The Island of Rao has quite a long history, dating back to the 20th century, with the villages of Posi-Posi officially being formed at 1917, and Leo Leo at 1925. There are also the villages of Lou Madoro, Aru Burung and Saminyamau however their history is a bit difficult to find at the moment. As of 2019 Rao Island has a population of 4,931.
From 1945-1946
Rao much like Morotai was strongly affected by the events of WW2 and the island was used as a base for the Australian military and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). Although there isn’t any written history regarding that period there are still a lot of photos recovered by the Australian War Memorial organization.
The photos by the Australian War Memorial were most likely captured at the village of Leo-Leo.
Updated 17 July 2025