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Territory of Papua 1906-1949 (Australia)

Australian External Territory

Last modified: 2019-05-28 by ian macdonald
Keywords: papua | territory of papua | blue ensign | canton (union flag) | disc (white) | crown: royal |
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[Territory of Papua 1906-1949 (Papua New Guinea)] 1:2 image by Clay Moss

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Description

[The badge on the Blue Ensign of] Papua just had the circle, the crown, and the word PAPUA under the crown.
Josh Fruhlinger, 20 February 1996.

This flag was referred to in Australian government documents as the 'Flag of Papua' and in the Customs Regulations (Papua) as the 'Flag of the Territory of Papua (Blue Ensign)'. The badge on this flag was approved by the Imperial authorities on 28 November 1906, shortly after Papua became the first Australian territory. The flag entered service sometime in 1908 and can be taken as being suspended from noon on 14 February 1942 due to the Pacific War situation, when it was permanently replaced by the undefaced Australian Blue Ensign. Date of final withdrawal was taken by the Department of External Territories as 30 October 1945 with establishment of the combined Papua - New Guinea provisional administration. However it may not have been the only 'Flag of Papua' type in use at the time of its suspension in 1942. Alternatives were the Australian Blue Ensign with a simplified badge (without the crown) presumably located in the flag's lower centre, and the undefaced Australian Blue Ensign. The seventh star-point of the Australian Blue Ensign was added in 1908 to represent Papua and any future Australian territories, in effect removing any need for additional territory badges.
Jeff Thomson, 29 March 2019

Customs flag (1909-1951)

Details of the Papuan Customs flag prescription 1909 to 1951: If any such flags existed in reality, their use ceased permanently in February 1942; Customs Regulations of 13/12/1909 (Gazette No 54), and of 04/07/1917 Regulation 2.
'The Customs Flag shall be the Flag of the Territory of Papua (Blue Ensign), with the addition in the fly of the letters "H.M.C." in black in bold character.' (Presumably HMC was supposed to be added to the Papua badge's white disc).
Jeff Thomson, 29 October 2015

Lieutenant-Governor's flag

[Territory of Papua 1906-1949 (Papua New Guinea) Governor's flag] 1:2 image by Clay Moss

An image was posted on the website at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/services/library/ [location no longer available, but image archived here].
Christian Berghänel, 16 February 2003

The badge is certainly that of colonial Papua, and it is partly surrounded by the wreath which normally fully encircles the relevant badge in the flag of a colonial governor.
Christopher Southworth, 16 February 2003

I have seen several older samples of union flags and the open ended wreath of garland, at least on actual flags was not all that uncommon. I have never seen a published illustration with an incomplete wreath.
Clay Moss, 13 December 2006