In 1885 Catholic missionaries, who were some of the first European visitors to reach the Papuan coast, held PNG's first mass here on the 4th July. Today the location, Centennial Hill, boasts a small memorial decorated with mosaics and a painted bronze (yes - someone painted over the bronze) statue. They also brought with them 14 Filipino lay missionaries - the first Philippine visitors to PNG - to teach catechism and generally help evangelize the country.
Besides Catholicism, the Filipinos also help account for the Hispanic surnames that you may encounter.
