General elections were held in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea on 18 March 1961.[1] Indigenous members were elected for the first time, although on an indirect basis. The territory's first political party, the United Progress Party, won three seats.[1]
In September 1960 the Australian government announced that the Legislative Council would be expanded. Having previously been a 29-member body with 17 officials (civil servants), nine appointed members and three elected members, the new council was to have 37 members, of which 15 were officials, 10 were appointees (of which at least five would be indigenous members) and twelve were elected. The twelve elected members would consist of six Europeans elected directly from single-member constituencies, and six indigenous members indirectly elected from the same constituencies.[2]
The indirect elections for the indigenous members saw 220 representatives nominated by 39 Native Local Government Council and 144 representatives nominated by 33 special electoral groups, covering areas where no Native Local Government Council existed.[3] The 364 representatives subsequently elected the six indigenous members of the Legislative Council.
A total of 108 candidates contested the six indigenous seats, whilst only nine ran in the six European seats, leaving three candidates elected unopposed.[4]
| Constituency | European candidates | Indigenous candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Britain | Don Barrett (incumbent, UPP), John Chipper | 12 | |
| New Guinea Coastal | Lloyd Hurrell (incumbent) | 7 | |
| New Guinea Highlands | Ian Downs (UPP) | 40 | |
| New Guinea Islands | W. Meehan (UPP), Paul Mason | 25 | |
| Western Papua | Craig Kirke (incumbent, UPP), Ron Slaughter | 13 | |
| Eastern Papua | John Stuntz (UPP) | 11 |
| Constituency | European elected member | Indigenous elected member | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Papua | John Stuntz (UPP) | John Guise | |
| Highlands | Ian Downs (UPP) | Kondom Agaundo | |
| New Britain | John Chipper | Vin ToBaining | |
| New Guinea Coastal | Lloyd Hurrell | Somu Sigob | |
| New Guinea Islands | Paul Mason | Nicholas Brokam | |
| Western Papua | Ron Slaughter (UPP) | Simoi Paradi | |
| Source: Pacific Islands Monthly | |||
| Position | Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Administrator | John Gunther | |
| Chief Collector of Customs | K.M. Chambers | |
| Chief Native Lands Commissioner | Ivan Champion | |
| Director of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries | Frank Henderson | |
| Director of Education | Geoffrey Roscoe | |
| Director of Lands, Surveys and Mines | Douglas Macinnis | |
| Director of Native Affairs | John Keith McCarthy | |
| Director of Posts and Telegraphs | William Frederick Carter | |
| Director of Public Health | Roy Scragg | |
| Director of Public Works | J. Glen | |
| District Commissioner, Morobe | Horrie Niall | |
| District Commissioner, New Britain | John Rollo Foldi | |
| Secretary for Law | Walter William Watkins | |
| Treasurer and Director of Finance | Harold Reeve | |
| Appointed members | Roma Bates | |
| Basil Fairfax-Ross | ||
| Ephraim Jubilee | ||
| Bonjul Korogo | ||
| Maneto Kuradal | ||
| John McGhee | ||
| Philip Strong | ||
| Reuben Taureka | ||
| Kinuki Wabag | ||
| Alice Wedega | ||
| Source: Pacific Islands Monthly | ||
Following the elections, the Administrator appointed the Administrator's Council, the territory's cabinet.[5]
| Position | Member |
|---|---|
| Assistant Administrator | John Gunther |
| Director of Native Affairs | John Keith McCarthy |
| Treasurer | Harold Reeve |
| Unofficial members | Basil Fairfax-Ross |
| Ian Downs | |
| John Guise |