Daru

For other uses, see Daru (disambiguation).

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Town in Western Province, Papua New Guinea

Daru

Town

Daru

Location in Papua New Guinea

Coordinates: 9°05′S 143°12′E﻿ / ﻿9.083°S 143.200°E﻿ / -9.083; 143.200
Country|  Papua New Guinea
Province| Western Province
District| South Fly District
LLG| Daru Urban
Established| 1884
Elevation

| 3 m (10 ft)
Population

[1]

• Total

| 15,142
| 2011
Time zone| UTC+10 (AEST)
Climate| Am
Location| 440 km (270 mi) from Port Moresby by air

Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea[2] and a former Catholic bishopric. Daru town falls under the jurisdiction of Daru Urban LLG.

The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland in Australia. Daru had a recorded population of 15,142 as of the 2011 census.[1]

## History

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2025)

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Galician-Portuguese explorer, Luis Vaez de Torres, in the 1600s visited the location of the current town.[3]

## Population

[edit]

The language of the Daru people is Kiwai (South-West Coastal Kiwai), also spoken on neighbouring mainland villages (the name Kiwai comes from Kiwai Island some 60 km north-east in the Fly River delta). However, the Kiwai settlement of Daru is fairly recent. The original inhabitants, the Hiamo, were Western-Central Torres Strait Islanders originally from Yama in the Torres Strait. With the Kiwai colonisations, the main group of Hiamo people moved to Southern Torres Strait and settled the (Inner) Muralag group.

## Religion

[edit]

Its St. Louis de Montfort Co-Cathedral[4] is the 'second see' (and former 'full' cathedral) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Daru-Kiunga (renamed in 1987, originally Apostolic Prefecture of Daru since 1957, promoted diocese in 1966).

## Transport

[edit]

It is served by Daru Airport, a small airstrip.

## Climate

[edit]

Daru has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) with heavy rainfall most of the year and low rainfall from July to October.

Climate data for Daru (1980–2007)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 31.3
(88.3)  | 31.4
(88.5)  | 30.8
(87.4)  | 30.0
(86.0)  | 29.4
(84.9)  | 28.6
(83.5)  | 28.0
(82.4)  | 28.0
(82.4)  | 28.9
(84.0)  | 29.9
(85.8)  | 31.1
(88.0)  | 31.7
(89.1)  | 29.9
(85.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 24.5
(76.1)  | 24.2
(75.6)  | 24.3
(75.7)  | 24.4
(75.9)  | 24.6
(76.3)  | 24.0
(75.2)  | 23.4
(74.1)  | 23.4
(74.1)  | 23.6
(74.5)  | 24.3
(75.7)  | 24.7
(76.5)  | 24.6
(76.3)  | 24.2
(75.5)
Average rainfall mm (inches)  | 224.2
(8.83)  | 257.8
(10.15)  | 293.8
(11.57)  | 411.4
(16.20)  | 186.8
(7.35)  | 63.4
(2.50)  | 45.9
(1.81)  | 32.5
(1.28)  | 19.5
(0.77)  | 21.6
(0.85)  | 47.9
(1.89)  | 202.2
(7.96)  | 1,807
(71.16)
Average rainy days  | 20  | 20  | 19  | 21  | 20  | 21  | 18  | 16  | 10  | 8  | 8  | 17  | 198
Source: World Meteorological Organization[5]

## See also

[edit]

* New Guinea portal

## Notes and references

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Census Figures by Wards - Southern Region". National Population & Housing Census 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
2. ^ "Japan Steps Up Interest in Papua New Guinea's Gas Riches". Wall Street Journal. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013.
3. ^ "Daru – the town the good life left behind". Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG ATTITUDE. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
4. ^ http://www.gcatholic.org/churches/oceania/2929.htm GCatholic, with Google satellite map
5. ^ "World Weather Information Service". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

* v
* t
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Provincial capitals of Papua New Guinea

* Alotau (MB)
* Buka (Bougainville)
* Daru (Western)
* Goroka (EHP)
* Kavieng (NI)
* Kerema (Gulf)
* Kimbe (WNB)
* Kokopo (ENB)
* Kundiawa (Chimbu)
* Lae (Morobe)
* Lorengau (Manus)
* Madang (Madang)
* Mendi (SHP)
* Mount Hagen (WHP)
* Popondetta (Oro)
* Port Moresby (Central/NCD)
* Tari (Hela)
* Vanimo (WS)
* Wabag (Enga)
* Wewak (ES)

New Guinea portal
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