Daru
title: "Daru" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-western-province-(papua-new-guinea)", "populated-places-established-in-1884", "1884-establishments-in-oceania"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-the-western-province-papua-new-guinea" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daru" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | Daru |
| settlement_type | Town |
| image_map | Daru Island (Landsat).jpg |
| mapsize | 300px |
| pushpin_map | Papua New Guinea |
| pushpin_label_position | bottom |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Papua New Guinea |
| pushpin_mapsize | 300 |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Papua New Guinea |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Western Province |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| subdivision_name2 | South Fly District |
| subdivision_type3 | LLG |
| subdivision_name3 | Daru Urban |
| established_title | Established |
| established_date | 1884 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_note | 2011 |
| population_total | 15,142 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| timezone1 | AEST |
| utc_offset1 | +10 |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_m | 3 |
| blank_name | Climate |
| blank_info | Am |
| blank1_name_sec1 | Location |
| blank1_info_sec1 | 440 km from Port Moresby by air |
| :: |
| name = | official_name = Daru | other_name = | native_name = | nickname = | settlement_type = Town | motto = | image_skyline = | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_map = Daru Island (Landsat).jpg | mapsize = 300px | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Papua New Guinea | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Papua New Guinea | pushpin_mapsize = 300 | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Papua New Guinea | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Western Province | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = South Fly District | subdivision_type3 = LLG | subdivision_name3 = Daru Urban | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | established_title = Established | established_date = 1884 | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | population_footnotes = | population_note = 2011 | population_total = 15,142 | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone1 = AEST | utc_offset1 = +10 | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 3 | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = | blank_name = Climate | blank_info = Am | blank1_name_sec1 = Location | blank1_info_sec1 = 440 km from Port Moresby by air | website = | footnotes =
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea 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.
History
Galician-Portuguese explorer, Luis Vaez de Torres, in the 1600s visited the location of the current town.
Population
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
Its St. Louis de Montfort Co-Cathedral 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
It is served by Daru Airport, a small airstrip.
Climate
Daru has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) with heavy rainfall most of the year and low rainfall from July to October.
| width = auto | metric first = yes | single line = yes | location = Daru (1980–2007) | Jan high C = 31.3 | Feb high C = 31.4 | Mar high C = 30.8 | Apr high C = 30.0 | May high C = 29.4 | Jun high C = 28.6 | Jul high C = 28.0 | Aug high C = 28.0 | Sep high C = 28.9 | Oct high C = 29.9 | Nov high C = 31.1 | Dec high C = 31.7 | Jan low C = 24.5 | Feb low C = 24.2 | Mar low C = 24.3 | Apr low C = 24.4 | May low C = 24.6 | Jun low C = 24.0 | Jul low C = 23.4 | Aug low C = 23.4 | Sep low C = 23.6 | Oct low C = 24.3 | Nov low C = 24.7 | Dec low C = 24.6 | rain colour = green | Jan rain mm = 224.2 | Feb rain mm = 257.8 | Mar rain mm = 293.8 | Apr rain mm = 411.4 | May rain mm = 186.8 | Jun rain mm = 63.4 | Jul rain mm = 45.9 | Aug rain mm = 32.5 | Sep rain mm = 19.5 | Oct rain mm = 21.6 | Nov rain mm = 47.9 | Dec rain mm = 202.2 | Jan rain days = 20 | Feb rain days = 20 | Mar rain days = 19 | Apr rain days = 21 | May rain days = 20 | Jun rain days = 21 | Jul rain days = 18 | Aug rain days = 16 | Sep rain days = 10 | Oct rain days = 8 | Nov rain days = 8 | Dec rain days = 17 | source 1 = World Meteorological Organization{{cite web |url = https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=1426 |title = World Weather Information Service |publisher = World Meteorological Organization |access-date = 18 August 2024}}
References
- "Census Figures by Wards - Southern Region". National Population & Housing Census 2011.
- (23 May 2013). "Japan Steps Up Interest in Papua New Guinea's Gas Riches". Wall Street Journal.
- "Daru – the town the good life left behind".
- http://www.gcatholic.org/churches/oceania/2929.htm GCatholic, with Google satellite map
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