Far East Kingdoms

British New Guinea (British Empire) (Oceania)
AD 1883 - 1975
Incorporating Queensland Occupation (1883), New Guinea/British New Guinea (1884-1906), Territory of Papua (1906-1945), Territory of Papua & New Guinea (1945-1971), & Territory of Papua New Guinea (1971-1975)

Oceania All Modern States China East Asia Japan South-East Asia

Considered in some quarters to be a watery continent in its own right, Oceania starts where South-East Asia ends, to the south-east of Indonesia and East Timor. Its territory is somewhat debatable within Melanesia, which itself neighbours Australasia to the north and east, and incorporates islands between New Guinea and Tonga.

Emerging out of the South-East Asian Palaeolithic, the Toalean people were related to the very earliest modern human populations in the Wallacea region from around 6300 BC or earlier. These were the ancestors of Papuans and indigenous Australians, but at some point they were joined by an East Asian influx.

They emerged after the initial peopling of the Pleistocene supercontinent of Sahul, but prior to general Austronesian expansion. The Toalean was eventually edged out by Austronesian Neolithic farmers from mainland Asia but, by then, New Guinea was already settled, and has been so for about fifty thousand years.

With global water levels continuing to rise following the ending of the most recent ice age, the Sahul land mass was gradually submerged along its lower levels. The land bridge between it and Sunda disappeared under the water after modern humans had already long since inhabited the palaeo-continent. New Guinea was separated around 6000 BC from Australia during the Neolithic Oceania period (Tasmania became separated around 4000 BC).

Yñigo Ortiz de Retez of Spain in 1545 became the first European to spot New Guinea, at the mouth of the River Mamberano on the northern coast of the island's western part. He named it Nueva Guinea and claimed it for Spain. However, the Dutch moved in to obtain exclusive trading rights by recognising in 1660 the sultan of Tidore's suzerainty over the 'Papuan islands'. They added western New Guinea to the Dutch East Indies in 1828.

(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, and Early humans Lived in PNG highlands 50,000 years ago (Reuters), and Papua New Guinea (Rulers.org), and Papua New Guinea (Destination PNG), and Papua New Guinea (Flags of the World), and Papua (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).)

AD 1642 - 1644

The Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, and the navigator, Visscher, leave Batavia in the Dutch East Indies and reach the north-western coast of Australia in their search for a commercial route to South America. In doing so he effectively ends the Neolithic Oceania period.

From there they sail through the Indian Ocean almost as far as Madagascar before returning to reach Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand. Their final return to Batavia is by way of the northern coast of New Guinea. Van Diemen's Land is named for Anthony van Diemen, governor-general of the Dutch East Indies and the sponsor of these voyages of discovery.

Born in the Netherlands around 1602, seafarer, explorer, and merchant Abel Janszoon Tasman was the first European to discover Tasmania and confirm Australia as an island continent

1880 - 1881

Charles Marie Bonaventure attempts to establish the colony of French New Guinea, with several hundred would-be colonists who find absolutely no infrastructure when they land in eastern New Guinea.

1883 - 1884

The 'Queensland Occupation' is enacted by the government of Australia's Queensland colony when it annexes south-eastern New Guinea in 1883. Britain's colonial office almost immediately nullifies that act but goes on in 1884 to create British New Guinea out of the south-eastern quarter of the island. The western half belongs to the Netherlands while the north-eastern quarter is a British colony.

1883

Magistrate for the Queensland colony.

1883

A police magistrate in the Queensland colony, Henry Chester is stationed on Thursday Island. This small island sits just to the north of the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland.

1884

Germany proclaims a protectorate on 3 November 1884 which includes north-eastern New Guinea. This becomes 'German New Guinea' or Kaiser Wilhelmsland. Just three days later, on 6 November 1884, the United Kingdom proclaims its own protectorate, one which covers south-eastern New Guinea. The colony is under the supervision of the governor of Queensland but is not part of the Queensland colony.

