Australians and Papua New Guineans Unite in Remembrance
The bonds between Papua New Guinea and Australia were highlighted on Tuesday as both nations came together at the Bomana War Cemetery in Port Moresby to commemorate Armistice Day.
The remembrance ceremony marked 106 years since the end of the First World War, with a minute of silence held at 11am — a tradition observed globally to honour fallen soldiers.
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| Australians and Papua New Guineans Unite in Remembrance [Photo supplied] |
Australian High Commissioner to PNG and Special Envoy to the Pacific, Ewen McDonald, said New Guinea held a special place in Australia’s military history long before World War II. “Perhaps the most familiar names linking war and Papua New Guinea to Australians are the Kokoda Trail and the Coral Sea from the Second World War. However, New Guinea was the site of the first Australian battles and deaths in the Great War,” he said.
Mr McDonald reminded attendees that the capture of a German radio station in Rabaul was Australia’s first combat success in World War I, symbolising the beginning of its military engagement on foreign soil.
The service featured a reading of the iconic poem In Flanders Fields by Australian Defence Force Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Michael Folland. The poem’s imagery of red poppies — the first flowers to bloom after battle — continues to represent the resilience of those who served.
Commander of the 1st (Australian) Division Major General Ashley Collingburn, Australian Defence Adviser Colonel Nicholas Trotter, and diplomatic officials attended the commemoration, joining in the act of remembrance.
The ceremony ended with solemn reflection and the laying of wreaths in memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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