The population is mainly divided into a few villages along the coast and the island's interior is covered mostly by rainforest.

It was charted by Dutch captains Jacob Le Maire and Willem Corneliszoon Schouten in June 1616 and then named "Gardner Islands".

After the First World War, the area ended up under Australian control, and Australia later became officially mandated for the entire Bismarck Archipelago by the United Nations.

From 1942 to 1945, the area was occupied by Japan, but returned to the Australian government mandate until Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975.

Carl Emil Pettersson, a Swedish sailor who was shipwrecked and landed on the island in 1904, became its king (nicknamed "Strong Charly") after his marriage to the daughter of a local chief after he died.