Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975 (Cth)

Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975

No. 98 of 1975

An Act relating to the attainment of Independence by Papua New Guinea

Contents 1 Short title 2 Commencement 3 Interpretation 4 Withdrawal of sovereignty etc. of Australia 5 Repeal etc. of laws 6 Regulations Schedule 1—Acts repealed

Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975

No. 98 of 1975

An Act relating to the attainment of Independence by Papua New Guinea

[Assented to 9 September 1975]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

WHEREAS certain territories and islands formerly constituting the Possession of British New Guinea and placed by the Crown under the authority of Australia were administered by Australia under the Papua Act 1905‑1940 as the Territory of Papua:

AND WHEREAS, in accordance with a Mandate under the Covenant of the League of Nations, certain territories and islands, being former German possessions, were administered by Australia under the New Guinea Act 1920‑1935 as the Territory of New Guinea:

AND WHEREAS the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea were, for a period, administered jointly by Australia under the Papua‑New Guinea Provisional Administration Act 1945‑1946:

AND WHEREAS Australia's administration of the Territory of Papua became subject to Chapter XI of the Charter of the United Nations:

AND WHEREAS, in accordance with Chapter XII of that Charter, the General Assembly of the United Nations on 13 December 1946 approved the terms of a Trusteeship Agreement for the Territory of New Guinea, submitted to it by the Government of Australia, in substitution for the terms of the Mandate, which agreement designates the Government of Australia as the sole Authority to exercise the administration of the Territory of New Guinea:

AND WHEREAS the Papua and New Guinea Act 1949 provided for the administration of the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea by Australia in an administrative union, by the name of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, whilst maintaining the identity and status of the Territory of New Guinea as a Trust Territory and the identity and status of the Territory of Papua as a Possession of the Crown: