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.)