Government House legacy project

COVER STORY

Governor-General starts a building project to improve graveyards of his predecessors to appreciate their part in nation-building and national history

By HENZY YAKHAM
THE graveyards of Papua New Guinea’s former governor-generals (GGs) that have passed on are to be improved with facelifts to give decent and more respectable final resting places.
Under the legacy programme initiated by current Governor-General, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae, the Government House has started to upgrade and replace existing headstones or tombstones with bigger and shelters and protection covers.
“It is to give some kind of recognition as well as a token of appreciation for the long and dedicated services of the nation’s former governor generals,” Sir Bob has said.
The G-G’s legacy programme is among a number of projects initiated by Sir Bob in his first term of office (2017-2023) and are implemented by the Government House as and when funds become available. The first burial-site facelift is that of PNG’s first Governor General, the late Sir John Guise (1975-1977) at Lalaura village situated along the Papuan coastline in Central.
On June 14 2023, Sir Bob accompanied by wife Lady Emeline Dadae and officials from the Government House travelled to Lalaura village and officiated in a small community gathering to mark the completion of the work.
As funds become available work will continue on other final resting places of former GGs, Sir Tore Lokoloko (1977-1983), Sir Kingsford Dibela (1983-1989), Sir Ignatius Kilage (1989), Sir Vincent Serei Eri (1990-1991), Sir Silas Atopare (1997-2003), Sir Paulias Matane (2004-2010) and Sir Michael Ogio (2011-2017).
The only surviving former GG is Sir Wiwa Korowi (1991-1997).
All former GGs were leaders in their own rights having served in leadership positions in public service, politics and church before appointed by parliament to the vice regal post.
Sir John Guise became PNG’s first knight upon being appointed Governor-General when the country gained independence on Sept 16, 1975.
Marking the end of 69 years of Australian rule, the Australian flag was lowered for the last time on Independence Day by Sir John.

Brief on John Guise
John Douglas Guise was born on Aug 29, 1914 in Gedulalara in Dogura area of Milne Bay. He was son of a mission worker, Edward Guise and his wife Grace Samoa, both of whom were of mixed European and Papua descent.
His grandfather, Reginald Guise was an English adventurer who arrived in then Papua in the 1880s and settled as a trader and married locally. Guise had only four years of formal education at a local Church of England school beginning in 1923.
At the age of 14 he started work for Burns Philip Company Limited as a waterside worker on Samarai Island, Milne Bay. An outstanding cricketer, he enjoyed proving his superiority to his European bosses.
“During working hours … I had to be a servant, on the field of sport I showed them I was their master,” Guise said.
On Dec 26, 1938, Guise married Mary Miller at Dogura.
After Japan entered World War II, in early 1942 he was drafted into the Papua (later Australian New Guinea) Administrative Unit (Angau).
When the World War 11 broke out he joined the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) as a clerk in Signals. First serving in labour corps, Guise became a signals clerk for Angau, then rose to rank of sergeant.
In 1946 he joined the police force, rising over 10 years to sergeant major rank, then spent five years in the Department of District Services in Port Moresby, often clashing with the colonial administration.
In 1947, John Guise married Lalaura woman, Unuba Aukai after the death of first wife Mary Miller in 1944. Through wife Unuba Aukai, John Guise strengthened his association with the south Papuan coast.
In 1948/9, he went to Australia for the first time, and four other trips later, for Anglican Church synods.
In 1953, John Guise retuned to Australia as a senior non-commissioned officer in the Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary and having been promoted previously to sergeant major, the highest rank available for non-Europeans.
In 1953, Sgt Major John Guise was part of the police contingent at the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11. He was the senior PNG officer in the contingent so acted as interpreter in many of the dealings that the men had with the public and with other servicemen in Australia and the United Kingdom.
From 1955, John Guise, a devout Anglican, represented the Territory of Papua and New Guinea at the Church of England Synod in Sydney four times.
In 1957 he joined the Department of Native Affairs in Port Moresby and began taking an active part in local politics.

Brief political history
1958: President of Port Moresby Mixed Race Association.
As president of Port Moresby’s Mixed-Race Association, he called on people of mixed descent to see themselves as ‘natives’ rather than Australians.
1961: First election in which Papua New Guineans were able to stand for the Legislative Council and John Guise was elected Member for East Papua in the Legislative Council
1962: Represented the Territory of Papua and New Guinea at the South Pacific Commission conference at Pagopago, Samoa.
1964: Elected to the first House of Assembly. Guise election to represent Milne Bay and was later selected as the leader of elected members of the House.
1964: John Guise startled Canberra when he called for a Select Committee on Constitutional Development and became its chairman (1965-66). He probed in vain the possibility of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea becoming a seventh State of Australia, yet he was also the first to recommend cementing national unity with a new name, crest, flag, and anthem for the Territory.
1965: Special advisor of Australian delegation to UN Trusteeship Council in New York, United States.
Prior to the independence of what is now Papua New Guinea, John Guise was a vocal advocate for a peaceful secession from Australia.
John Guise’s pre-independence political career included chairmanship of select committee on constitutional development, the positions of Speaker of the House of Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister, and the portfolios of Lands, Agriculture, and the Interior.
John Guise was the first citizen to be given an honorary doctorate from the University of PNG.
1968: Elected representative for Alotau Open in the Territory’s second general election. He beats two European candidates to become the first indigenous Speaker of the House.
Outspoken in his support for greater access to education and the need for a university in PNG, he received an honorary doctorate of laws from the newly established University of PNG in 1970.
1972: Re-elected for the Alotau Open seat. Despite being an early member of the pro self-government Pangu Pati he contested as an independent candidate in what some viewed as his shifting strategy to become chief minister.
1975: John Guise became PNG’s first Knight upon being appointed Governor General when the country gained independence on September 16 1975.
Marking the end of 69 years of Australian rule, the Australian flag was lowered for the last time on Sept 16, 1975.
Commenting on the peaceful transition, Sir John stressed: “We are lowering it, not tearing it down”. When PNG’s own national flag rose with its bird of paradise and Southern Cross stars, he proudly announced his country’s independence.
1977: Frustrated by his vice-regal position he resigned in 1977, age 63, and returned to politics.
Failing in his bid to form a ruling coalition to oust the Somare-Chan government, he was for a time Deputy Opposition Leader and remained until 1982 when he retired from politics.
In retirement he served on the University of Papua New Guinea Council, chaired the PNG Copra Marketing Board and wrote a column for the weekly Times of Papua New Guinea.
Predeceased by four of his nine children and survived by his wife, he died at his home in Port Moresby on Feb 7, 1991.
Following a state funeral, his body and famous spectacles were flown to the final resting place at Lalaura village for burial.
John Guise was once described as the “cunning lone wolf of Papua New Guinean politics” and “elder statesman and father of inspiration to many leaders”.
The Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, National Capital District is named in his memory.

• Henzy Yakham is a freelance writer. Forward stories ideas on 72159301.