Territory of Papua and New Guinea

The territory of Papua and New Guinea was created in 1949 by an administrative merger of the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea.

Australia took over in 1906 the British colony of British New Guinea as the " Territory of Papua ". Right at the beginning of World War occupied Australia 1914 the German colony of German New Guinea and was awarded in 1920 by the League of Nations mandate to administer the territory under the name " Guinea territory ".

After the surrender of Japan in 1945, both the civil administration of Papua and New Guinea were restored from the. 1946 Australia received for the former German New Guinea German possession, a UN Trust mandate.

Both parts of the country in 1949, joined the " Territory of Papua and New Guinea " (The Territory of Papua and New Guinea). 1962 recommended a UN Commission as quickly as possible establishment of a self-management. Autonomy movement in the country led in 1963 to the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly, which opened on 8 June 1964. The Parliamentary Assembly consisted of 64 members. Of the 54 elected MPs were 38 locals. In 1971 the " Territory of Papua and New Guinea " in " Papua New Guinea " was renamed. On 1 December 1973, the new government took over in Port Moresby, the internal self-government. Was a high commissioner from the Australian administrator. However, Australia retained for the time being the ministries of defense, internal affairs, foreign affairs and foreign trade. After adopting its own constitution Papua New Guinea received full independence on 16 September 1975.

Administrators

(after the restoration of civilian 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