The District Commissioner
Addendum 66: Sir Michael Somare GCL GCMG CH CF SSI KStj KSG PC
Additional information for Chapter 35 - The coming of Independence
Sir Michael was born in Rabaul in a village called Rapikid on 9 April 1936, the eldest of six siblings. His father, Ludwig Somare Sana, a policeman in the colonial administration, was stationed there at the time. His mother was the first wife of four of his father. Michael Somare then, from an early age, grew up in the village of Karau in the Murik Lakes district of East Sepik, his father’s home province.
Educated at a Japanese run primary school at Karau during World War II (Wewak East Sepik at that time was under Japanese occupation) and then at Boram Primary School, the Dregerhaffen Education Centre in Finschhafen Morobe Province, and finally the Sogeri High School in Port Moresby. He graduated from Sogeri with a Leaving Certificate issued on behalf of the Australian state of Victoria in 1957. This was a teaching qualification at the time.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s he taught at several primary and secondary schools in New Ireland, East Sepik, and Madang.
Having a good command of English he served as an interpreter for the Legislative Council and the first House of Assembly which provided him with a good understanding of the workings of Parliament. A good communicator, Somare worked as a broadcast officer with the Department of Information and Extension Services and was a radio announcer in Wewak.
Somare married his wife Lady Veronica Somare in 1965, before taking up his scholarship at the Administrative College in 1965. They had five children, Bertha ("Betha"), Sana, Arthur, Michael Jnr and Dulciana.
The PNG Administrative College was an institution in Port Moresby established by the Australian Government in 1963 to meet the needs of a looming independent Papua New Guinea. It provided training for mid to senior level public servants with the aim of lifting educational standards within the service and meeting departmental requirements for employees who could take on higher levels of responsibility.
Somare served as vice-president of the Public Service Association and became part of the small informal group of Papuan and New Guinean students of young aspiring public servants who would study by day and have political discussions at night. This group’s nickname of the bully beef club arose as they would discuss ideas and plan for a time when PNG would be run by Papua New Guineans not Australia, while eating bully beef, rice, and biscuits. The group included (Sir) Michael Somare, (Sir) Albert Maori Kiki, and Joseph Nombri. In an article “History of the Precinct – Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct (at pacificprecinct.org/about-us/history-of-leadership/pacificprecinct.org) “They would be pivotal in the generation of nationalist sentiment that influenced the independence path PNG would take, and its timing.”
In June of 1967, Bully Beef Club members formed a political party, the Pangu Pati. This Papua and New Guinea United Party was established on a platform of home rule, a united territory, the localisation of the public service, and the use of Pidgin as the main common language of communication.
The photo is of Pangu Pati members outside the House of Assembly after its formation in June 1967 :
Left-right are Albert Maori Kiki, Tony Voutas, Pita Lus, Barry Holloway, Paul Lapun, Cecil Abel, Michael Somare and Oala-Oala Rarua.
The photo above is of Michael Somare aged 32, speaking at Sydney University in 1968. State Library of NSW Tribune Collection
Somare stood for election when opportunities opened up for native Papua New Guineans to enter the National Assembly in 1968, representing his East Sepik Province, and he was one of the eight Pangu candidates who were successful. He became leader of the Opposition. Eloquent and charismatic, Somare was a natural politician.
Don Woolford in a 7news.com.au online article dated 26 February, 2021 at https://7news.com.au/politics/somare-the-controversial-father-of-png-c-2242937 that “he was impatient of racism and paternalism, yet often patient and inclusive with political opponents; he had no doubt PNG should be independent, yet was prepared to delay. Above all, he was a nationalist when almost everyone's loyalty was to clan and place.” It was no mean feat in a national political setting known for its volatility and in a country having more than different 800 tribes and languages. In his view the Westminster system remained the most suitable democratic system for his country.
Somare was re-elected in 1972 and the party formed a coalition with the People’s Progress Party, among others, to form government in 1972, with Somare as Chief Minister of the then Australian Territory.
