Summary heading

Copies of Patrol Reports and Monthly Reports donated to the National Archives of Australia by former Patrol Officers (also known as Kiaps) working in Papua New Guinea. 

Function and purpose

The Patrol and Monthly Reports were written by the Patrol Officers during the Australian administration of the Territory of Papua New Guinea until its independence in 1975.

Australia established government stations along the coast of Papua New Guinea and staffed them with government officers. The Patrol officers patrolled various districts of Papua New Guinea, establishing contact with the locals and reporting their findings back to the government. They produced detailed Patrol Reports and the more general, Monthly Reports.

Generally, four copies of the reports were made:

•           One for the Patrol Officer

•           One for the government station

•           One for the District headquarters

•           And one for the Administrator in Port Moresby

Topics covered by the reports include:

•           Health & sanitation

•           Population and statistics

•           Geological features and infrastructure (roads, housing etc)

•           Native affairs and customs

•           Commerce, shipping and supplies

•           Weather conditions

•           Communications and general observation 

Related legislation

 

Using the series

A number of the reports are missing pages and incomplete.

The Monthly Reports are titled as follows: name of patrol officer – month covered by report – area covered by report.

The Patrol Reports are titled as follows: name of patrol officer – patrol report number – area covered by report. 

Language of material

English. 

Physical characteristics

This series consists of paper records. Some pages are quite fragile and damaged. The series has been repackaged into acid-free folders, with some folios being placed into plastic sleeves due to fire and mould damage. 

System of arrangement and control

This series is controlled by a single and multiple number system imposed by the National Archives of Australia. The multiple number system was applied when multiple reports are housed in the one file.

The series is arranged as follows in order of donation:

•           Items 1-26 written by Patrol Officer William James (Bill) Johnston

•           Items 27-32 written by Patrol Officer William MacKinnon Curran Kennedy

•           Item 33 written by Patrol Officer E O Graham (accompanied by Patrol Officer William MacKinnon Curran Kennedy)

•           Items 34-48 written by Patrol Officer William MacKinnon Curran Kennedy

•           Items 49-57 written by Patrol Officer Richard Nehmy 

Relationships with other records

Other series identified as containing Papua New Guinea patrol reports and related records include:

•           A7034 – Papua New Guinea Patrol Reports (1922-1955)

•           A7357 – Microfilm copies of PNG Patrol reports collected by Mr Ivan Champion, mainly from the Lake Kutubu region. (1927-1940)

•           G91 – Correspondence, station journals and patrol reports from outstations (1890-1941) [British New Guinea Protectorate, 1884-1888, Possession of British New Guinea, 1988-1906, Territory of Papua 1906-1941 only]

•           A1 - Correspondence files (includes external territories function) – Department of the Interior [I] (1890-1969)

•           CP1/36 – Maps relating to patrol reports – Office of the Lieutenant-Governor (1914-1938)

•           A518 – Correspondence files – Department of Territories (1899-1983)

•           A9844 – Microfiche copies of PNG patrol reports from the National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea (1936-1974)

•           MP742/1 – General and civil correspondence files – Department of the Army (1920-1956)

•           A1838 – Correspondence files – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1914-1993)

•           A452 – Correspondence files, annual single number series (1901-1981) 

•           A14261 – Field Officer’s Journals donated by former Papua New Guinea Patrol Officers

The Australian War Memorial has custody of records that were produced during World War II by the Australian New Guinea Administration Unit in series AWM54 (1939-1950) and AWM254 (1943-1951).

The National Library of Australia also has a collection of personal records, including Patrol Reports, donated by former Patrol Officers.

The National Archives and Public Records Service of Papua New Guinea has a large collection of administration records, including original Patrol Reports, that pre date its independence.

Finding aids

All records in this series have been registered on RecordSearch, the National Archives’ collection database.

As of March 2011, any control records still in existence for the official Papua New Guinea patrol reports are in the custody of The National Archives and Public Records Service of Papua New Guinea.

Access conditions

 

Series history

The Papua New Guinea reports date from 1885 up to 1975.  At the start of the Pacific War of 1942-1945 the majority of the records were moved to Australia.  After the Japanese invasion, most of those official reports still in Papua New Guinea were lost and the only surviving copies were those kept by the Patrol Officers. Subsequently, there are gaps in the official reports held by the government. 

Provenance

During 2010, the National Archives of Australia hosted a number of events on behalf of the Australian government to acknowledge the contribution of Australian Patrol Officers in Papua New Guinea. It culminated on 20 November, 2010 in a reunion event; ‘Sharing Histories – Kiap Tribute Event’. The event was attended by ex-kiaps, their families as well as government and international (Papua New Guinea) representatives.

Ex-kiaps and their families were referred to institutions which were interested in collecting the Kiaps’ private record collections, including the National Archives for the donation of Patrol and Monthly Reports. This event was the key instigator for the donations into this series. The National Archives of Australia continues to take donations into this series. 

Immediate source of acquisition

Records in this series are donated by the public, usually by former Patrol Officers and their families. The donations are only accepted into custody after prior approval is given by the National Archives of Australia. For donation queries, please contact the National Archives of Australia.

Custodial history

 

Quantity in agency custody

 

Disposal history

 

Publication note

 

Additional information

 

End notes

 

Sources

National Archives of Australia, ‘Papua New Guinea patrol reports – Fact sheet 48’, November 2011

National Archives of Australia’s RecordSearch staff database, April 2012

National Archives of Australia, electronic recordkeeping system (TRIM) records 2010/1047, 2010/3075, 2011/155 and 2012/381, April 2012