1954 Papua New Guinean general election
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General elections were held in Papua and New Guinea on 2 October 1954.[1]
Electoral system
[edit]The 29-member Legislative Council consisted of the Administrator, 16 civil servants, nine members appointed by the Administrator (three representatives of the indigenous population, three representing European settlers and three representing missionaries) and three elected Europeans.[2] The Chinese community were also given the right to vote alongside Europeans.[3] However, although there were around 13,000 Europeans and 2,000 Chinese in the territory, only around 2,700 people registered to vote.[1]
The three elected members were elected from three single-member constituencies, New Guinea Islands, New Guinea Mainland and Papua by preferential voting.[4] Voting was not compulsory.[5]
Campaign
[edit]Nominations for the three elected seats closed on 9 August, with five candidates put forward. The New Guinea Islands seat was contested by the incumbent Don Barrett and John Stokie, a plantation manager. In New Guinea Mainland, the incumbent Carl Jacobsen did not run, resulting in a contest between the theatre owner Harry Starr and optometrist and planter George Whittaker. Incumbent MLC Ernest James was the only candidate in Papua.[6]
Results
[edit]| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Guinea Islands | Don Barrett | 408 | 77.9 | Re-elected |
| John Stokie | 116 | 22.1 | ||
| New Guinea Mainland | George Whittaker | 145 | 78.4 | Elected |
| Harry Starr | 40 | 21.6 | ||
| Papua | Ernest James | Unopposed | Re-elected | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 25 | – | ||
| Total | 734 | 100 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 1,825 | 40.2 | ||
| Source: Pacific Islands Monthly | ||||
Appointed members
[edit]| Position | Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Donald Cleland | |
| Civil servants | Chief Collector of Customs | Frank Lee |
| Government Secretary | Steven Lonergan | |
| Chief Native Lands Commissioner | Ivan Champion | |
| Crown Law Officer | Walter William Watkins | |
| Director of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries | R.E.P. Dwyer | |
| Director of District Services and Native Affairs | Alan Roberts | |
| Acting Assistant Director of District Services and Native Affairs | John Rollo Foldi | |
| Director of Education | William Groves | |
| Director of Forests | James Bannister McAdam | |
| Director of Health | John Gunther | |
| District Commissioner for Central District | Sydney Elliott-Smith | |
| District Commissioner for Madang | R.W. Wilson | |
| District Commissioner for Morobe | Horrie Niall | |
| District Commissioner for New Britain | John Keith McCarthy | |
| Secretary of Lands, Surveys and Mines | Douglas Macinnis | |
| Treasurer and Director of Finance | Harold Reeve | |
| Representatives of Europeans | Doris Booth | |
| Robert Bunting | ||
| Basil Fairfax-Ross | ||
| Representatives of Natives | Merari Dickson | |
| Pita Simogun | ||
| John Vuia | ||
| Representatives of Missionaries | James Dwyer | |
| Frank George Lewis | ||
| David Eric Ure | ||
| Source: Pacific Islands Monthly, Institute of Commonwealth Studies[7] | ||
Aftermath
[edit]In March 1955 Frank Lee was replaced by Thomas Grahamslaw.[8] Later in the year missionary representative Frank George Lewis left the territory and was replaced in the Council by Philip Strong.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Territorians Show Disinterest In Local Politics Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1954, p12
- ^ Local voice in Papua-N. Guinea administration: Legislative Council Taking Shape After Long Delay Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1951, p9
- ^ Future of Chinese Communities In The Pacific Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1953, p40
- ^ P-NG Legislative Council: Election of Three Members Pacific Islands Monthly, November 1951, p11
- ^ P-NGs Second Council Elections, October 2 Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1954, p31
- ^ Only Few Seek PN-G Voters' Favour Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1954, p16
- ^ Legislative Council 1954, Institute of Commonwealth Studies
- ^ Popular Promotion for Mr. T. Grahamslaw Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1955, p63
- ^ His Lordship the Bishop of New Guinea Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1955, p9
