Former GG Sir Paulias Matane passes on

FORMER Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane, 90, passed away at his Viviran village in the Toma local level government of Gazelle, East New Britain, on Saturday.
Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae yesterday paid tribute to the former teacher, school inspector, diplomat, department head, world traveller, author and orator who became the country’s eighth head of state.
Gazelle MP Jelta Wong said Sir Paulias had left a legacy which would be hard to match, let alone surpass.
Sir Paulias’ late wife Lady Kaludia had passed away on Dec 20, 2016.
They had three children – Edward, Naril and Margaret – plus two others they adopted.
Sir Bob said: “Throughout his life, he had served both the public and private sectors with the highest distinction often as the first Papua New Guinean to occupy positions of responsibility before and soon after independence.
“He started off as a teacher, became a school inspector and a founding member of the Public Service Commission, acting director of Department of Lands, Survey and Mines responsible for the selection of Tabubil town and the Waigani/Gerehu town planning.”
In 1971, Sir Paulias was appointed the first Papua New Guinean secretary of a government department, the then Department of Business Development, now Department of Commerce and Industry.
In 1975, he became the first PNG ambassador to the USA, United Nations and Canada.
He was appointed secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1980.
Following his retirement in 1985, he pursued other interests.
Sir Bob said Sir Paulias received many awards, including winner of the Forsythe Prize (1952), Winston Churchill Scholarship Award (1976), United Nations Peace Medal (1985), American Biographical Institute Man of the Year 2007 and Paula Harris Fellow (2007).
He was also bestowed academic awards by the University of Technology as Honorary Doctor of Technology (1985) and University of PNG as Honorary Doctor of Philosophy and Honorary Doctor of Letters.