History of Papua New Guinea in Timeline

Papua New Guinea is an island country in Oceania, located north of Australia. It occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and surrounding islands in Melanesia. It shares a land border with Indonesia to the west. The capital city is Port Moresby, situated on the southern coast. With a land area of 462,840 km2, Papua New Guinea is the world's third-largest island country.

1902: Papua transferred to Australia

In 1902, Papua was effectively transferred to the authority of Australia.

1902: Territory of Papua ceded to Australia

In 1902, the British Territory of Papua in the South was ceded to Australia.

1905: Passage of the Papua Act

With the passage of the Papua Act in 1905, the area was officially renamed the Territory of Papua.

1906: Australian Administration formal

In 1906, the Australian administration became formal, with Papua becoming fully annexed as an Australian territory.

1914: Australian forces capture German New Guinea

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Australian forces captured German New Guinea and occupied it throughout the war.

May 1921: League of Nations mandate

From 9 May 1921, the League of Nations authorised Australia to administer this area as a Class "C" League of Nations mandate territory, which became the Territory of New Guinea.

1942: Start of New Guinea campaign

In 1942, the New Guinea campaign began during World War II, fought in both the mainland and offshore islands.

1945: End of New Guinea campaign

The New Guinea campaign ended in 1945.

1946: New Guinea as UN trust territory

In 1946, New Guinea was declared a United Nations trust territory under Australian governance.

1949: Papuans become Australian citizens

In 1949, Papuans became Australian citizens, and Australia formally combined Papua and New Guinea into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.

1961: Decadal censuses

Decadal censuses have been carried out in Papua New Guinea since 1961.

1964: Mining exploration by Rio Tinto

In 1964, mining exploration by Rio Tinto in Bougainville began, leading to the establishment of the Bougainville Copper corporation.

1964: 1964 election

The 1964 election took place alongside campaigns to introduce the political system.

1968: Ten Thousand Years in a Lifetime published

In 1968, Ten Thousand Years in a Lifetime, an autobiography by Albert Maori Kiki, was published, marking the first major publication of Papua New Guinean literature.

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1968: 1968 election and Pangu Pati formation

The 1968 election took place alongside campaigns to introduce the political system. The leadup to the 1968 election saw the formation of Pangu Pati, the first political party.

1969: Gough Whitlam visited Papua New Guinea

In 1969, Australian Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam visited Papua New Guinea.

1970: Publication of Crocodile by Vincent Eri

1970 saw the publication of the first Papua New Guinean novel: Crocodile by Vincent Eri.

1970: Government support for literature

In 1970, the government of Papua New Guinea began to actively support literature, publishing works in multiple languages.

March 1971: House of Assembly recommended self-governance

In March 1971 the House of Assembly recommended that the territory seek self-governance in the next parliament, which was agreed to by Australia.

June 1971: Flag and emblem adopted

In June 1971, the flag and emblem were adopted.

1971: Sorcery Act

In 1971, the Sorcery Act allowed for accusations of sorcery to act as a defence for murder.

1972: Whitlam calls for self-governance

As early as 1972, Whitlam made self-rule in the territory an election issue, and called for self-governance.

1972: Michael Somare elected Chief Minister

At the 1972 Papua New Guinean general election in July, Michael Somare was elected as Chief Minister.

1972: Rainforest damage and destruction

Between 1972 and 2002, nearly one-quarter of Papua New Guinea's rainforests were damaged or destroyed.

1972: All governments since 1972 have been coalitions

Since 1972, all governments in Papua New Guinea have been coalitions.

1973: Self-governance instituted

In late 1973, the Whitlam government instituted self-governance.

April 1975: Kina introduced as currency

In April 1975, the kina was introduced as a separate currency.

September 1975: Papua New Guinea Independence Act passed

The Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975 passed in September 1975, setting 16 September 1975 as the date of independence. The government of Bougainville declared independence. Somare continued as the country's first Prime Minister.

1975: Secessionist movement on Bougainville Island

A secessionist movement in 1975–76 on Bougainville Island resulted in a modification of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea.

1975: Australian budget contribution

In 1975, Australian contribution to the budget was 40% of government revenue.

1975: Independence as a Commonwealth realm

In 1975, Papua New Guinea became an independent Commonwealth realm with Elizabeth II as its Queen.

August 1976: Agreement with national government

In August 1976, an agreement with the national government resolved the initial declaration of independence.

1976: Tok Pisin adopted as official language in Enga Province

In 1976, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, which is dominated by Enga language speakers, adopted Tok Pisin as its official language.

1976: Observer state in ASEAN

In 1976, Papua New Guinea became an observer state in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

1977: Sanguma formed at the National Arts School

In 1977, Sanguma, an early band in Papua New Guinea, formed at the National Arts School and toured internationally.

