Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many Australians will remember that Australia had responsibility to administer the Territory of Papua and New Guinea until independence, and representatives of the Australian government, or kiaps, as they were known, were district commissioners, district officers and patrol officers. Over that period, about 2,000 Australians served up in Papua and New Guinea and did a variety of roles. They were the policemen, they were the judiciary and they were representatives of each Commonwealth department. They often worked in very remote locations within Papua and New Guinea. They worked as surveyors, medical officers and agricultural advisers, to name a few of the tasks that they did. They represented the Commonwealth.

The service of the kiaps to Papua-New Guinea and Australia, unfortunately, continues to go unacknowledged. There were 2,000 Australians who served in these capacities, and 88 lost their life, which is a loss of about four per cent during those decades.

We should remember the Australians who served us in Papua-New Guinea. The Papua-New Guinea government is keen to see these Australians recognised, and I thank the member for Bean, the member for Canberra, the member for Fenner, the member for Werriwa and others who are working to make sure that this happens.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded.