Half a century after the Raggiana bird-of-paradise was officially first hoisted on black and red, Papua New Guinea remains fiercely proud of its independence.
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PNG will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its arrival as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, with an air of festivity expected to flow through its capital Port Moresby as visiting dignitaries and world leaders assemble to pay their respects.
Community groups in Australia have been holding smaller events over the weekend to bring together family and friends in celebration, among them a gathering of the Papua New Guinea Australia Association and community members at Melbourne's Yarraville Gardens.
President Peter Bakua says the celebrations mean a lot to him personally as well as to his family and the broader diaspora.
"It's a way of promoting PNG to the world, so it is a significant moment in history for our country," he tells AAP.
"We're very thankful to the government for doing that. The PNG people worked very hard to get independence.
"We can call ourselves a nation, have freedom and can make our own laws. It makes us proud."
At the same time, Mr Bakua acknowledges his homeland is a nation with problems to resolve, not the least of which are violent crime, entrenched political corruption and rural poverty.
Yet its people yearn for PNG to show it can compete on the global stage.
"The media attracts a lot of negativity in terms of corruption," he says.
"It is true, a lot needs to be done."
Still, Mr Bakua hopes for a greater focus on the systems his nation is determined to build that will deliver a brighter future.
"It's not a bad place," he says.
"The people are welcoming, they're a peace-loving people."
Papua New Guinea was granted independence during the prime ministership of Gough Whitlam, on September 16, 1975. As Labor leader, he'd visited Australia's nearest neighbour in 1969 and made self-rule in the then territory an election issue.
By 1971, the iconic red and black flag and bird-of-paradise emblem were recognised and in 1972, Mr Whitlam called for PNG to become self-governing. PNG's currency, the kina, was introduced in April 1975.
The ceremony marking independence was held in Port Moresby with Mr Whitlam, then-prince Charles representing Queen Elizabeth II, Australian governor-general Sir John Kerr and PNG chief minister Michael Somare, who became the nation's first prime minister.
Addressing his people for the first time in this capacity, Mr Somare described independence as a beginning and told them "now we must stand on our own two feet and work harder than ever before".
Australia had administered PNG as a territory under the authority of the United Nations since 1946 and by 1949, recognised Papuans as its own citizens.
Australia and PNG fought side by side during World War II as Japanese forces invaded and sought to capture Port Moresby.
Camaraderie was forged between the Diggers and Papuans who carried supplies and wounded soldiers to safety and became known to them as Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels during the Kokoda Track campaign.
Bonds cemented during the Pacific campaign continue to be cited by politicians who laud the relationship between the two nations.
Since its independence, PNG has built still closer ties with Australia, most recently via a defence agreement said to have strengthened security and economic co-operation.
The Australian government has also poured $600 million into the creation of an NRL team to represent the rugby league-obsessed nation, a move expected to kindle pride within locals.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to elevate the partnership while this week attending the anniversary celebrations in Moresby, where he will sign a fresh defence pact with counterpart James Marape.
The deal will allow PNG citizens to serve in Australia's military.
Mr Albanese was the first foreign leader to address PNG's parliament in 2023, while Mr Marape became the first Pacific leader to address Australia's parliament in 2024.
Mr Marape used his speech to declare, "Papua New Guineans must not take our sovereignty for granted".
"We were birthed from the hands of Australia as a nation," he said at the time.
"Our flag was hoisted up and the Australian flag was lowered, not torn down.
"It could have been a different independence."
Australian Associated Press
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