Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. East Timor is on the eastern side of the island, and Indonesia is on the western side. Timor has some coastal plains that merge with regularly flooded mangrove swamps. Coastal inhabitants are primarily of Indonesian Malay ancestry since they drove the predominantly Melanesian aboriginal peoples inland. Numerous Papuan and Malayan languages are spoken here, alongside Indonesian in the west and Portuguese in the east. Islam and Christianity have made some inroads here, but animism and ancestor worship still predominate. There is a sacred house with a custodian priest and a taboo area surrounding it in each village. Historically, villages and isolated places were surrounded by fences because of coastal warfare. Houses are usually built on piles.
In the early 1990s, the East Timorese were able to resist 35,000 Indonesian troops. Still, the island did not gain independence until a 1999 referendum under an UN-sponsored agreement between Indonesia and Portugal. East Timor’s people rejected the offer of autonomy within Indonesia. The UN temporarily governed East Timor until it became independent as Timor-Leste in 2002 under Falintil leader Xanana Gusmão. While the new nation grappled with poverty, political strife continued, the UN never made a substantial presence there.
Below are some fascinating historical photos by wilford peloquin that show what Timor looked like in the 1970s.
#1 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#2 Timor, 1970s
#3 Friendship at Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#4 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#5 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#6 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#7 Bacau town centre, Timor, 1970s
#8 Bacau beach, Timor, 1970s
#9 Bacau waiting for market to begin, Timor, 1970s
#10 Bacau waiting for market to begin, Timor, 1970s
#11 Chinese at Bacau market, Timor, 1970s
#12 Timor bus, Timor, 1970s
#13 Dili beach, Timor, 1970s
#14 Dili market, Timor, 1970s
#15 View of Dili, Timor, 1970s
#16 Dili Sunday market, Timor, 1970s
#17 Dili Sunday market – horsepark, Timor, 1970s
#18 Dili Sunday market, Timor, 1970s
#19 Dili harbour, Timor, 1970s
#20 Dili fishermen, Timor, 1970s
#21 Dili fishermen, Timor, 1970s
#22 Dili guards at govt house, 1970s
#23 Liquica – house, Timor, 1970s
#24 Near iquica, Timor, 1970s
#25 Near iquica, Timor, 1970s
#26 Near iquica, Timor, 1970s
#27 Liquica beach, Timor, 1970s
#28 Dili – island vessel, 1970s
#29 Dili airport Zamrud DC3, Timor, 1970s
#30 Liquica beach, Timor 1970s
#31 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#32 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#33 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#34 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#35 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#36 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#37 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#38 Timor, 1970s
#39 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#40 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#41 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#42 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#43 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#44 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#45 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#46 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#47 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#48 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#49 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#50 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#51 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#52 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#53 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#54 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#55 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#56 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#57 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#58 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#59 Liquica, Timor, 1970s
#60 Dili Inter island boat, Timor, 1970s
#61 Timor, 1970s
#62 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#63 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#64 Dili, Timor, 1970s
#65 Dili airport, Timor, 1970s
#66 Dili airport, Timor, 1970s
#67 Dili airport, Timor, 1970s
#68 Dili airport, Timor, 1970s
#69 Dili airport, Timor, 1970s
#70 Timor, 1970s
#71 Bacau airport, Timor 1970s
#72 Bacau airport, Timor 1970s
#73 Bacau airport, Timor 1970s
#74 Bacau airport, Timor 1970s
#75 Bacau airport, Timor 1970s
#76 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#77 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#78 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#79 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#80 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#81 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#82 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#83 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#84 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#85 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#86 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#87 Bacau, Timor, 1970s
#88 Bacau Market, Timor, 1970s
#89 Bacau Market, Timor, 1970s
#90 Bacau Market, Timor, 1970s
#91 Bacau Market, Timor, 1970s
#92 Bacau Market, Timor, 1970s
#93 Bacau Dili bus, Timor, 1970s
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Oh what memories! I need to get my slides and pics out now. I remember these in 1974.
