Author: Raj Bhangle
Austral Islands, Polynesia
The Austral Islands are an archipelago with a total area of about 152 km² located in the southern Pacific Ocean.
The Austral archipelago lies between 600 and 1,300 km south of Tahiti in French Polynesia. It is sometimes called Tubuai islands named after its largest island.
They consist of five main islands:
- Tubuai, 45 km², the administrative center Austral
Rurutu, 36 km²
Rimatara, 8 km²
Raivavae, 16 km²
Rapa, 40 km², sometimes called Rapa Iti to distinguish it from Rapa Nui, Easter Island
and
- Atoll islands Maria, 1.3 km²
Marotiri, where islands of Bass, 0.04 km²
Common Attributes Of Austral Islands
- Rurutu 2,088 hab.
Tubuai 2,050 hab.
Raivavae: 905 inhab.
Rimatara 785 inhab.
Rapa 482 inhab.
The Austral archipelago would have inhabited relatively late in comparison to other islands of Polynesia. It is likely that in the eleventh century and even in the fourteenth century that the islands have received their first inhabitants certainly from Tahiti populated much earlier. There has never however been a real archaeological excavation was undertaken on the subject.
It’s James Cook will be the first European to discover one of the Austral Islands. He discovered Rurutu effect on 13 August 1769, he called Oteroah. It attempts to dock by sending a whaling which can not dock because of the hostility of the inhabitants. The naturalist on board the boat note the quality of craft and weapons used by the islanders.
This browser found on his third and last trip to the island Tubuai on 8 August, 1777. He noticed similarities in the language with the Tahitian. It also notes the advantage of the island for passing ships saw dense vegetation, however, but a large barrier reef makes it unsuitable for anchorage. It is this characteristic that will motivate the choice of the mutineers of HMS Bounty to hide.
Raivavae before Tubuai was discovered in 1775 by the Spanish navigator Thomas Gayangos but remains well clear of shipping lanes and receives very few ships.
Rapa was discovered by George Vancouver on 22 December 1791, the island is called Oparo.
Rimatara was discovered in late 1811 by the Rev. Henry, captain of a schooner from Tahiti.
Maria islands were discovered in 1824 by the American Whaling Maria commissioned by George Washington Gardner. Another browser, Jacques-Antoine Moerenhout, ignoring the discovery of these islands, claimed in 1829 by giving his name.
Marotiri was discovered by George Bass, hence the islands of Bass, probably in 1800.
Austral Islands’ Activities
Four islands have an airport and is serviced on a regular basis by Plane: Rimatara (since 2006), Tubuai, and Raivavae Rurutu.
Tubuai Raivavae and have a low tourist activity. Rurutu is mainly frequented by tourists during the presence of whales (September to November), which visits its waters in plenty.
The most important activity, in addition to fishing, crafts (particularly basketry) of food crops, and livestock is the gardening, facilitated by a cooler climate than Tahiti, which is exported to an important part of this vegetable production.
Posted in Polynesia