Rabaul

Abstract

Rabaul, at the head of land-locked Simpson Harbour, is located on the northernmost extremity of the island of New Britain. It was formerly the capital of German New Guinea and subsequently of the Australian Mandated Territory. In 1937, the volcanoes Matupi and Vulcan erupted. Following a period of uncertainty after the war, the Government decided in 1952 that the town should be rebuilt on the old site and safety precautions taken by providing a close watch on the volcano, a system of warnings, and escape routes. Since then the town has developed rapidly. In the Rabaul area there are some 1,800 Europeans, 2,000 Chinese, and over 31,000 natives.