Papua New Guinea Historic Photographs

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/1885/271542

A series of 30 pictures in "Papua and New Guinea", an information folder prepared and published by the Department of Territories, Canberra, under the authority of the Hon. Paul Hasluck, M.P., Minister for Territories.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 30

Open Access
A classroom in a mission school at Menyamya
Photographer: Unknown
A classroom in a mission school at Menyamya in New Guinea. The first permanent Mission station was established by the London Missionary Society at Port Moresby in Papua in 1874, some 30 years after Catholic missionary attempts in the Trobriand Islands. At 30th June, 1960, there were 1,905 non-indigenous missionaries belonging to 42 mission groups working in the Territory. At the same date, 906,274 native adherents were claimed. In addition to their spiritual work, the Missions, assisted by Government subsidies totaling £547,325 in 1960-61, provide education and medical facilities for many of the native people. In June, 1960, about 4,752 teachers in 3,627 mission schools were catering for 173,733 native pupils. Although, for the most part, instruction is not at a high level (despite a great efficiency in certain individual schools) the missions are making vigorous efforts to raise the general standards of their schools. A great deal has already been achieved to this end.
Open Access
A German Medical Officer at Herbertshobe
Photographer: Unknown
A German Medical Officer at Herbertshobe (about 18 miles from Rabaul and now known as Kokopo. To meet Europeans demands for coconut oil, German firms began trading for copra in the New Guinea islands in the 1870's. Ten days after Britain had established a protectorate over the south-east portion of the main island and the adjacent islands on 6th November, 1884 (the Dutch having already claimed the western half), Germany formally took possession of the "north coast and the Bismarck Archipelago". Boundaries were ratified in June, 1885. The Germans established missions, developed copra on a large scale, and established minor plantings of cotton and coffee. Australian troops landed at Rabaul on 11th September, 1914, and an Australian military administration over what had been German New Guinea was established soon afterwards. In 1921 Australia was given a mandate by the League of Nations over the former German possessions in the area. On 13th December, 1946, the former mandated Territory was voluntarily placed under the United Nations Trusteeship system, and combined in an administrative union with Papua.
Open Access
A meeting of the Hanuabada Native Local Government Council near Port Moresby
Photographer: Unknown
A meeting of the Hanuabada Native Local Government Council near Port Moresby. One in Papua and representing about 2,500 people through 17 elected Councillors, Hanuabada, proclaimed in September, 1950, was the first council in the Territory. In May, 1961, there were 43 councils, with 1,221 elected Councillors, representing almost 305,395 people. The native people are also represented on Town and Advisory Councils and on 10th April, 1961, six elected native members took their seats in a reconstituted Legislative Council together with six appointed native members. Native participation in economic development is also increasing rapidly; at 31st March, 1961, there were 218 native co-operative societies, 13 associations and one federation with a total membership of 74,140 in operation. One of the purposes of co-operatives is to enable the native people to acquire practical knowledge and experience in managing their own economic enterprises. With Administration assistance and supervision native leaders and officials are gradually assuming positions of greater responsibility.
Open Access
A modern ambulance and welfare station at Rabaul
Photographer: Unknown
A modern ambulance and welfare station at Rabaul, New Britain. Between June, 1949 and June, 1960, the number of maternity and child welfare clinics rose from 60 to 401, serving 1,612 villages. Through these services, native women are learning that they, too, can play an important part in the welfare and advancement of their people. The Administration is also taking vigorous action along other lines to encourage the advancement of women has been established, with sub-committees in most districts, and 157 women's clubs have been developed. Women may vote in Native Local Government Council elections and in December, 1960, nine women were serving as councillors.
