[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies. Opinions expressed do not reflect the position of the Round Table editorial board.]

With the Papua New Guinea (PNG) 50th independence celebrations approaching on 16 September 2025, Prime Minister James Marape (Citation2024) announced that this year ‘is a time to honor our past, recognise our achievements, and recommit ourselves to the ideals that our founding fathers envisioned: unity, progress, and prosperity for all’. However, other prominent Papua New Guineans, such as Dame Meg Taylor, have suggested that while at the time of independence ‘there was a lot of hope’, since then, the nation may have failed to ‘live up to its promise’ (Bush et al., Citation2025). Therefore, this roundtable takes the opportunity to both celebrate and reflect upon the complexities, growing pains, and opportunities since independence. In an attempt to complement exciting projects highlighting prominent Papua New Guineans at this important time in the state’s history (see Meki & Hoare, Citation2023), we drew together a group of eminent and emerging scholars, both Papua New Guinean and those that have spent significant periods living and working in PNG to comment on important areas where PNG has progressed and/or faced challenges over the past fifty years. It is not intended to be a definitive summary of current pressing issues in this complex and highly diverse country, but to look to both the past and future of PNG to provide deep and considered insights.

Marape (Citation2024) called upon Papua New Guineans to unite as one people, one nation, with a shared vision for the future. Let the drumbeats of our kundu [drum] resonate across the land and let the vibrant colours of our bilums [string bag] reflect our pride and hope. PNG is the largest Pacific Island state by far, with a population of anywhere between 11–17 million people. The diversity of PNG is unparalleled, with over 840 languages spoken across the third-largest island nation in the world (see Figure 1). These factors are both cause for celebration, and consideration when ensuring fair and equitable distribution of services and access to development for all Papua New Guineans.

Introduction to a special edition of the Round Table Journal – Climate justice and the Commonwealth: Justice or order?
Introduction to a special edition of the Round Table Journal: CARICOM@50
Special editions of the Round Table Journal

In 1975, PNG (re)gained independence from Australia, after over a century of administration by external powers. First annexed by the Dutch in 1848, and then some islands by Queensland in 1883, the area now known as PNG was divided colonially between the Germans in the north (known as New Guinea) and the British in the south (known as Papua) in 1884. In 1902, Papua was ceded to the newly federated Australia which annexed it formally in 1906. After WWI, Australia occupied New Guinea as well, ultimately under a League of Nations mandate, although they were administered separately. During WWII there was some Japanese occupation of New Guinea, and significant fighting, after which New Guinea was declared a United Nations Trust Territory in 1946, and the Australian territory of Papua and New Guinea was created in 1949. Despite being managed as one, the colonial administration did not advance much out of the capital Port Moresby, particularly into the highlands region.

Prior to independence, ‘Australia had attempted to insulate Papua New Guinea from the rest of the world’ in order to secure Australia’s borders, and for the commercial exploitation of PNG’s natural resources (Waiko, Citation1993: 153). However, there was growing international pressure from the United Nations and the World Bank for PNG to gain independence. Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam visited PNG in 1969 and began calling for PNG’s self-governance. By 1971, PNG had developed a flag and emblem, and in 1972 the first election was held, electing inaugural Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and the first female Member of Parliament, Josephine Abaijah. Slowly, decision-making was passed from Canberra to Port Moresby. In 1975, PNG became independent.

When independence was (re)gained, prospective leaders travelled across the Commonwealth to draw lessons from other newly independent states (Somare, Citation1975) but still had a big task ahead of them. While the transition to independence was peaceful, the colonial history and diverse range of cultures and languages has led to some growing pains as PNG shaped its future. There have been economic, social, demographic, healthcare, urbanisation, environmental, and political challenges that PNG has grappled with, some of which continue to this day.

Henrietta McNeill and Theresa Meki are with the Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.