1977: Somare retains prime ministership

Somare retained the prime ministership following the 1977 election.

1979: First state of emergency

The first state of emergency was declared in 1979 due to tribal fighting in the highland areas.

1980: Somare ousted through vote of no confidence

In 1980, Somare was ousted through a vote of no confidence.

1981: Special observer status in ASEAN

In 1981, Papua New Guinea gained special observer status in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

1982: Somare becomes prime minister again

Following the 1982 election, Somare became prime minister again.

1982: Ok Tedi Mine opened

The Ok Tedi Mine opened in 1982.

1984: State of emergency in Port Moresby

In 1984, gang violence led to a state of emergency in Port Moresby, which led to the intervention of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF).

1985: Somare loses vote of no confidence

In 1985, Somare lost another vote of no confidence.

1986: Founding member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group

In 1986, Papua New Guinea became a founding member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group alongside the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Also in 1986, a cooperation treaty was signed with Indonesia.

1987: Cooperation treaty signed with Australia

In 1987, Papua New Guinea signed a cooperation treaty with Australia.

1988: Australian budget contribution

In 1988, Australian contribution to the budget dropped to 17% of government revenue.

1988: Formal cooperation agreement signed

In 1988, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu signed a formal cooperation agreement.

1988: Renewed uprising on Bougainville

In 1988, a renewed uprising on Bougainville started, fighting against both the Bougainville government and the national government.

May 1989: Bougainville mine closure

After the mine closed in May 1989, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) declared independence.

1990: First music video shown on television

In 1990, the first music video was shown on television in Papua New Guinea.

1990: Maternal mortality rate

In 1990, the maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Papua New Guinea was 340.

1990: National government pulls out of Bougainville

In 1990, the national government pulled out of Bougainville and blockaded the province, the conflict shifted into a complex internal civil war. National security forces re-entered the island at the end of 1990.

October 1994: Agreement reached with some rebels

In October 1994, an agreement between the government and some rebels was reached.

1994: Kina devalued

The Papua New Guinean kina was devalued and put on a floating exchange rate in 1994.

1995: Transitional Bougainville government established

In 1995, a transitional Bougainville government was established, although fighting continued with the BRA.

1995: Provincial governments reformed

In 1995, provincial governments were reformed, with some responsibilities devolved towards local governments.

1995: Emergency loan from World Bank

In 1995, the country obtained an emergency loan from the World Bank.

1996: Houses connected to electricity

In 1996, only 3% of houses in rural areas were connected to electricity in Papua New Guinea.

1997: Sandline affair

In 1997, the Sandline affair over the hiring of mercenaries to intervene in Bougainville brought down the national government.

1997: 1997 election results

In the 1997 election, only 4 candidates won overall majorities, with 95 (87%) of winners receiving less than 30% of the vote.

January 1998: Ceasefire reached

Following New Zealand-mediated peace talks, a ceasefire was reached in January 1998.

1999: Constitutional Development Commission established

After government changed mid-parliament in 1999, a Constitutional Development Commission was established to bring about political reform.

April 2000: Languages with educational support

As of April 2000, 837 languages in Papua New Guinea had educational support.

2000: Urban areas with a population over 1,000

As of 2000, there were 40 urban areas in Papua New Guinea with a population over 1,000.

2001: Bougainville Peace Agreement signed

In 2001, the Bougainville Peace Agreement was signed, granting Bougainville greater autonomy and the promise of a future independence referendum.

2002: Rainforest damage and destruction

Between 1972 and 2002, nearly one-quarter of Papua New Guinea's rainforests were damaged or destroyed.

2002: Uptick in violence during the 2002 election

The 2002 election in Papua New Guinea saw an uptick in violence.

2004: Australian police brought to PNG

In 2004, Australian police were brought to Papua New Guinea to help train the PNG police force, beginning a long-term Australian police presence.

2004: Majority of incumbents lost their seats

In every election prior to at least 2004, the majority of incumbents in Papua New Guinea lost their seats, creating an incentive for corruption.

2005: Maternal mortality rate

In 2005, the maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Papua New Guinea was 270.

2008: Kuk Early Agricultural Site inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2008, the Kuk Early Agricultural Site in Papua New Guinea was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2008: Maternal mortality rate

The 2008 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Papua New Guinea was 250.

2009: Creation of two additional provinces

In 2009, Parliament approved the creation of two additional provinces: Hela Province, from Southern Highlands Province, and Jiwaka Province, from Western Highlands Province.

2011: Constitutional crisis

In 2011, Papua New Guinea experienced a constitutional crisis between the parliament-elect Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, and Somare, who the supreme court deemed to retain office.

2011: Median age of the population

In 2011, the median age of Papua New Guinea's population was under 22, and 36% of the population was younger than 15.

