Australia’s governance over Papua and New Guinea was that of an Incongruous Empire – one whose own relations to power fluctuated drastically depending on a motley assortment of factors. Indeed Australia’s rule was often fiscal and apathetic, subjecting Indigenous Papua New Guinean citizens to sub-human treatment under problematic power imbalances fuelled by Anglocentric concepts of…
Author: Rachel Lieu
Making History Module Essay by Susan Stephen
In this essay I will try to uncover an alternative reading to the colonial administration’s reading about Patrol Officer W.J. Brand’s report,[1]—that the carriers ‘lacked stamina’—and suggest four reasons why some carriers wanted to leave the patrol on the third day. Considerations include diet, malarial infection, entering diverse cultural areas and topography. I conclude that…
Making History Module Essay by Brianna Pick
In June and July of 1951, Patrol Officer (Kiap)[1] S.S. Smith undertook a patrol to the Southern Highlands; specifically, the Mendi Valley. He was accompanied by two Europeans, 10 Indigenous police officers and an average of 40 Indigenous carriers (including translators).[2] The patrol lasted 15 days, with an un-reported rest in between of 5 days….
Making History Module Essay by Marley Pearce
The main activities of the report was census taking throughout the Minj District and through other regions of which the names are illegible due to text fading. Notable areas are Kudjip, Tambal and Mauwi. The census-taking was conducted from rest houses, with populations lined up outside of them in order to be recorded[1][2], with the…
Making History Module Essay by Alexandra Nicolaidis
The selected patrol report described in this essay is ‘Jimi River #4’, located in the Western Highlands, conducted by H.A Richardson along the Jimi River in Jiwaka Province, Papua New Guinea, from 11th February 1959 to 25th March 1959. The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Highlands, in which the report was conducted, is a densely populated…
Making History Module Essay by Sarah Donnison
This patrol report was created in 1950 in the Eastern Highlands district of Papua New Guinea. It is inclusive of the patrol objectives, a letter from the District Officer, another letter from the Patrol officer, an introduction, a diary of events, a document of observations, a review of the Native Constabulary present on patrol, and…
Making History Module Essay by Isabella Holland
On December 28, 1952 patrol officer J. R. McArthur embarked on a patrol that lasted 46 days. He was joined by 28 natives who worked for the government, they were made up of 8 police officers, 1 interpreter and 16 carriers. The patrol was in the Eastern Highlands District, beginning in Kumiava, then to Goroka…
Making History Module Essay by Bronte Cuffe
Part 1: The Report The patrol was conducted by Patrol Officer J. Hannan and took place over 32 days between the 25th of March and the 9th of May in 1958. The area patrolled was named by the Australian administration as the Middle Lai census division. This area includes the Minyamba Valley and is defined…
Making History Module Essay by Terri Broughton
Author Declaration I, Terri Broughton, declare that I am the sole author of the following work submitted as part of the assessment in AIH399. Particularly, I have not colluded with other students in the completion of this work; I have not duplicated work of my peers or from sources such as books, journal articles, or…
Making History Module Essay by Nicolette Arranga
I would like to pay my respects to the Boon Wurrung (Bunurong) People, Traditional Custodians of the lands I reside and work, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. I extend these respects to any Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people reading this. Arthur T. Carey’s patrol report from 26th October…