Between Australia and New Guinea-Ecological and Cultural

Geographical Review of Japan Vol. 59 (Ser. B), No. 2, 69-82, 1986 Between Australia and New Guinea-Ecological and Cultural Diversity in the Torres Strait with Special Reference to the Use of Marine Resources- George OHSHIMA* The region between lowland Papua and the northern tip of the Australian continent presents a fascinating panorama of ecological, cultural and socio-economic diversity. In lowland Papua and on its associated small islands such as Saibai, Boigu and Parama, a combination of coastal forests and muddy shores dominates the scene, whereas the Torres Strait Islands of volcanic and limestone origin, together with raised coral islands and their associated reef systems present a range of island ecosystems scattered over a broad territory some 800km in extent. Coralline habitats extend south wards to the Cape York Peninsula and some parts of Arnhem Land. Coupled with those ecological diversities within a relatively small compass across the Torres Strait, the region has evoked important questions concerning the archaeological and historical dichotomy between Australian hunter-gatherers and Melanesian horticulturalists. This notion is also reflectd in terms of its complex linguistic, ethnic and political composition. In summarizing the present day cultural diversity of the region, at least three major components emerge: hunter-gatherers in the Australian Northern Territory, Australian islanders and tribal Papuans. Historically, these groups have interacted in complex ways and this has resulted in an intricate intermingling of cultures and societies. Such acculturation processes operating over thousands of years make it difficult to isolate meaning ful trends in terms of "core-periphery" components of the individual cultures. However, in order to assess cultural diversity within the region, it is useful to examine typical elements of the individual cultures and forms of ecological adaptation. In this paper the author will present an overview of the ecological and cultural diversity of the region from the perspective of maritime adaptation, focussing on a description of the techno environmental complexes of traditional and contemporary fisheries and on the comparative aspects of the utilization of maritime resources. of Yorke (known as Massig, Massied or Kay I. General view of diversity lag), Coconut (Poruma), Sue (Warraber) and in the region Yam (Iama). The third group is the Western Islands consisting of Moa(Banks in English), Politically, the Torres Strait Islands are Badu (Mulgrave) and Mabuiag (Jervis). divided between two countries, Australia and These three English names, Banks, Mulgrave Papua New Guinea, and currently there are and Jervis, are put on the official chart but 18 Australian and 2 Papuan inhabited not usually used. The fourth group is the Top islands. The Australian islands are further Western Islands (or Northwestern Islands) divided into five groups (Fig. 1). The consisting of Saibai, Dauan (Cornwallis in first group is the Eastern Islands consisting English) and Boigu (Talbot in English). These of Murray (local name Mer, with two four groups are designated as reserved islands uninhabited islands of Waier and Dauer), for Torres Strait Islanders. The last group, Darnley (Erub) and Stephens (Ugar). The Prince of Wales Islands (called Southern second group is the Central Islands consisting Islands) are Thursday (local name Waiben * Department of Geography , Kwansei Gakuin University, Uegahara, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 662, Japan. 70 G. OHSHIMA Fig. 1 Administrative division of Torres Strait. 1. Buji 2. Sigabaduru 3. Mabaduan 4. Tureture 5. Dorogori 6. Katatai 7. St. Paul 8. Kubin 9. Cowal Creek 10. Umagico 11. Bamaga 12. Red Island Point 13. Somerset but well known as T.I., the administrative (Keriri), Friday (Palilug) and Horn (Nurpai). center of the strait), Prince of Wales (tradi Among them, only Hammond Island has been tionally called Muralug, also the name of the reserved by the Catholic Mission since 1929. original people of this island), Hammond Friday has been used as a pearl farm for a Ecological and Cultural Diversity in the Torres Strait 71 joint Australia-Japan enterprise during the last in English). South of Daru, there is a large two decades. On Horn Island, Thursday uninhabited island named Lobo (Bristow), Island Airport, was built after World War II, which was also part of an important trading and has since become a base of the Australian route at one time. Air Force. Consequently, the latter two The geomorphological and political divisions islands are populated by white people and are similar. The Eastern group, just inside the foreigners such as Japanese who are skilled arch of the Great Barrier Reef, are volcanic technicians and laborers. In addition to the islands with fertile soils and abundant water islands mentioned, other islands were also supply from springs and wells (Fig. 2). The inhabited in earlier days. Tudu (Warrior in Central group around the