History: Papua New Guinea

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

1. 1.

   Claim: In March 1971 the House of Assembly recommended that the territory seek self-government in the next parliament, a recommendation Australia agreed to; the territory adopted a flag and emblem in June 1971 and was renamed Papua New Guinea that July. At the July 1972 general election, Michael Somare was elected Chief Minister, pledging to lead the territory to self-government and then independence, and the Australian government under Gough Whitlam instituted self-government, achieved on 1 December 1973.

   • Papua New Guinea (Wikipedia) link, History section. Source record
2. 2.

   Claim: On 5 June 1975 the Constituent Assembly rejected, by 57 votes to 26, an amendment to the draft constitution that would have made Papua New Guinea a republic upon independence, and formally adopted the Constitution on 15 August 1975.

   • Papua New Guinea (Wikipedia) link, History section. Source record
3. 3.

   Claim: The Papua New Guinea Independence Act, 1975, given Royal Assent on 9 September 1975, recited that the Territory of New Guinea had been administered by Australia first under a League of Nations mandate and then, from 13 December 1946, under a UN Trusteeship Agreement approved by the General Assembly, and that "on 18 June 1975 the House of Assembly nominated 16 September 1975 as the date on which Papua New Guinea is to become independent," with the General Assembly having resolved on 13 December 1974 that the Trusteeship Agreement would cease on that date. Section 3 defined "Independence Day" as 16 September 1975, and Section 4 provided: "On the expiration of the day preceding Independence Day, Australia ceases to have any sovereignty, sovereign rights or rights of administration in respect of or appertaining to the whole or any part of Papua New Guinea."

   • Parliament of Australia, Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975 (No. 98 of 1975) (9 September 1975) link, Preamble and Sections 3-4. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
4. 4.

   Claim: On 22 September 1975, at its 1841st meeting, the Security Council, having examined the application of Papua New Guinea, unanimously recommended to the General Assembly that it be admitted to UN membership.

   • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 375 (1975) (United Nations, 22 September 1975) link, resolution text. Source record
5. 5.

   Claim: The General Assembly, at its 2383rd plenary meeting on 10 October 1975, having received the Security Council's recommendation and considered Papua New Guinea's application, decided to admit Papua New Guinea to United Nations membership.

   • United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly resolution 3368 (XXX): Admission of Papua New Guinea to membership in the United Nations (United Nations, 10 October 1975) link, operative paragraph. Source record