New Georgia Island
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 8°15′S 157°30′E / 8.250°S 157.500°E |
| Archipelago | Solomon Islands |
| Area | 2,037 km2 (786 sq mi) |
| Length | 72 km (44.7 mi) |
| Administration | |
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Solomon Islands
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| province | Western Province |
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. With an area of 2,037 km2, it is the 200th largest island in the world.
New Georgia island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province. About 72 km (45 miles) long, it forms part of the southern boundary of the New Georgia Sound. Kolombangara lies across the Kula Gulf to the west, Vangunu is to the east, and Rendova to the south, across the Blanche Channel.
The island is rugged and heavily forested.
The central part of New Georgia is the cradle of Roviana culture. A large complex of Bao megalithic shrines and other structures was developed in the 13th century AD. Later, between the 15th and 17th centuries Roviana people moved over to smaller barrier islands at New Georgia with a hub in Nusa Roviana.
Through trade and head hunting expeditions, Nusa Roviana turned into the regional centre of power and trade. In the late 19th century the rule of the last chief of head hunters, Ingova, was overpowered by the British colonial army.
The Methodist Mission in New Georgia was established by Rev. John Frances Goldie in 1902. He dominated the mission and gained the loyalty of Solomon Islander members of his church. The relationship with the colonial administrators of the British Solomon Island Protectorate were also fraught with difficulty, at this time due to Goldie’s effective control over the Western Solomon Islands.
From 1927 to 1934 Dr Edward Sayers worked at the Methodist mission where he established a hospital at Munda and carried out fieldwork in the treatment of malaria.
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Wikipedia