Introducing West New Guinea

West New Guinea, the Indonesian neighbour of Papua New Guinea is little known to both the academic and scientific, and indeed the world at large, as the Indonesian government jealously guards awarding permits to researchers and foreign journalists.
Explorers and anthropologists wrote extensively about Dutch New Guinea. It is from these books and manuscripts, and newly published materials collected by Dr. Kal Muller, that we now have a concise document for anyone studying West New Guinea. A necessary primer, it gives an extensive overview—the formation of the island, its flora and fauna, peoples and cultures, early trade, and its history till the end of World War II.

New Guinea Communications                                                                                    v
Foreword                                                                                                                              vii
Introduction                                                                                                                       ix
1.  Geology, geography and climate ……………………2
The breakup of Pangea ………………………………………… 4
New Guinea emerges …………………………………………… 5
The highlands of the central mountain range ………. 6
The Bird’s Head …………………………………………………… 8
2. Biodiversity  …………………………………………………10
Mammals …………………………………………………………..14
Crocodiles and their kin …………………………………….15
Essential fish life …………………………………………………16
Birds-of-paradise ……………………………………………….16
Many insects, some useful, others not ………………..18
Mollusks …………………………………………………………….19
Plant life …………………………………………………………….19
3.  Migration from Africa to New Guinea ………..22
Papuan pioneers in New Guinea …………………………26
4.  Migration from Asia: the Austronesians
become Melanesians (Lapita culture) …………..28
The Austronesians in New Guinea ……………………..31
A vexing question: the timing of the
pigs’ first arrival ………………………………………………….33
What does Melanesia really mean? ……………………..34
A winning combination: the Melanesians …………..35
The language factor …………………………………………….37
5. Coastal and highland contrasts ……………………40
Pigs and sweet potatoes ………………………………………42
Trading: salt, cowries and stone blades ……………….43
6.  Early coastal trade with the outside world ………………….. 46
Lapita and Dongson long-range trading ……………………………….. 48
Trade with Indonesia ……………………………………………………………. 49
Biak: Metal trade and forging ……………………………………………….. 50
Traders from Seram ……………………………………………………………… 51
7.  European annexation, new values and their inland
expansion …………………………………………………………………… 54
The first explorers ………………………………………………………………… 57
Attempts at colonization ………………………………………………………. 59
How The Netherlands acquired West New Guinea ……………….. 60
How West New Guinea became part of the
Dutch East Indies …………………………………………………………………. 62
Bases for colonial claims ………………………………………………………. 62
The Europeans venture inland ……………………………………………… 63
Large-scale expeditions to the central mountains
from the south ……………………………………………………………………… 65
The British team …………………………………………………………………… 66
Expeditions to the central mountains from the north …………… 68
The first use of an airplane in exploring West New Guinea …… 69
The Colijn Expedition of 1936 ……………………………………………… 70
The Archbold expedition discovers the Baliem Valley ………….. 71
The Papuan view ………………………………………………………………….. 73
8.  Opening of the highlands …………………………………………… 76
The Bijlmer expedition …………………………………………………………. 79
Enarotali: the first government post in the highlands …………… 80
Einar Mickelson: evangelical missionary ………………………………. 81
Religious competition: Roman Catholics and Protestants …….. 83
Two versions of Christianity in West New Guinea………………… 84
9. World War II in West New Guinea ……………………………… 88
MacArthur and the War ……………………………………………………….. 91
Beyond Hollandia ………………………………………………………………… 93
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………. 96