Warrior Reefs are English), Aureed and Nagir (the English is coral islands or so-called raised-coral islands, Mt. Ernest) in Central Islands, in particular, and these are the best fishing grounds in the are worthy of note for their historical signifi strait. The islands are very low and flat, and cance in the traditional trading route governed are surrounded by large circles of coral reef. by powerful chiefs on the islands. These three The Southern group and Western group, includ islands were abandoned by the original inhabi ing Yam and Dauan Islands, are part of the tants after the encounter with white people orogenic zone, an extension of the Australian who introduced political and religious control. Great Dividing Range, that ends at a small On the Papuan side, there are two inhabited hill in mainland Papua called Mabaduan, mean islands in the strait that belong to the Western ing "place of hillside". The Northwestern and Province. They are Darn (administrative Papuan adjacent groups are alluvial islands center of the province) and Parama (Bampton covered by the massive deposits of Papuan Fig. 2 Geomorphological division of Torres Strait. 72 G. OHSHIMA rivers and streams such as the Fly River. These the narrowest place. People of Boigu Island are low and muddy islands fringed thickly by go to mainland Papua to get water for daily mangrove forest. use, and people of the opposite side, such as Torres Strait Islanders, or "Islanders" in Sigabaduru, come to Dauan Island twice a short, are a rather unique people. They are week in order to buy items such as clothes originally of Melanesian race, but Polynesian, and flour from the Island Industries Board. Asian and even European blood was introduced The currencies of both countries must there in recent centuries, producing a amixed an fore be used. But one can also recognize cesrry and cultural milieux. This fact com clear differences in language between the two plicates the analysis of their culture, and sides. For example, in the case of bartering thus it is difficult to determine the genuine fish from Papua for clothes from the Islanders, traditional culture of this region. they sometimes need interpreters in order to In all of recorded history, people of the strait communicate smoothly. Moreover, the history have never been integrated into one unit, even of severe hostilities just before this century is during the era of British rule. Queensland not totally erased. A monument was built at State declared her territory along its coastline, the front of the coast of Saibai Island, com but did not intend to rule the entire islands of memorating one brave leader who had fought the strait at the time. The Commonwealth of and been killed in a battle against Papuan Australia, which started in 1901, separated villagers in the 1870's. In Dauan Island, there Papuan Territory from Queensland State by a is still a large rock left at the edge of a cliff border line drawn through the strait, which still which could be thrown straight down on presents an unresolved controversy over the enemies who might land on the beach. territory. Some attempts were made to settle The clearest boundary between these two the problem, but they could not reach an cultures is the linguistic barrier. Miriam, agreement. The most recent case, however, still commonly used in the Eastern Islands, has been resolved and the solution was recom is a branch of the Trans-Fly language, and mended by the British Parliament just before very similar to the Kiwai language which is the Independence of Australia(FARNFIELD,1974). used in Daru and Parama of Papua (WURM& Although one cannot deny the subtle signs of an HATTORI,1981). Another language that is used underground movement for independence in the in the greater part of the strait, westward Torres Strait Islands, the success of such a from Yorke Island, is the Mabuiag language, movement appears unlikely in the near future. which is one of the Australian native tongues Few Islanders feel a strong need for political and more specifically belongs to the Otani, on independence. the east coast of Cape York Peninsula. Nevertheless, Torres Strait Islanders identify The myth of Bomai-Malo is considered to be themselves as separate from both Australian a Papuan-originated religion tracing the route natives and Papuan tribes. Certainly, the of Bomai's navigation (Fig. 3). Bomai, which intelligence of the Islanders is thought to be may be translated as "God", came from Tuger, much higher than that of any other native the western side of Papua, stopping at Boigu, peoples of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Dauan, Mabuiag, Muralug, Nagir, Warraber, The pearl farms of the Austro-Japanese Poruma, Aureed, Massig and then finally companies prefer to employ these Islanders as reached Mer. Four of his brothers accompanied skilled laborers. Almost all Islanders believe him, but they remained behind at other islands that they are able to have their own independ on the way to Mer.

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