A decade of change in the Goroka Valley, New Guinea : land use and development in the 1950's

Abstract

The aim of this research has been to make a study of the social geography of the Goroka Valley, with particular reference to the developments of the period 1950-60. During this period, with the opening of the Valley to European settlement, many profound changes have taken place in the Valley. The traditional pattern of native life has been broadened - many clans now operate on a semi-commercial basis, and with the establishment of schools and local government councils social and political changes are contributing to the emergence of a new order. The European community has steadily increased in size, and has been responsible for the development of coffee plantations, the growth of a township with a population of almost 500, the construction of roads and airfields, the establishment of light industries, and the extension of social services. The intention here has been to produce a regional study of the Goroka Valley - to this end the physical environment and 'historical' background are described by way of introduction to an examination of the geographically significant events of the 1950s. (First paragraph of preface.) Show more