In 1884,
German settlers arrived in eastern
New Guinea (now part of
Papua New Guinea), who planted
Coconut palms (
Cocos nucifera) for the production of
copra, the dried flesh of the coconut. They established the
colony of
German New Guinea in the north eastern quarter of the island and numerous coconut plantations around coastal areas. They were afraid of venturing too far inland. To counter the growing German presence in the region, the
Australian state of
Queensland established the
Territory of Papua as a
de facto possession covering approximately the south east third of the island. The towns of
Port Moresby and
Rabaul were founded as a result of the economic activity surrounding the plantations. At the start of the
First World War, in 1914,
Australia sent a small military force to take over the German possessions in the South Pacific. Two Germans were killed in the process, while the remaining German plantation owners were initially sent back to work on their plantations. The 1919
Treaty of Versailles saw Germany lose all its overseas possessions, including
German New Guinea, which became the
Territory of New Guinea, a
League of Nations mandate Territory under Australian administration. The property of German planters was expropriated in the 1920s, and the coconut plantations were offered for sale to returning soldiers, many financed by the large trading companies which would manage the plantations. == Recent history ==