Samarai

Located off the south-eastern tip of New Guinea in the China Strait, Samarai has an area of just or 29 hectares. At the census of population 2014, the island had a population of 460, making it one of the most densely populated islands in the area. The island is part of the Samarai Islands of the Louisiade Archipelago. ==History==

Settlement The island was discovered by Captain John Moresby whilst commanding HMS Basilisk in 1873. Moresby originally called the island Dinner Island, after having a meal on it. Five years later in 1878 the Rev. S. MacFarlane of the London Missionary Society established a mission station on the island. A government officer was posted to the island after a protectorate had been declared over British New Guinea. In 1884 a trader and sixty Papuans established a beach front store for passing ships. In the early years a large malarious swamp caused health problems for Samarai, but this was improved after 1898 when it was filled in. It was noted for its size and attractive appearance. In 1902 the value of goods exported from Samarai was three times the value of those exported from Port Moresby. Patrol Squadron 101 (VP-101) flying PBY Catalinas was posted to the station. The USS San Pablo (AVP-30) and Aircraft Rescue Boat C-9485 operated from the Samarai Seaplane Base also. Although Samarai was reestablished after the war, it never returned to its former size or influence and in 1968 the provincial capital for Milne Bay was moved to Alotau. Today the island is mostly isolated and little belies its past. In 2006 the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, Sir Michael Somare, declared the island a National Historical Heritage Island, and vowed to "restore basic services and refurbish its monuments and buildings as a tourist attraction". == Administration ==

The island is split between 2 Wards: Samarai South, and Samarai North. Both belong to Bwanabwana Rural Local Level Government Area LLG, Samarai-Murua District, which are in Milne Bay Province. == Demographics ==

The population of 458 at the last census shows a steady decline. ==Flora and fauna==

Samarai is famous for having 2 species of bats: • Lesser Papuan pipistrelle • Watts's pipistrelle == Transportation ==

There is a Port on the island, which was renovated in recent years. == In popular culture ==

The phrase "Sorong to Samarai" (sometimes stylised as "Sorong2Samarai" or "S2S") is commonly used throughout Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea to express solidarity and oneness and makes reference to both Sorong, a town in Southwest Papua, Indonesia, and Samarai, a small township being one of the easternmost point located in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is sometimes used by Papuan independence activists in reference to Papuan unification, in opposition to the common Indonesian phrase of "Sabang to Merauke". In 2016, the ARIA Music Awards-nominated Papua New Guinean-Australian musician Airileke released a single titled "Sorong Samarai". ==References==