South Pacific History
All contributors in South Pacific History
Polish Children's 65th Reunion, Wellington, NZ
By: Lyn Rasmussen
In 1944, 733 Polish children disembarked in Wellington. Some were accompanied by a parent; most left families behind in unmarked graves across Siberia and Central Asia. more...
In: South Pacific History (general)
By: Bruce Iliff
The first bungee jumpers, Pentecost Land Divers, used vines tied to their ankles and dived off towers made of sticks wearing nothing but a penis sheath called a nambus. more...
History of Moreton Island Whaling, Queensland
By: Bruce Iliff
Whaling in Brisbane in 1950's was done from the Tangalooma Whaling Station on Moreton Island and ended in 1962. The whaling station is now the Tangalooma Island Resort. more...
European History of Queensland's Moreton Island
By: Bruce Iliff
Moreton Island is a 200 square kilometre sand island that, with Stradbroke Island, is the protective buffer that forms Moreton Bay, in southern Queensland, Australia. more...
Tattoo Origins in the South Pacific
In: South Pacific History (general)
The practice of tattooing started with a myth, became a rite of passage, fell out of favor after the arrival of Christian missionaries and has been revived today. more...
Origins of the New Zealand Haka – Ka Mate
By: Hari Navarro
As with any highly regarded relic, the origins of the Haka lay in a confusing past of smoky fact and conflicting legend more...
History St Helena Island, Queensland, Australia
By: Bruce Iliff
St Helena, a small island in Moreton Bay, was a prison during early European settlement in Brisbane, Queensland. Its convict ruins are now a tourist attraction. more...
Severing a Limb to Save a Life When Trapped
By: Bruce Iliff
People severing limbs to free themselves after getting the limb stuck have been happening for while. An incident occurred in 1912 in central Queensland, Australia. more...
By: Brenda Ann Burke
Across cultures people have given names to mountains, rivers, rock formations, clearings and settlements. What are the reasons for this human instinct to identify? more...
Australia's Role in the Abdication Crisis
By: Carolyn M Cash
The Australian Government also insisted Edward VIII abdicated rather than marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. more...
Early Timber Cruising in New Zealand Forests
By: Sarah Curtis
As a young forest ranger and timber appraiser for the New Zealand Forest Service, Ken Seymour spent three years camping rough in the bush and at work sites and sawmills. more...
By: Carolyn M Cash
Winston Churchill, as First Lord of the Admiralty, ordered a bombardment of the Dardanelles in October 1914 - a month before the Ottoman Empire formally entered the war. more...
Edmund Barton Australia's First Prime Minister
By: Craig Hill
Edmund Barton helped write the Australan Constitution before Ferderation, administered it as Prime Minister, and interpreted it as a High Court judge. more...
Nancy Bird Walton Australian Aviator
By: Craig Hill
A love of life above the clouds took Nancy Bird Walton around the world, fulfilling dreams that began in childhood. more...
