1961 Papua New Guinean general election
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General elections were held in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea on 18 March 1961.[1] Indigenous members were elected for the first time, although on an indirect basis. The territory's first political party, the , won three seats.[1]
Background[]
In September 1960 the Australian government announced that the Legislative Council would be expanded. Having previously been a 29-member body with 17 officials (civil servants), nine appointed members and three elected members, the new council was to have 37 members, of which 15 were officials, 10 were appointees (of which at least five would be indigenous members) and twelve were elected. The twelve elected members would consist of six Europeans elected directly from single-member constituencies, and six indigenous members indirectly elected from the same constituencies.[2]
The indirect elections for the indigenous members saw 220 representatives nominated by 39 Native Local Government Council and 144 representatives nominated by 33 special electoral groups, covering areas where no Native Local Government Council existed.[3] The 364 representatives subsequently elected the six indigenous members of the Legislative Council.
Campaign[]
A total of 108 candidates contested the six indigenous seats, whilst only nine ran in the six European seats, leaving three candidates elected unopposed.[4]
| Constituency | European candidates | Indigenous candidates |
|---|---|---|
| New Britain | Don Barrett (incumbent, UPP), John Chipper | 12 |
| New Guinea Coastal | (incumbent) | 7 |
| New Guinea Highlands | (UPP) | 40 |
| New Guinea Islands | W. Meehan (UPP), Paul Mason | 25 |
| Western Papua | (incumbent, UPP), | 13 |
| Eastern Papua | (UPP) | 11 |
Results[]
| Constituency | European elected member | Indigenous elected member |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Papua | (UPP) | John Guise |
| Highlands | (UPP) | Kondom Agaundo |
| New Britain | John Chipper | |
| New Guinea Coastal | ||
| New Guinea Islands | Paul Mason | Nicholas Brokam |
| Western Papua | (UPP) | |
| Source: Pacific Islands Monthly | ||
Nominated members[]
| Position | Member |
|---|---|
| Assistant Administrator | John Gunther |
| Chief Collector of Customs | K.M. Chambers |
| Chief Native Lands Commissioner | Ivan Champion |
| Director of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries | Frank Henderson |
| Director of Education | Geoffrey Roscoe |
| Director of Lands, Surveys and Mines | Douglas Macinnis |
| Director of Native Affairs | John Keith McCarthy |
| Director of Posts and Telegraphs | William Frederick Carter |
| Director of Public Health | Roy Scragg |
| Director of Public Works | J. Glen |
| District Commissioner, Morobe | |
| District Commissioner, New Britain | John Rollo Foldi |
| Secretary for Law | Walter William Watkins |
| Treasurer and Director of Finance | Harold Reeve |
| Appointed members | |
| Basil Fairfax-Ross | |
| Ephraim Jubilee | |
| Maneto Kuradal | |
| Philip Strong | |
| Alice Wedega | |
| Source: Pacific Islands Monthly | |
Aftermath[]
Following the elections, the Administrator appointed the Administrator's Council, the territory's cabinet.[5]
| Position | Member |
|---|---|
| Assistant Administrator | John Gunther |
| Director of Native Affairs | John Keith McCarthy |
| Treasurer | Harold Reeve |
| Unofficial members | Basil Fairfax-Ross |
| John Guise |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b New Faces in P-NG Council Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1961, p18
- ^ Papua-New Guinea On The Road To Autonomy Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1960, p17
- ^ Native Election Procedure in P-NG Pacific Islands Monthly, February 1961, p131
- ^ 108 Natives Will Contest First P-NG Election Pacific Islands Monthly, February 1961, p19
- ^ P-NG's New "Cabinet" Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1961, p18
- 1961 elections in Oceania
- 1961 in Papua New Guinea
- Elections in Papua New Guinea
- March 1961 events in Oceania