Open Access
A Norseman aircraft dropping medical supplies to a patrol camp near Lake Kopiago
Photographer: Unknown
A Norseman aircraft dropping medical supplies to a patrol camp near Lake Kopiago. (The usually large numbers of buildings were erected to house 30 sick carriers). When law and order is being brought to an area, the first permanent Administration establishment is a patrol post which usually has an airstrip for light aircraft and radio communication with headquarters. In 1949, 24 patrol posts had been established; by June, 1960, that number had increased to 60 and to bring the whole of the Territory under administration control by 31st December, 1963, an additional 18 patrol posts will be established. Health activities quickly follow the first patrol; agricultural assistance in various forms, and then schools, are established to begin the processes of formal education. So the process of development is built on the first patrol.
Open Access
A village scene in the Trobriand Islands
Photographer: Unknown
A village scene in the Trobriand Islands, which are part of Papua. The decorated building is a food storehouse. The native people of Papua and New Guinea total about1,880,000. There are many types of people, differing in appearance, in temperament, and in customs. They live in villages or hamlets scattered through a country of bush-clad mountains, turbulent rivers, fertile plateau, vast sago swamps and tropical lowlands. Before European influence, scattered tribes often fought with each other; over 500 different languages were spoken. Many of their native customs were repugnant to our ideas of humanity. Magic was practiced widely, and there were some primitive forms of religion.
Open Access
A young cocoa plantation
Photographer: Unknown
A young cocoa plantation established under Leucaena shade at an Administration Agricultural Extension Centre at Kokoda, in the Northern District of Papua. Cocoa was introduced into New Guinea from Ceylon, via Samoa, by the Germans in 1907, and in recent years the Administration has energetically fostered the expansion of the industry. It is grown in the Territory by both European and native planters, the main centres of production being New Britain, New Ireland, Morobe, Bougainville, Madang, and Northern District. About one-quarter of the cocoa exported is produced by native growers in the above-mentioned districts, and this production is processed largely by fermentaries owned by Native Local Government Councils. On some plantations cacao trees are inter-planted with coconut palms - the two crops being compatible - thus providing some diversity of production. The planting of cacao trees in the Territory is rigidly controlled and all plantings are registered so that in the event of disease outbreak rapid control measures may be taken. Cocoa exports from the Territory in 19559-60 totalled 5,870 tons valued at about £1,670,000.
Open Access
An Administration primary school
Photographer: Unknown
An Administration primary school. At 30th June, 1960, 18,442 native pupils were enrolled in 237 Administration primary schools and a further 172,000 in mission schools. At the same date a further 1,601 native students were attending post primary schools, 576 were attending technical training centres, 100 were at Administration secondary schools in the Territory, 69 were at secondary schools in Australia and 120 students were at Mission secondary schools. In addition to formal education many forms of vocational training are available, such as the Native Apprenticeship Scheme through which about 200 youths are receiving training, and the Auxiliary Division of the Public Service, in which 351 native persons were being trained at 30th June, 1960.
Open Access
An administrative patrol moving along a ridge in the Chuave area
Photographer: Unknown
An administrative patrol moving along a ridge in the Chuave area of the Eastern Highlands. Because of the rugged terrain of the greater part of the Territory the native people in the past lived in relative isolation from each other in mutually-hostile villages or groups of villages. Establishing peace, order and good government among these people begins with the Administrative patrol. Patrols travelled on foot over country often incredibly rugged and difficult of access. No part of the Territory is now unknown and at 30th June, 1960, about 86 per cent of the total area of 183,540 square miles was under Administration control, 11 per cent was under Administration influence, and only the remaining 3 per cent, was classified as merely "penetrated by patrols".
Open Access
An aerial view of Lake Murray
Photographer: Unknown
An aerial view of Lake Murray, 185 miles north of Daru in the Western District of Papua, and five days journey up the Fly River by boat from Daru. The lake area has a population of about 1,200 Papuans who gain a subsistence livelihood by fishing from the lake, hunting, cultivating small gardens, and making sago from wild sago stems. The lake covers some 200 square miles and the water level rises from 20 to 30 feet during the rainy season.