The German New Guinea 'Polizeitruppe' on parade, with other ranks wearing the khaki naval-style uniform and field cap, with both faced in red

The governors of this new colony hold the title of 'Special Commissioner for Great Britain in New Guinea'. They are also deputy commissioners of the 'Western Pacific High Commission'.

1884 - 1885

Special commissioner.

1885 - 1886

Acting special commissioner.

1886

Germany and the United Kingdom formalise their partition of the eastern section of New Guinea, while also formally acknowledging the Dutch part of New Guinea.

1886 - 1888

Special commissioner.

1888

The United Kingdom formally annexes the protectorate over the south-eastern part of New Guinea, which officially becomes the 'Colony of New Guinea'. The colony's head is briefly entitled its administrator, but that title changes to one of lieutenant-governor in 1895.

At Port Moresby on 6 November 1884 Britain proclaimed a protectorate which covered the south-eastern zone of New Guinea

1888 - 1898

Special commissioner & lieutenant-governor.

1898 - 1899

Acting lieutenant-governor.

1899 - 1903

Lieutenant-governor.

1903 - 1904

Acting lieutenant-governor.

1904 - 1907

Administrator. Under Australia 1906.

1906

Having taken an interest in the island in the 1880s, partially to keep out increasing German interest, the United Kingdom now turns over British New Guinea to Australian control. From this point, British New Guinea becomes the 'Territory of Papua'.

1907 - 1940

Lieutenant-governor of the 'Territory of Papua'.

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.

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

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.

1939 - 1945

The Nazi German invasion of Poland on 1 September is the trigger for the Second World War. With both France and Britain, under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, pledged to support Poland, both countries have no option but to declare war on 3 September.

Australia joins Britain's efforts as soon as the war begins. At the end of 1941 and the beginning of 1942, Dutch and Australian forces occupy the Portuguese colony of East Timor. They are driven out by the Japanese, who occupy East Timor from 1942 to 1945. In January 1942, Japan also occupies New Guinea and part of Papua until 1944.

Japanese evacuation from Guadalcanal was largely successful thanks to bombing attacks on the US fleet, with very few Japanese troops surrendering to the allies, but it marked the beginning of a series of setbacks for Japan

1940

Acting lieutenant-governor of Papua & New Guinea.

1940 - 1942

Administrator.

1942 - 1945

Military administrator of Papua & New Guinea.

1942

Head of Papuan civil administration unit.

1942

Head of Australian New Guinea administration unit.

1942 - 1946

General officer commanding Australian 'NG Admin Unit'.

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'. On 1 November 1945, eight days after the United Nations is formed, Australia joins.

In San Francisco, USA, in summer 1945, representatives of fifty countries signed the United Nations charter to establish a new, international body which was tasked with upholding the human rights of citizens the world over

1945 - 1952

Administrator of Papua & New Guinea Territory.

1952 - 1966

Administrator.

1950s

Farmers in the highlands begin to grow Arabica coffee, which becomes lucrative. The new crop keeps native highlanders in their villages, reversing a trend toward migration into coastal plantations.

1967 - 1970

Administrator.

1970 - 1974

High commissioner.

1971 - 1973

The territory of Papua and New Guinea is renamed in 1971 as the 'Territory of Papua New Guinea'. In 1973, Australia grants self-government to the territory. At the same time, Australia's Labor prime minister, Gough Whitlam, is introducing notable and popular progressive measures at home, including the withdrawal of Australia from the Vietnam War.

As the Vietnam War took hold in the 1960s, North Vietnamese troops started using Laos as a way of getting past US and South Vietnamese defences, thereby bringing the war to Laos itself

1974 - 1975

High commissioner of 'Territory of Papua New Guinea'.

1975

On 1 September 1975, just prior to independence, the island of Bougainville secedes as the 'Republic of the North Solomons', which is never officially recognised. Bougainville is restored to central control in the following year, immediately after independence has been achieved, and is granted autonomous status.

On 16 September 1975, the territory of Papua New Guinea becomes independent from its Australian administration and British crown ownership. In ending its colonial period it becomes the 'Independent State of Papua New Guinea'.