PNGAA congratulates PNG on its 44th anniversary of Independence

The Papua New Guinea Association of Australia congratulates Papua New Guinea at this 44th anniversary of Independence.
For both Papua New Guineans and Australians, it is a time to be proud of the achievements of both nations, and it is a time to reconnect Australia’s history in taking Papua New Guinea, our nearest neighbour, to nationhood. And, now with generations who didn’t know Australia’s time in PNG, along with many who remember, there is an exciting shared future.
Timeline of a shared history:
1884 – Papua became a protectorate called British New Guinea (initiated by the colony of Queensland)
4 September 1888 – British New Guinea was annexed outright
1902 – British New Guinea was placed under the Commonwealth of Australia
1905 – the Papua Act – British New Guinean became the Territory of Papua (with formal Australian administration in 1906.) Australia administered Papua under the Papua Act until civil administration ceased in January 1942 when it was invaded by Japan during the Pacific War.
1914 – Australia seized the German colony of German New Guinea
1921 the League of Nations gave Australia a trusteeship over New Guinea (the Mandated Territory of New Guinea)
1945 – civil administration of Papua as well as New Guinea was restored, under the Papua New Guinea Provisional Administration Act (1945-46) following the surrender of Japan, and Papua and New Guinea were combined in an administrative union.
1948 – The Papua and New Guinea Act 1949 placed New Guinea under the international trusteeship system with the new title, The Territory of Papua and New Guinea
1972 – The name of the territory was changed to Papua New Guinea
1 December 1973 – Papua New Guinea became self-governing
16 September 1975 – Papua New Guinea became an Independent nation.