Launch of 'Australia and Papua New Guinea 1966-1969'
1 February 2007; Deloitte Tower, Port Moresby
Australian High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency Mr Chris Moraitis
It gives me great pleasure to launch Australia and Papua New Guinea 1966-1969 – the first of two volumes about the period leading up to PNG’s independence. The book is an important resource for historians and any one interested in the relationship between Australia and PNG, which has very deep roots and remains strong today.
This volume provides some fascinating insights into the period and we are very fortunate to have Dr Stuart Doran – the editor – here with us today. I know you are all looking forward to hearing what Dr Doran has to say.
This volume covers the mid to late 1960s. A second volume – when it is published – will cover the period from 1970 to independence in 1975. While the close relationship between Australia and PNG has been the subject of much contemporary study, an enormous quantity of papers remain untouched in the vaults of the Australian National Archives.
This volume is the product of more than three years’ work and contains documents from over 750 government files. Many of the more than 300 documents have never been published before.
The volume is part of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Documents on Australian Foreign Policy series. The series demonstrates the Australian Government’s commitment to publish an accurate, comprehensive and impartial record of Australia’s foreign and trade policy by releasing previously classified material to the public.
In addition to launching the latest volume, I am pleased today to donate a collection of previous Documents on Australian Foreign Policy publications to the National Library of Papua New Guinea. Shortly I would like to hand them to the Secretary of the Education Department representing the Minister for Education, Hon. Michael Laimo MP [National Library Board Chairman, Oseah Philemon] The Minister has portfolio responsibility for the National Library of PNG.
As an amateur librarian myself in days gone past, it gives me particular pleasure to present this collection today. The aim of all libraries – especially a country’s National Library – is to promote literacy, encourage reading and disseminate information.
National libraries have an additional and unique role to play in contributing to the vitality of a nation’s cultural heritage. They ensure that documentary resources of national significance are collected, preserved and made accessible to the public. In many ways, the National Library of PNG has similar goals as our Documents on Australian Foreign Policy series.
As some of you may know, the National Library was a gift from the people of Australia at the time of PNG’s independence in 1975. Australia felt then – and feels now – that PNG deserves a first-rate national library.
To mark the 30th anniversary of PNG’s independence in 2005 the Australian Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard MP, announced another gift – an additional K7 million to fund a major renovation project at the National Library. The Government and people of Australia, as close friends and partners, are proud to be playing a role in helping to preserve this important institution.
Before concluding, I would like to briefly raise another important way in which Australia is working closely with PNG – helping to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Unless interventions to address the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS are scaled up, over half a million Papua New Guineans could be living with the virus by 2025.
I feel very strongly about this issue and I am doing all that I can to raise it. It is a challenge that all of us – individuals, companies, civil society groups – has a responsibility to address. I would like to think that, when the time comes to prepare a collection of documents from the current period, historians look back on a strong effort by everyone to successfully tackle the spread of HIV.
In closing, Secretary, on behalf of the Australian Government, allow me to present to you this collection of Documents on Australian Foreign Policy publications, including the latest volume, Australia and Papua New Guinea 1966 to 69.
Thank you very much.