From self-rule to suppression: the fate of West Papuan independence and Australia’s ambivalent role, 1962–63

The transfer of Dutch New Guinea to Indonesian control in 1963 marked the abrupt end of one of the most promising experiments in decolonisation in the Pacific. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Netherlands had begun preparing the Papuan people for a future of self-government, establishing representative institutions Read more

Dutch and Australian forces join search for Michael Rockefeller in Dutch New Guinea, 1961

In November 1961, Dutch and Australian authorities jointly undertook one of the most extensive search operations ever mounted in Dutch New Guinea. The mission followed the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller, son of the then–Governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller, whose loss drew international attention to the remote Asmat coast in Read more

Training Dutch officers in Australia for the Netherlands Indies and Papuan development

The Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA)  was created in April 1944 in Australia by the Netherlands Indies Government-in-Exile. Its purpose was to prepare young Dutch and Indo-European officers to restore civil rule across the Netherlands East Indies after the defeat of Japan. NICA organised training courses in Brisbane, using Allied Read more