Papua and New Guinea Territory
The Territory of Papua and New Guinea was created in 1949 through an administrative merger of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea .
In 1906, Australia took over the British colony of British New Guinea as the "Territory of Papua". Right at the beginning of the First World War , Australia occupied the German colony of German New Guinea in 1914 and in 1920 received a mandate from the League of Nations to administer the area under the name "Territory of New Guinea".
After Japan's surrender in 1945, both Papuan and New Guinea civil administrations were restored. In 1946, Australia received a UN trust mandate for the formerly German possession of German New Guinea .
Both parts of the country were the "Territory of Papua and New Guinea" in 1949 (The Territory of Papua and New Guinea) together. In 1962 a UN commission recommended that self-government be set up as soon as possible. Efforts to achieve autonomy in the country led to the establishment of a parliamentary assembly in 1963, which was opened on June 8, 1964. The parliamentary assembly consisted of 64 members. Of the 54 elected MPs, 38 were locals. In 1971 the "Territory of Papua and New Guinea" was renamed "Papua New Guinea". On December 1, 1973, the new government in Port Moresby took over internal self-government. The Australian administrator became a high commissioner. However, Australia initially retained the portfolios of defense, home affairs, foreign policy and foreign trade. After the adoption of its own constitution, Papua New Guinea gained full independence on September 16, 1975.
administration
- Administrators
(after the restoration of civil administration in 1945)
- Jack Keith Murray, 1945-1952
- Donald Cleland, 1952-1966
- David Osborne Hay, 1966-1970
- Leslie Wilson Johnson , 1970-1973
- High commissioners
- Leslie Wilson Johnson, 1973-1974
- Thomas Kingston Critchley, 1974-1975