Papua's Diamond Jubilee

JT is unlikely that Papua’s Diamond Jubilee will be marked by any special celebration—the Territory is still under Army administration and the Army is unsympathetic to any thing that occurred earlier than 1942.

Nonetheless, on November 3, 1944, sixty years will have passed since the British flag was raised at Port Moresby and the Territory was pro claimed a British protectorate. We are indebted to Mr. F. T. Goedicke, now of Haapai, Tonga, for the follow ing eye-witness description of the ceremony as it was performed on the shores of Port Moresby on that day sixty years ago : It was an extremely impressive occasion, both from the native point of view and from that of the white man, and it was still spoken of years later in the Terri tory, by the early pioneers and the old men of the villages.

Five British warships were present— “Espiegle,” “Raven,” “Swinger” and “Har rier”—besides Commodore Erskin's flag ship, “Nelson.”

Commodore Erskin, Commodore of the Australian Fleet, read the proclamation, surrounded* by his staff, and the hoisting of the flag was performed by Flag-Lieut.

Grant, an Australian. Behind the Com modore stood the Deputy Commissioner (Mr. Romilly), the Rev. James Chambers.

Dr. Lawes and his wife, and the leading trader, Mr. Andrew Goldie, who had ar rived in New Guinea as far back as 1874.

In the background were crowded the natives of the district, headed by their chief, “Bei-Vagi,” attired in a naval officer’s old uniform, in recognition of

his position as “king” of his t^ibe.

Most of the Europeans present on that occasion have, I think, gone to their graves, with the exception of this writer, and many changes have taken place since that memorable day; but the British flag has been flying continuously there for 60 years.