Pacific leaders gather to celebrate 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence

Pacific leaders have gathered in Port Moresby to celebrate Papua New Guinea’s 50th anniversary of independence from Australia, as prime minster James Marape reflected on the moment and voiced his optimism for the future despite the country’s challenges.

Papua New Guinea was administered by Australia as a single territory from 1945 . The territory included the former British protectorate of Papua and the former German colony of New Guinea. In 1975, Papua New Guinea was granted independence.

In an address at Independence Hill on Tuesday, Marape addressed a crowd of thousands. ‘We dreamed of a better future’: remembering the first moments of Papua New Guinea in 1975 Read more

“At one minute past midnight on 16 September 1975, our first governor general, Sir John Guise, declared to th