At sunset on September 15, 1975, the Australian flag is lowered at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium NAA: A6180, 22/9/75_20
“The two outstanding ceremonies in Port Moresby were the flag lowering ceremony at sunset on 15 September 1975 and the flag raising ceremony the next day.... That marvellous sunset, together with Sir John Guise’s words, ‘We are lowering this flag, not tearing it down’, made for a memorable occasion”
animated were taken around the main events in September 1975 and is part of the content that will be shared online over coming months: on social media
primarily but organisers say additional screenings are planned for parade‑day big screens, museum exhibits and classroom digital‑learning packs,
with details still being finalised. The period leading up to Independence in 1975 is remembered in this excerpt written in 2009 by former long-
serving PNG District Commissioner, the late David Marsh. (Sourced from pngattitude.com) “In late June 1975, Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam asked Papua New Guinea Chief Minister Michael Somare to provide a date for PNG Independence. Somare set the date of 16 September the same year. Then he gave me the job of organising the event. We had 10 weeks. Getting people to join me to get the job done was difficult. But when I had a general picture in my mind of the ceremonies that were required, the people to invite, the security, transport, accommodation and so on, I gathered a few staunch souls together
On the morning of September 16, 1975, PNG’s new flag is carried by Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary up Independence Hill to be officially raised for the first time
NAA: A8746, KN23/9/75_58
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