Territory of New Guinea

Lore & Background

The Territory of New Guinea was established after Australian forces seized German New Guinea in October 1914 during World War I. At the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes argued for possession, stating the islands were strategically necessary. The League of Nations granted Australia a mandate on 17 December 1920, formalized by the New Guinea Act 1920. The first civilian administrator, Brigadier-General Evan Wisdom, made Rabaul the capital. German settlers were expropriated and expelled from 1921, though some missionaries were allowed to remain after appeals from religious leaders. From 1926, after Germany joined the League of Nations, expulsions of Germans slowed but did not entirely cease, and the mandate retained authority over German nationals.

Reader's Guide

The Territory of New Guinea represents a key phase in the colonial history of the Pacific, bridging German and Australian administration and later merging with Papua. Its strategic importance was highlighted by World War II, when Rabaul became a major Japanese base and much of the territory was occupied. The territory's distinct legal identity persisted even after administrative union with Papua in 1949, underscoring its unique status under international mandates. The gold rushes of the 1920s and 1930s, particularly at Wau and Edie Creek, spurred early aviation development, with Bulolo Gold Dredging & Co and Guinea Airways moving more air freight between Lae and Wau than anywhere else in the world. The territory's legacy is foundational to modern Papua New Guinea, which achieved independence in 1975.

Did You Know?

• The Territory of New Guinea was originally German New Guinea, captured by Australian forces in October 1914.
• Rabaul, the capital, was destroyed by volcanic eruptions of Mount Tavurvur in May 1937, forcing the administration to move to Lae.
• During the 1930s, there were 4,500 foreigners in the mandate, including 1,000 Chinese and 400 Germans.
• In 1937–1938, the Bulolo goldfields airlift between Lae and Wau was one of the largest air freight operations of its time, though it did not exceed global air freight totals.