2011: Census results

The 2011 census in Papua New Guinea found that 95.6% of citizens identified themselves as Christian, 1.4% reported other beliefs, and 3.1% gave no answer.

2012: Tuition fees abolished

In 2012, tuition fees were abolished in Papua New Guinea, leading to an increase in educational attendance.

2012: O'Neill re-elected as prime minister

The 2012 national elections went ahead as scheduled, and O'Neill was once again elected as prime minister by a majority of parliament.

2012: O'Neill government dogged by corruption scandals

The 2012–2017 O'Neill government was dogged by corruption scandals.

2013: Education shifted back towards English

In 2013, education in Papua New Guinea was shifted back towards English in an attempt to improve low English literacy rates.

2013: Sorcery Act repealed

In 2013, the Sorcery Act was repealed.

2014: Government health expenditure

In 2014, Government health expenditure accounted for 9.5% of total government spending, with total health expenditure equating to 4.3% of GDP.

2014: Liquefied natural gas exports began

In 2014, liquefied natural gas exports began in Papua New Guinea, but government revenue was lower than expected due to falling oil prices.

2014: LNG exports began

LNG exports began in Papua New Guinea in 2014.

March 2015: Bougainville Mining Act shifted control over mining

In March 2015, the Bougainville Mining Act shifted control over mining from the national government to the Bougainville government, and gave landowners veto power over future extraction.

2015: International migrants

As of 2015, about 0.3% of the population of Papua New Guinea was international migrants.

2015: Sign language recognized as a national language

In 2015, sign language (in practice Papua New Guinean Sign Language) was recognized as one of the four national languages in Papua New Guinea.

2015: Literacy rate

In 2015, the literacy rate in Papua New Guinea was 63.4%.

2016: Gender ratio

In 2016, the gender ratio in Papua New Guinea was 51% male and 49% female.

2016: Vaccine coverage was 35%

In 2016, vaccine coverage in Papua New Guinea was 35%, with 24% of children having no vaccines.

2016: Houses connected to electricity

In urban areas of Papua New Guinea, 55% of houses were connected to electricity in 2016.

2016: Ministerial tenures are often short

Ministerial tenures are often short, averaging half the length of a parliament from 1972 to 2016.

2017: O'Neill returns as prime minister

The 2017 general election saw O'Neill return as prime minister, although initially with a smaller coalition. This election saw widespread voter intimidation in some regions, and delays in the reporting of seat results.

2018: Natural resource extraction

As of 2018, natural resource extraction made up 28% of overall GDP in Papua New Guinea.

2018: Criticism of APEC Papua New Guinea 2018 meeting

Financial scandals, as well as criticism of the purchase of expensive cars for APEC Papua New Guinea 2018 meeting, created pressure on O'Neill and led to defections from government.

May 2019: O'Neill resigns as prime minister

In May 2019, O'Neill resigned as prime minister and was replaced by James Marape.

November 2019: Independence referendum

The government set 23 November 2019 as the voting date for a non-binding independence referendum in the Bougainville autonomous region. Voters overwhelmingly voted for independence (98.31%).

2019: Real GDP growth rate

As of 2019, PNG's real GDP growth rate was 3.8%, with an inflation rate of 4.3%.

2019: Lowest HDI rating in the Pacific

As of 2019, Papua New Guinea's HDI rating was the lowest in the Pacific.

2019: Life expectancy in Papua New Guinea at birth

As of 2019, life expectancy in Papua New Guinea at birth was 63 years for men and 67 for women.

2019: Tuition fees partially reintroduced

In 2019, tuition fees were partially reintroduced in Papua New Guinea after initially being abolished in 2012.

2020: Population estimate

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs population estimate as of 2020 was 8.95 million inhabitants.

2021: Government population estimate

Government estimates put the population at 11.8 million in 2021.

December 2022: New population estimate

In December 2022, a report by the UN suggested a new population estimate of 17 million for Papua New Guinea.

2022: Marape continues as Prime Minister

Prime Minister James Marape's PANGU Party secured the most seats of any party in the 2022 election, enabling James Marape to continue as PNG's Prime Minister.

2022: Charles III becomes King

Since Elizabeth II's death in 2022, Charles III has been the King of Papua New Guinea.

2023: Population in urban centres

As of 2023, only 14% of Papua New Guinea's population lived in urban centres.

2023: Rural Population

In 2023, it was reported that only 14% of the population of Papua New Guinea lived in urban centres.

2023: Doctors per 10,000 people

In 2023, there were 0.61 doctors per 10,000 people in Papua New Guinea.

March 2025: Constitutional amendment

In March 2025, a constitutional amendment recognized Papua New Guinea as a Christian country, with specific mention of "God, the Father; Jesus Christ, the Son; and Holy Spirit", and the Bible as a national symbol.