| Kokoda | |
| Pushpin Map: | Papua New Guinea |
| Coordinates: | -8.8778°N 147.7375°W |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Papua New Guinea |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Papua New Guinea |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Oro (Northern) |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Sohe District |
| Subdivision Type3: | LLG |
| Subdivision Name3: | Kokoda Rural LLG |
| Population Total: | 658 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Footnotes: | , quandl.com |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Main languages |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Koiari, Motu |
| Elevation M: | 370 |
| Timezone1: | AEST |
| Utc Offset1: | +10 |
| Blank Name: | Location |
| Blank Info: | 55km (34miles) WSW of Popondetta |
| Blank1 Name: | Annual rainfall |
| Blank1 Info: | 5000sigfig=4NaNsigfig=4 |
| Blank2 Name: | Climate |
| Blank2 Info: | Af |
Kokoda is a station town in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. It is famous as the northern end of the Kokoda Track, site of the eponymous Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. In that campaign, it had strategic significance because it had the only airfield along the Track. In the decades preceding, it had been a foothills settlement near the gold fields.
Kokoda is located within the administrative divisions of Kokoda Rural LLG.
The British colonial administration found that a base for the Papuan Native Constabulary and colonial control was required to subdue the region and the government station of Kokoda was founded in 1904. [1]
An amphibious landing by Japanese forces to capture Port Moresby was postponed indefinitely after the Battle of Midway.[2] [3] The Japanese command believed there to be a road leading through the Owen-Stanleys from Kokoda to the south coast. An invasion force was landed on the north coast near Buna and Gona from 21 July 1942. Two battles were fought in and around the village during the opening stages of the Kokoda Track campaign. Kokoda was reoccupied by Australian forces on 2 November 1942, following the Japanese withdrawal back to the north coast.[4]
The station is linked by a rough road and a two-hour journey to the provincial capital of Popondetta.
In August 2009 Kokoda airstrip was the destination for Airlines PNG Flight CG4684 that crashed whilst attempting to land.[5] All 13 people on board were killed in the crash, including nine Australian passengers who were due to trek the Kokoda Track, a Japanese passenger, and three Papua New Guineans, including the two pilots.[5] [6]
Kokoda has a tropical rainforest climate with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round.