. The Japanese tried taking the city by sea and by land, but neither attempt worked. So, the villages were destroyed. The whole town had to be rebuilt after the war. In 1945, Port Moresby was designated as the capital of the combined territory, which was New Guinea and Territory of Papua.

Independent Country

In 1975, Papua New Guinea became an independent country, and as an independent country, it needed a capital city. Since Port Moresby was already the capital city of the Territory of Papua, it only made sense to keep it as the capital. With Papua New Guinea becoming its own country, new government buildings were erected, but many of them have been abandoned now due to years of neglect.

Population

The population of Port Moresby has rapidly increased since Papua New Guinea became its own country. In 1990, the population was 195,000; by 2000, this number had increased to 255,000. Despite the population increase Port Moresby was deemed to be the worst capital city to live in 2004 because Port Moresby has high levels of crime and unemployment.