Far East Kingdoms

Australian New Guinea (British Empire) (Oceania)
AD 1914 (1920) - 1945

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The relatively short-lived political entity which was German New Guinea was part of a European occupation and settlement of regions of Oceania in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The area is part of Melanesia, including the greater New Guinea, located between Micronesia and Australasia.

Captain Charles Bampfield Yule claimed the southern coast of New Guinea in 1846 for the United Kingdom, but the British did not settle the place. The British also did not follow up on a second annexation by Captain John Moresby. A French adventurer attempted to establish himself as the king of 'New France' in unclaimed New Ireland, but his colony was abandoned in 1882.

The 'Queensland Occupation' was enacted by Queensland's government when it annexed south-eastern New Guinea in 1883, but the British colonial office almost immediately nullified that act. British New Guinea was established in 1884, constituting roughly the south-eastern quarter of the island. The western half belonged to the Netherlands to become West Papua, while the north-eastern quarter was a German colony.

Germany had shown an interest in this region in the nineteenth century, and a protectorate was established in 1884 over north-eastern New Guinea, otherwise known as Kaiser Wilhelmsland. During the First World War Japan occupied Palau as one of the anti-German allies. It became permanently separated from New Guinea.

Having long held suspicions of German intentions, Australia took its own opportunity, this time to seize German New Guinea, essentially forming an Australian New Guinea period of control. Germany formally ceded it in 1920, and it became a League of Nations mandate. In time it would form part of Papua New Guinea.

Principal author(s): Page created: Page last updated:

(Information by John De Cleene and the John De Cleene Archive, with additional information from The Austronesians: Historical and Comparative Perspectives, Peter Bellwood, James J Fox, & David Tryon (ANU Press, 2006), from National Geographic Atlas of the World, 10th Ed (National Geographic Society, 2015), and from External Links: Destination Papua New Guinea (dead link, but still available via the Internet Archive), and Early humans Lived in PNG highlands 50,000 years ago (Reuters), and Papua New Guinea (Rulers.org), and Papua New Guinea (Flags of the World), and Papua New Guinea (Zárate's Political Collections (ZPC)), and Was Papua New Guinea an Early Agriculture Pioneer, John Roach (National Geographic Society, 23 June 2003, and available via the Internet Archive), and The New Nation: Bougainville's Struggle for Independence, Skyler Bohnert (McGill International Review), and Papua New Guinea (Encyclopaedia Britannica), and Papua New Guinea (World Statesmen), and Plant Cultures: Exploring plants & people (Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, dead link), and McNicoll, Sir Walter Ramsey (1877-1947), Ronald McNicoll (Australian Dictionary of Biography).)

1914

During the First World War, the allied power of Japan occupies Palau to remove it from German control. It remains permanently separated from New Guinea. Australia, another allied nation, occupies Kaiser Wilhelmsland for the same reason, essentially forming an Australian New Guinea.

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia and the German empire inspects his troops on the eve of war in 1914, a war which none of the tributary German principalities had any chance of escaping

1914 - 1915

Australian administrator.

1915 - 1917

Australian administrator.

1917 - 1918

Australian acting administrator.

1918 - 1920

Australian administrator.

1920

The Australian-occupied Kaiser Wilhelmsland becomes a League of Nations mandate under Australian administration. Essentially this is an international confirmation of the situation which has existed since 1914.

1920 - 1921

Australian administrator.

1921 - 1933

Australian administrator.

1933 - 1934

Australian administrator for the second time.

1934 - 1942

Australian administrator. Evacuated.

1937 - 1941

Volcanoes at Rabaul erupt in 1937 causing great devastation. McNicoll rushes back from a visit to the mainland and supervises the evacuation. Rabaul's larger volcano erupts again in 1942, making the town uninhabitable. McNicoll moves the seat of government from there to Lae.

On 1 January 1901 the six separate colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia, plus the Northern Territory became a self-governing independent commonwealth

1942 - 1945

During the Second World War, Japan as an axis power which is fighting against the allies occupies New Guinea and part of Papua In January 1942. Lae is destroyed in an air raid, and the Japanese quickly occupy Rabaul. McNicoll is suffering from malaria so he is evacuated, but Japanese occupation lasts until 1944.

1942

Japan's occupation commander for New Guinea & Papua.

1942 - 1945

Japan's occupation commander for New Guinea & Papua.

1945

With the war's end in 1945, the two territories of Papua and New Guinea are united under Australian administration into the 'Territory of Papua and New Guinea', shortly before Australia joins the new United Nations organisation.