In June 1972 a Constitutional Planning Committee was established to make proposals for a Constitution for an independent Papua New Guinea. Both Sir Michael Somare and Sir John Guise were members of the CPC. Dame Meg Taylor was also involved using her legal background. On 1 December, 1972 legal constitutional documents were signed by Mr Lesley Johnson and Mr Michael Somare making PNG a self governing country whereby all Government powers except foreign affairs, defence and the power to appoint PNG Supreme Court judges were transferred from Australia to the PNG Government. A draft Constitution was approved 26 August, 1975. Joseph Lynch had drafted the “home grown” Constitution during the period 1973 to 1974.
The photo above of Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Michael Somare during her visit in 1974 was sourced from the Sydney Morning Herald article by Gerry Carman dated 28 February, 2021 at www.smh.com.au/national/png-leader-navigated-country-through-independence-20210228-p576g0.htm
At the time of approval of the Constitution, the Opposition, the United Party, was not supportive of an early transition to Independence, preferring a later date. Somare lobbied MPs, and by Wednesday 18 June, 1975 had the numbers in the House of Assembly to pass his motion that PNG become independent on 16 September, 1975.
On September 16, 1975 – Independence Day – he became the nation’s first Prime Minister. The country gained its independence in a way that was both constitutional and peaceful.
The photo above was sourced from the website emtv.com.pg and shows Somare holding the hardcover book “Papua New Guinea” which was published by the Papua New Guinea Government Office of Information on the occasion of Papua New Guinea’s Independence.
The photo above is of the hardcover book “Papua New Guinea” which was published by the Papua New Guinea Government Office of Information on the occasion of Papua New Guinea’s Independence. and provided courtesy of Jane Rybarz
Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Somare states that “Somare was particularly adept at steering a clear way among various conflicting forces” and that his “role in the independence struggle reflects therefore the values he advocated throughout his career, as a builder of consensus and a politician whose main mission was avoiding or reconciling conflicts.” In the Obituaries Australia piece by Jonathan Ritchie at https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/somare-sir-michael-thomas-mike-31563 “The way PNG gained its independence owes a great deal to Somare’s careful devotion to the spirit of sana: a word from his people’s language that denotes taking a peaceful, consensual approach to resolving disputes.”
Known as the “Papa blo Kantri” (father of the nation) he was the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister, having been in office for 17 years over four terms from 1975 to 1980 as the country’s first Prime Minister, then 1982 to 1985 as its third, and from 2002 to 2011 (some say 2012) as its twelfth.
The final Somare administration was instrumental in establishing the landmark LNG Project which positioned PNG as a significant energy player on the world stage. Somare was deposed in a major political and constitutional impasse after MPs controversially pushed for his seat to be declared vacant when he was in Singapore seeking medical treatment. He was replaced by Peter O'Neill, despite the Supreme Court ruling that Somare's removal was unconstitutional.
Somare is depicted on PNG’s 50 Kina banknote and he received various honorary doctorates and honours including being made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) by the Queen in the Birthday Honours List of 1990. In 2005 he was invested as one of the first Grand Companions of the Order of Logohu (GCL) by the Princess Royal (Princess Anne).
Sir Michael Somare died from pancreatic cancer in Port Moresby on 25 February 2021, at age 84. He was a Christian of deep faith and his daughter, Betha Somare, issued a statement saying that he was given his last rites and anointing by Cardinal John Ribat, the head of PNG's Catholic Church. He was farewelled at a State Funeral and despite the Covid pandemic at the time, thousands of mourners crowded into the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in PNG's capital Port Moresby to honour the Grand Chief. As a mark of "mourning and respect", the Australian government requested all its national flags to be flown at half-mast on the day.
The late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare's casket arrives at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium, Port Moresby Image: Raksy Heron/PNG Bulletin.
The photo was sourced from the 12 March, 2021 article by PNG Haus Bung at
nghausbung.com/motocade-arrives-with-casket-of-grand-chief-sir-michael-somare-at-the-state-funeral-venue/
The photo above was sourced from the article by Patrick Levo dated 3 January 2022 at https://asiapacificreport.nz/2022/01/03/the-bleak-and-black-covid-year-that-shook-papua-new-guinea-to-the-core/