Sorry, "Frontiers of Asian and southeast Asia." which covers Afghanistan
through to Indonesia-Australian and PNg-Austrlaian boundaries.
"Map of Mainland Asia by Treaty" was the more formal predecessor to this
title, contianing extracts of relevant treaties, and only covers Afghanistan
through North Korea and Malaysia.
precis of
Prescott, Collier and Prescott,
Melb Uni Press, 1977
"Frontiers of Asia and SE Asia"
section 41, p84 with map p85:
A territory from 141d on south coast to Cape Saprop Maneh [Tanjung Duar]
140d47'East unilaterally declared as border by Dutch in 1848 in a sectret
declaration to UK, which was made public in 1865. In 1875 boundary described
as straight line from Tajung Duar on North coast to intersection of 141deg
with south coast (very similar to 1848).
1884 UK and Germany divided PNG and drew a serries of straight lines to
intersection of 141E and 5S, marking the tript.
1893 raids of headhunters forced UK and Neth to precisely locate border.
Bensbach river mouth on south coast chosen as starting point, determined to
be 141d 01'47.9".
UK thus conceded a strip 3km wide to Dutch,from south coast to the DeNeUk
tripoint. To offset this, UK asked for the Fly river bend, with 2 reasons:
bend occupied by headhunters with whom a river border was easier to deal,
and goldseekers would use the Fly for access to interior, so more convenient
if it was entirely within UK administration. Dutch agreed in 1895.
Dutch then looked to Germany to settle their border, but Germany in no
hurry, its surveyors all in Africa. Then WW1. Australia became successor to
Germany in New Guinea, as it had succeeded the UK in 1905 in Papua.
Australian survey in 1928 placed a marker on northern coast near Wutong,
141d 0'13.5", recording that Dutch border was 400m west. A joint survey in
1933 found the Dutch and Australians differed by 398m over where they
calculated 141d to be. They decided to split the difference , but this point
was unsuitable for a marker, so it was placed 168m from the Dutch
determination and 230m from the Australian, rather than 199m from each, in
the middle of the 398m gap.
Proposals to mark intersection with Fly river delayed by WW2.
1960, Australia and Dutch agreed great circle through the marker on the
north coast to the northern intersection of 141d and Fly river to be
boundary. On the south side, the meridian passing through mouth of Bensbach
river until the southern intersection with Fly river. This southern
meridian determined to be 141d01'07" in 1958. In 1962 monuments erected on
Fly at each location. Therefore diagonal line in north and due N-S line in
south.
Work repeated when Indonesia colonised West Irian. Agreed to use 141d in
the north and meridian through Bensbach in the south. So two N-S lines,
slightly offset.
Work began 1966, markers erected in two years.
1973 agreement lists 14 markers which were erected. 10 marked 141d to the
north of the Fly, and 4 marked the Bensbach meridian, newly determined to be
141d01'10".
Nowadays, the locations of major villages close to the border have been
determined and signs placed on major tracks crossing to border.
The 1973 agreement does not make preovision for major shifts in Fly river
course, which may be a problem in future.
See also
Cook, Macartney and stott, 1968, "Where is the border?", Australian External
Territories, 8(5):7-18.
van der Veur, (1966), "Search for New Guinea's boundaries", Canberra.
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