Open Access
An electoral college in the Mt Hagen district
Photographer: Unknown
An electoral college in the Mt Hagen district. Prior to the opening of the reconstituted Legislative Council on 10th April, 1961, members of 39 Local Government Councils chose 220 representatives while 33 electoral groups of advanced peoples selected 144 representatives to form electoral colleges of 364 members. By a simple majority vote of this number in six electorates, six representatives of the native people were elected to seats in the Legislative Council. Ultimately Council members will be elected by universal vote, but because of geographical and social difficulties and the nature and scope of the native electoral consciousness, the method of election at present is that of electoral colleges.
Open Access
An exhibition preparing to set out from Port Moresby
Photographer: Unknown
An exhibition preparing to set out from Port Moresby in 1885 for the crest of the Owen Stanley Ranges. Port Moresby was discovered and named by Captain John Moresby, R.N., in 1873. The next year, the first permanent mission station on the island of New Guinea was established there by the Rev. W.G. Lawes of the London Missionary Society. By 1855, with a European population of about 70, Port Moresby was also a Government station and developed as the administrative centre of British New Guinea and, from 1906 (when Commonwealth took over full control of the Territory from Britain and changed its name) of the Australian Territory of Papua. It is now the capital of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.
Open Access
Coconuts are gathered to make copra
Photographer: Unknown
Coconuts are gathered to make copra, which is the dehydrated meat of matured nuts. Plantations suffered severely during the war, but rehabilitation has been rapid and over 500 European-managed plantations, together with numerous scattered native coconut groves, are producing about 100,000 tons a year valued at approximately £10 million. Working to a comprehensive plan of action drawn up in 1955 the Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries Branch of the Administration is actively promoting the expansion of the coconut industry by research and investigations into all of its aspects. It is estimated that about one-quarter of the total copra exported is derived from stands owned by natives. Plantations are situated mainly in the districts of New Britain, New Ireland, Madang, Bougainville and Eastern Papua. In 1959-60, about 105,000 tons (in copra equivalent) of coconut products valued at £10.28 million were exported. This included 25,526 tons of coconut oil valued at £3,814,000.
Open Access
Coffee being picked from a four-year-old tree
Photographer: Unknown
Coffee owned by indigenous growers being picked from a four-year-old tree at Palimp, near Mount Hagen in the Western Highlands District of New Guinea. Although coffee was introduced into New Guinea by the Germans before the 1914-18 World War the most significant development of the industry has been in recent years. Most of the coffee now grown in the Territory is of the Arabica type, and is cultivated, mainly in the highland areas, by both European and native planters. Up to 31st December, 1960, about 5,300,000 coffee trees had been planted by native growers. The chief centres of coffee production are in ther Morobe and Eastern Highlands Districts. Other coffee growing centres are in the Northern, Milne Bay, Central and Western Highlands Districts. In 1959-60 the Territory exported 1,487 tons of coffee (of which about a thirs was produced by native growers) valued at £717,141 and when all the coffee now planted reaches full bearing the yield will be about 6,000 tons.
Open Access
Gold dredge in the Bulolo area
Photographer: Unknown
Despite difficulties of travel, gold prospectors pushed into the Bulolo area in the late 1920's and early 1930's and found extraordinarily rich fields. All the parts of huge gold dredges, as illustrated here, were airfreighted into the area. At the height of the boom in 1938-39 when the value of gold production reached a peak of £2,251,436, eight dredges were operating. The total value of gold produced in both territories until June, 1960, was about £40 million, of which over 90 per cent came from the Wau-Bulolo area. Production has declined in recent years and now only one dredge is operating. Lode mining and sluicing are still carried on at Wau but reserves are limited. Minor deposits of manganese, and copper are mined and in 1959-60 total mineral production was valued at £719,645. Alluvial mining is being carried out on an increasing scale by native miners, about 2,500 of whom are working alluvial deposits in the Kainantu area of the Eastern Highlands. The value of production by these miners increased during the past 10 years from £2,434 to £57,982 in 1959-60.
