New Ireland (island)
New Ireland (English New Ireland; formerly German New Ireland ) is an approximately 8650 km ² large island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea, of the approximately 110,000 people live. It belongs together with many small islands of the province with its capital Kavieng New Ireland in the north of the main island. Your name in the Papuan lingua franca Tok Pisin is Niu Ailan.
Geography
New Ireland is situated on the eastern edge of the Bismarck Archipelago, 5 degrees south of the equator, between the East 149th and 154th degree longitude. The island extends in the northwest -southeast direction over 470 km and is only 10 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. At its eastern borders of the Pacific, to its western side in the north of the Bismarck Sea and south of the St. George 's Channel, which separates the island from the west neighboring island of New Britain, as well as the upstream Duke of York Islands.
The relief is mountainous New Ireland; the highest elevation is Mount Taron with 2379 m. ü. M. in southern Hans -Meyer Mountains. The northern part of the island runs through the middle the Schleinitz Mountains. The northernmost point of New Ireland is the so-called North Cape, the southernmost Cape St. George.
History
Early settlement and indigenous culture
The earliest evidence of human life ranging over 30,000 years ago. End of the 19th century, the Uli figures were discovered from the culture of the former inhabitants. Malanggan is an extensive complex of rites and on the other hand, the traditional art of New Guinea. In New Ireland 19 languages are spoken; all but one are Austronesian and related.
European discovery and initial contacts
From the European side of New Ireland was first sighted in the 16th century by the Spaniards Pedro Fernández de Quirós and rediscovered in 1616 by the Dutch navigators Jacob Le Maire and Willem Schouten. In August 1767 Philip Carteret realized that it was in the island being a separate island, which was not associated with New Britain and New Hanover by land masses as they had adopted European hand until then. Carteret New Ireland gave the name " Nova Hibernia ", which in English and German names resulted in analogue formations later.
In the early days of European contacts located in the south Carterethafen was a popular destination for Spanish and Dutch merchant ships because of its fresh water resources. After the founding of the British colony of New South Wales prisoners in Australia ( 1788), he won for British ships in importance as the southern tip of New Ireland was due to the so-called " inner route" from Sydney to Hong Kong. From 1830 also increased barter of American whaling ships were driven along the St. George's Channel; and in 1840 moved the first time a group of eighteen Europeans, deserters from Sydney, in the west of Cape St. George located Port Praslin. By passing merchant ships Europeans were previously already been reported, who lived as individuals with locals in beach villages.
An increased influx of Europeans saw the island from January 1880 because of the reckless colonial scheme Charles Bonaventure you Breils, Marquis de Rays, who to start, following a diplomatic failure, on the west coast of Australia have their own state, the South New Ireland -free as a place for a " New France was selected in the South Seas " (La Nouvelle France, Colonie Libre du Port Breton, not to be confused with the French territory La Nouvelle -France in North America). Until January 1882 came to a total of four emigrant ships an estimated 500 settlers French, Italian, German and Greek ancestry according to New Ireland, after futile slash-and- farming trials in Port Praslin, Likiliki, Irish Cove, Port Breton and Bay Marie either to Noumea (New Caledonia) and Sydney ( Australia) moved on, or employed by the trading companies already located on New Britain and the Duke of York Islands.
The later Hamburg businessman Eduard Hernsheim explored the North of the island Steffen street in February 1880, surveyed for the first time the natural harbor at the North Cape, and founded on the offshore island of Nusa and the village Pakail (now Kavieng ) two stations for his company Hernsheim & Co. The agents Friedrich Schulle followed until 1881 another station start-ups on the east coast in neuirischen Kablaman, ButBut, Navangai, Lame rotting, Lagumbanje, Lauaru and Kapsu. At the same time a "workers' movement " became the main branch on Matupi set ( Blanche Bay, New Britain ), where young Neuirländer were admitted during a three-month apprenticeship in the copra production.
1882/83 these of Hernsheim & Co were established, peaceful relations of trade captains exploited to procrastinate under pretense of a next stay in Matupi 1,300 Neuirländer as workers for coconut and sugar cane plantations to Queensland (Australia), Fiji and Samoa. After protests by the British Commissioner H.H. Romilly and Eduard Hernsheims in the office of the Imperial Consul were British side in March 1884, the German side these abductions, the " Blackbirding " or " Blackbirds ", banned by law in March 1886. The German ban, however, was limited to the north of New Ireland and was picked up at the instigation of Guinea 's Company in September 1887 again.
German colonial rule (1885-1914)
According to German Flaggenhissungen on Nusa and Kapsu (both November 12, 1884 ) New Ireland was under the name " New Mecklenburg " 1885-1899 part of the protected area of New Guinea Company, 1899-1918 part of the Imperial German Reserve German New Guinea. To supply the plantations in the northern part of the island was built around 1900 on the initiative of the district commander Boluminski on the north coast a road that today the places Samo, Namatanai, Kanam, Malom, Logia and Mangai with the provincial capital of Kavieng connects (since 1975 " Boluminski - Highway " ). For building inter alia condemned cannibals were used. With the support of the indigenous elite succeeded, local workforce to win to build an infrastructure to set up test sites to conduct intensive field economy and develop the Nusa port to port of call for Kavieng.
First World War and Australian administrative mandate (1914-1975)
During World War II New Ireland was occupied by the Japanese army. The surrender ceremony of the Japanese on New Ireland was held aboard the HMAS Swan ( U74 ) on 18 September 1945.