‘He was my mate’
Dr David Tierney Recognising sacrifices made during the WWII Bougainville Conflict, Papua New Guinea The image, from page 15 in the Sydney Sun, 19 August 1945, with the caption ‘He was my mate’, shows...
Author: Roy
A Historic School Photograph of Legendary Characters
Peter Skinner The chance discovery by Derek Baldwin of a small black and white school photograph in an old suitcase makes one wonder what other historic Papua New Guinea images are buried in family...
Snapshot of Tufi, Oro Province
Sandy Miller Rod and I were going to be visiting PNG in April 2024, attending the ANZAC Day Dawn Service and Montevideo Maru Memorial Service in Rabaul. After a lot of thinking and internet...
Volcanoes in the PNG Highlands
Colin Pain It is well known that some mountains in the Papua New Guinea Highlands are extinct volcanoes, most having retained their original shape to some extent. These volcanoes have an important impact on...
Reforms in PNG Politics: Political Stability vs Independent Legislature
Michael Kabuni PhD Candidate at the Australian National University (ANU) At the 2024 PNG Update, the PNG Prime Minister James Marape went to great lengths to argue that political stability is a prerequisite for...
Sel Kambang and Andapen
Part ONE • BAKA BINA This story is my take on listening to my father talk about self-government with other men in the village and his play on the words sel gavaman/sel kambang and...
Independence Day, Goroka 1975
Trevor Freestone I was an education officer in Papua New Guinea from 1964 to 1975. My postings included Ambunti in the East Sepik District, Pagei in the Sandaun (West Sepik) Province and Bena Bena...
Thoughts on Papua New Guinea’s 50 Years as an Independent Country
Garrett Roche Independence Day in Mt Hagen, 1975 I remember Independence Day 1975 in Mt Hagen. I had been in the country since 1970, based in the Western Highlands and I had some grasp...
Lawyers, Milestones or Millstones for the Rule of Law in the Independent State of Papua New Guinea: a memoir
Part ONE • Paul Munro AM In July 1961 I became one of the last ‘permanent’ officers appointed to the PNG Administration—as Legal Officer. At 85, I am among the last survivors of the...
Prime Minister Marape’s New Year & Australia Day Messages
As Papua New Guinea approaches 2025, the year marking 50 years of independence, Prime Minister Hon. James Marape issued a heartfelt message to the nation, urging every citizen to unite and work together for...
Papua New Guinea’s Road to Independence
1883: HM Chester, Queensland Government Agent on Thursday Island, raised the Union Jack near present-day Port Moresby and annexed, on behalf of Queen Victoria, that part of New Guinea and adjacent islands lying between...
Australia and Papua New Guinea – The significance of WWI and WWII
As its nearest neighbor, Australia’s task has been complex but tackled with positive determination and enthusiasm. Pre-independence PNG was developed by the Australian Administration, by private enterprise and by the missions. Australia also fought...
PNG’s 50th Anniversary of Independence
50th Anniversary of PNG Independence – 16 September 2025 On 16 September 1975, the nation of Papua New Guinea achieved its independence from Australia. The Papua New Guinea Association of Australia (PNGAA) looks forward...
MEMORIAL NEWS
2025—50th Anniversary of PNG Independence: How will Australia Acknowledge This? Not many Australians would have a good understanding of Australia’s history in PNG. This is because this history is not taught in schools. Many...
