Hoisting the Flag at Papua

Papua in 1884 An Early Report of Papuan Gold

An old resident of Tonga, Mr. F. T. Goedicke, who was present at the flag-raising ceremony at Port Moresby. Papua, in November, 1884, writes in a Letter to the Editor:— AS far back as 1770, Captain James Cook visited the south-east coast of New Guinea, and in 1775 an Eng lish officer, Forrest by name, spent some months on the north-east coast in search of spices. In 1793 New Guinea was annexed by two of the East India Com pany commanders, and Manasvari, an island in Geelvink Bay, was for a time held by their troops.

In 1845 Captain Blackwood discovered the Fly River and Yule Island was nam ed by Captain Yule in 1846. The most important survey work along the coast of New Guinea, however, was done in 1873 by H.M.S. “Basilisk”, under the command of Captain Moresby, who dis covered the now famous harbour of Pt.

Moresby.

In 1883, the Queensland Government hoisted the British flag there and for mally annexed their huge neighbour, but

this act was subsequently repudiated by the Home Government.

Towards the end of 1884, it was de cided to announce a formal protectorate over a large portion of the southern shores of New Guinea —over what is now known as Papua. The official ceremony took place on November 3, 1884. at Port Moresby. Five British men-of-war were present—“Espingle”, “Raven”, “Swinger” and “Harrier”, besides Commodore Er skme’s flagship, “Nelson”. James Elphin stone Erskine, Commander of the Aus tralian Fleet, read the proclamation, surrounded by his staff. The hoisting of the flag was performed by Flag-Lieut,enant Gaunt, an Australian. Behind the Commander stood the Deputy Commis sioner (Mr. Romilly), the L.M.S. mis sionaries, Rev. Dr. Lawes and his wife, Rev. James Chalmers. Mr. Andrew Goldie, Mr. Arbuthnot Hely, and myself, and in the background crowded the na tives.

To Boe Vagi, the chief of the Port Moresby tribe, was entrusted the respon sibility of upholding the authority and dignity of Great Britain in the island.

He was presented with an ebony stick, into the top of which had been let a florin, with the Queen’s head uppermost.

Dr. Lawes conveyed to Boe Vagi the meaning of the Commodore’s words when he gave him the stick. However, the writer doubted very much Boe Vagi’s ability to uphold the authority and dig nity of Great Britain because he came the day following the ceremony with the stick—minus the coin— and offered it in exchange for twist tobacco.

Four years later, on September 4. 1888, Sir William MacGregor, M.D., C.M.G., arrived at Port Moresby in H.M.S.

“Opal” to proclaim the Protected Ter ritory of New Guinea to be part of the Queen’s Dominions, and the Royal Stan dard was again hoisted, to be saluted by the guns of H.M.S. “Opal”.

I left Papua for Newcastle on Novem ber 27. 1884, by H.M.S. “Swinger”, and arrived on December 1. Two days later, when I was staying at the Great Coffee Palace, in Sydney, I heard the news paper boys calling out: “‘Sunday Times’, Extra Edition—all about gold in New Guinea!”

Buying a paper I read: “Gold in New Guinea. —Brisbane, Wednesday. A corres pondent on Thursday Island telegraphed to the ‘Courier’ as follows: ‘Observe tele gram reporting the arrival at Newcastle from Port Moresby by H.M.S. ‘Swinger’, of Dr. (?) F. Goedicke, with a splendid sample of gold obtained about 20 miles inland from Port Moresby. Dr. Goedicke arrived here from Port Darwin, and went over to Pt. Moresby in B P. Ltd.’s schooner ‘Elsa’ with Mr. Hely, the Queensland Government Agent’ ”.