in 1902 in search of gutta-percha trees. Then in 1907, Austrian explorer Wilhelm Dammköhler led an expedition up the Markham Valley and linked the headwaters of the Markham River with the Ramu for the first time. Australian administration and Second World War After the First World War, German New Guinea passed over to Australian control and became the Territory of New Guinea. The Ramu reverted to its local name during this time. In 1936, Briton, Lord Moyne, ventured up the Ramu during an expedition to Indonesia and New Guinea. Moyne discovered a race of pygmy-like people inhabiting the middle Ramu region from the mouth of the river in the Aiome foothills. During the Second World War, in 1942 the Japanese annexed the entire Territory of New Guinea from the Australians. Intense fighting occurred between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Australian and US Armies to recapture New Guinea. During the Finisterre Range campaign in 1943 and 1944, the Ramu valley became the scene of a major battle. Hydroelectric plant The Ramu flows into Yonki Dam, where it feeds the Ramu 1 power station. A hydroelectric plant was under construction on the toe of the Yonki Dam, however construction is currently (May 2011) suspended. Image gallery References Rivers of Papua New Guinea