Open Access
Interior view of portion of the Commonwealth-New Guinea Timbers Limited plywood factory at Bulolo
Photographer: Unknown
Interior view of portion of the Commonwealth-New Guinea Timbers Limited plywood factory at Bulolo, one of the most modern plywood plants in the world. Commonwealth-New Guinea was formed by an agreement, signed in 1952, between the Commonwealth Government and Bulolo Gold Dredging Limited. The £1,300,000 mill was opened in 1954 and produces high-grade plywood veneers - about 30 million square feet annually, calculated on a 3/16 inch basis. In 1959-60 over 30 million square feet of plywood valued at over £1.3 million was expected. Exports of all Papua and New Guinea timber products, including plywoods and veneers, for 1959-60 were valued at about £1.7 million.
Open Access
Loading freight aboard a Piaggio aircraft at Port Moresby
Photographer: Unknown
Loading freight aboard a Piaggio aircraft at Port Moresby. Long before roads had been made into the interior of the Territoy, the development of almost inaccessible regions was pioneered with air transport to an extent then unparalleled in comparable circumstances elsewhere in the world/ With the stimulation of gold discoveries, for example, airfields were opened in the 1920's at Salamaua, Wau and later at Lae. Aircraft used in the Territory now range from DC 6B's on external routes and DC 3's on major internal services, to easily-manoeuverable Cessnas which can land on strips cut into the rugged countryside. There are six airline companies operating on internal routes in the Territory, and two on external routes, operating on 184 airfields (including private strips) and 34 alighting areas for seaplanes. The number of routes has increased from 27 in 1950 to 51 in 1960.
Open Access
Logs for the mill at Bulolo
Photographer: Unknown
Logs for the mill at Bulolo in the highlands of the Morobe District. As gold production declined in the Wau-Bulolo area, interest developed in nearby stands of Klinkii pine. In only a few years a flourishing industry had developed. Restricted cutting of these valuable softwoods and a reforestation programme are ensuring that the timber cut out will be replaced and that there will be a steady yield for all time. About 70 to 80 per cent of the Territory is well forested, but most of this is protective forest with little commercial value. There are few hardwoods. Timber production in Papua and New Guinea in 1959-60 was 53.7 million super feet of log.
Open Access
Native Papuans harvesting taro crops
Photographer: Unknown
In their primitive state, the native people devote a great deal of effort to subsistence gardening. Cash crops of copra, cocoa beans, and coffee now attract much of their attention, but plots of taro, like this or crops such as yams, sweet potatoes, and breadfruit, according to environment and altitude, provide their staple food and bind many of them to the soil. Both men and women work in the garage, the men clearing the sites and doing the heaviest work, with both sexes co-operating in planting, maintenance, and harvesting. In some swamp areas sago is gathered. Food obtained from gardens is supplemented by hunting and fishing. Pigs are kept but, since they are a mark of wealth and prestige, much of their importance is ceremonial. Investigations are in progress into ways and means by which pig raising can be directed towards improvement in the natural diet.
Metadata only
Port Moresby
Photographer: Unknown
Port Moresby, capital and administrative centre of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, is only about 524 miles form Cairns in North Queensland. Sprawled along the hills above the eastern and northern shores of an almost-landlocked harbour, it is the home of about 4,200 Europeans and 14,000 native people who live in villages on its outskirts. On arriving in Port Moresby in 1904, Sir Hubert (then Judge) Murray wrote that it "consisted of about a dozen huts which pride of ownership permitted the inhabitants to call homes, and five erections of timber and galvanized iron in which the Government departments functioned". During the 1939-1945 war, Port Moresby sustained over 100 air raids: in 1942 and early 1943 it was the main forward base in the South West Pacific for operations against the Japanese.