Mono island is a volcanic island in the northwest of Solomon Islands. It is separated by the Blanche Harbour from Stirling Island and the other coral islands surrounding it. The village of Falamai is the main population centre of the island. The island is rimmed by limestone cliffs of more than twenty metres in height. The island's population is around 1,800.
The earthquake of April 1, 2007, and the tsunami following the earthquake caused considerable damage in Mono. Five houses and all school buildings collapsed and four people were reported missing.
Historyedit
European discoveryedit
The island is thought to have been sighted by Bougainville on 28 June 1768.[1]
Whaling vessels sometimes visited the islands in the nineteenth century.[3]
By the 1880s, the native population of Mono was about 500.[4] Apart from their own language, some spoke Fijian and a little English was also spoken. Many of the men at that time left the island on labour vessels to work on plantations at Fiji and elsewhere in the Pacific.
World War IIedit
Landing Ships Under Fire, Treasury Island, 1943, by Russell Clark.
The Japanese had occupied Mono during their invasion of the Solomons. On October 27, 1943, the 8th Brigade of the Third New Zealand Division and the U.S. 87th Navy Construction Battalion landed at two locations: at Falamai (site of the Japanese HQ on the island) in the south, and at Purple Beach at Soanotalu in the north. By November 7 the island was under Allied control. Twelve Americans and forty New Zealanders were killed during the campaign. For the New Zealanders, it was the first opposed amphibious operation since Gallipoli.[5]
Stirling Island was turned into a huge airstrip by the allies, which was left deserted after the war ended.
Tourismedit
Mono Island is a diving paradise and is from time to time a port of call for cruising ships.
^Sharp, Andrew (1960). The discovery of the Pacific Islands (First ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 118.
^Nicholson, I.H. (1981). Gazetteer of Sydney Shipping 1788-1840 (First ed.). Canberra: Roebuck. p. 199. ISBN0909434182.
^Langdon, Robert (1984). Where the whalers went: an index to the Pacific Ports and islands visited by American whalers (and some other ships) in the 19th century. Canberra: Pacific Manuscripts Bureau. p. 232. ISBN086784471X.
mono, island, largest, island, treasury, islands, solomon, islands, treasury, islands, mono, stirling, bottom, contents, geography, history, european, discovery, world, tourism, references, external, linksgeography, editmono, island, volcanic, island, northwes. Mono Island is the largest island of the Treasury Islands Solomon Islands at 7 21 S 155 34 E 7 350 S 155 567 E 7 350 155 567 Treasury Islands Mono at top Stirling bottom Contents 1 Geography 2 History 2 1 European discovery 2 2 World War II 3 Tourism 4 References 5 External linksGeography editMono island is a volcanic island in the northwest of Solomon Islands It is separated by the Blanche Harbour from Stirling Island and the other coral islands surrounding it The village of Falamai is the main population centre of the island The island is rimmed by limestone cliffs of more than twenty metres in height The island s population is around 1 800 The earthquake of April 1 2007 and the tsunami following the earthquake caused considerable damage in Mono Five houses and all school buildings collapsed and four people were reported missing History editEuropean discovery edit The island is thought to have been sighted by Bougainville on 28 June 1768 1 Mono and Stirling Island were encountered in 1788 by Shortland who named them the Treasury Islands 2 Whaling vessels sometimes visited the islands in the nineteenth century 3 By the 1880s the native population of Mono was about 500 4 Apart from their own language some spoke Fijian and a little English was also spoken Many of the men at that time left the island on labour vessels to work on plantations at Fiji and elsewhere in the Pacific World War II edit nbsp Landing Ships Under Fire Treasury Island 1943 by Russell Clark The Japanese had occupied Mono during their invasion of the Solomons On October 27 1943 the 8th Brigade of the Third New Zealand Division and the U S 87th Navy Construction Battalion landed at two locations at Falamai site of the Japanese HQ on the island in the south and at Purple Beach at Soanotalu in the north By November 7 the island was under Allied control Twelve Americans and forty New Zealanders were killed during the campaign For the New Zealanders it was the first opposed amphibious operation since Gallipoli 5 Stirling Island was turned into a huge airstrip by the allies which was left deserted after the war ended Tourism editMono Island is a diving paradise and is from time to time a port of call for cruising ships References editThis article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message Sharp Andrew 1960 The discovery of the Pacific Islands First ed Oxford Oxford University Press p 118 Nicholson I H 1981 Gazetteer of Sydney Shipping 1788 1840 First ed Canberra Roebuck p 199 ISBN 0909434182 Langdon Robert 1984 Where the whalers went an index to the Pacific Ports and islands visited by American whalers and some other ships in the 19th century Canberra Pacific Manuscripts Bureau p 232 ISBN 086784471X Pacific Islands Volume 1 Sailing Directions London Hydrographic Office Admiralty 1885 p 89 II The Treasuries NZETC External links editThe Treasury Islands Campaign Pacific Wrecks Paintings of battle scenes on Mono nbsp This Solomon Islands location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mono Island amp oldid 1216011824, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
