History of the Journal

Una Voce was the early name for the quarterly journal of the PNGAA. the Journal is published by the PNGAA in March, June, September and December. In March 2020, the name was changed to “PNG Kundu” in an effort to move forward with the times.

Contributions are always welcome and and can be made by clicking on this link . . . . for large photographs please email the editor@pngaa.net.

The journal is as part of the PNGAA membership subscription and digital versions of all journals are available on this website.

How Una Voce got its name

Some members may be puzzled by the motto of our Association shown on the front page of the Association’s Journal. It doesn’t sound like Pidgin, nor Motu, nor English: in fact it is a Latin phrase. So why do we use it? It is based on the origin and history of the Association. Some will remember—may even have been involved in—the very strong suspicions which existed between officers in the pre-war and separate services of Papua and New Guinea. This feeling was still very much alive after the war and was continued to an extent even after we became joined as the Territory of Papua New Guinea.

In 1952 representatives of each service got together to discuss the Commonwealth’s intentions about superannuation for the new combined public service and also the old superannuation systems which had applied to each service and whose provisions were different. They soon realised that arguing with the Commonwealth separately would not achieve much and so joined together to speak as one: and thus was born Una Voce, meaning ‘One Voice’. This was also the beginning of our Association. Incidentally our first Journal, then a newsletter, was a one-pager, so when you compare it with our present Una Voce you can appreciate what has gone into its production over the years, during which time, as far as I know, we have had only five secretary/editors or editors.