History of Jayapura

History of Jayapura In the book of Nagara-Kertagama writen by Rakawi Prapanca of Majapahit, under the rule of King Hayam Wuruk, in 1365 A.D, it was mentioned that West Papua was belong to Majapahit Kingdom territory. In one of its paragraphs mentioned “Muwah tikhan i wandan, ambwan (Ambon) athawa maloko wwanin (Fakfak)” were the sovereign territory of Majapahit Kingdom.

However, the Dutch began serious exploration in about 1898. During Ducth Colonialization, Jayapura City had become a Defense Post of Dutch Army in Pacific area. The Dutch government was assigned P. Windhower at Debi Island, a little island in Yotefa Bay in 1908. In 1912 the post was moved to a mouth of Numbai river, which is a small river that is mouthed in Yos Yudarso Bay. In a formal ceremony, this mouth of Numbai river then named Hollandia on March 7, 1910. The date was then decided to be the birth date of Jayapura. The status of Hollandia City which was a district had become the government Provincial City. Some of the events happened after this moment were the name of Hollandia was changed into New City, then Sukarnopura and finally Jayapura. However, West Papua is Indonesia’s “wild east”. Much of it was still unexplored by outsiders in the 1930s. Allied (American and Australian) forces passed through here in 1944 on the way to the reconquest of the Philippines. After the Indonesians defeated the Dutch in 1949 and 1950, the Dutch insisted on keeping Irian Jaya. They finally gave up the colony in 1963, under a combination of military and diplomatic pressure. In 1969, a UN-sponsored referendum led to Irian Jaya becoming a province of Indonesia. The vast development forced the Region Government to split Jayapura to two districts: North Jayapura and South Jayapura. In 1988, Jayapura was become Administrative City and then in 1993 became Jayapura madya City. Lately, with the Act of Region Government number 22 year 1999, it was then becoming Jayapura City. (Lhernot)