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The book titled 'The Chinese in Papua New Guinea' had a successful launch at The Cairns Institute on the auspicious date of 8th August 2024. Master of Ceremonies was Prof Hurriyet Babacan who gave a broad cover of the continuing research links between The Cairns Institute (TCI) and James Cook University (JCU) with Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Dr Nalisa Neuendorf from the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR) gave the academic review and Dr Anna Hayes provided the editorial response on behalf of the editorial team which includes Prof Rosita Henry and Dr Michael Wood. Dr Neuendorf is also a JCU Alumni and The Cairns Institute Adjunct Researcher.
Seventy attendees gathered from the local PNG and Chinese-PNG diaspora from Cairns, Brisbane and Darwin, including special guests from the PNG Government. The Honourable Jelta Wong MP, Minister for PNG Fisheries and Marine Resources whose father appears on the cover of the book travelled from Port Moresby to Cairns specifically for the book launch. In his speech, he emphasized that the early Chinese settlers were important to the growth of PNG. Invited guests included PNG Tourism Promotion Authority Board member Gregory Wong, Cairns-based PNG Consul Damien Arabagali, and the Chinese-PNG diaspora who attended the workshop were also in attendance at the book launch.
Dr Michael Wood reiterated that the book emerged from a workshop convened by Prof Rosita Henry and Dr Vincent Backhaus in November 2020. "We had asked participants in the workshop to rethink how Chinese had influenced colonial and post-colonial governance and development of PNG. We also asked that contributors provide detailed case studies of this influence. The resulting volume highlights some of the diversity of Chinese contributions and responses to colonial and post-colonial PNG’s history". He hopes the volume provides a stimulus to further work on the role of the Chinese in shaping PNG.
Prof Rosita Henry thanked TCI's Director, Distinguished Prof Stewart Lockie for his support which led to the 3day workshop, "Re-visualising the Past, Imagining the Future: Race, Governance and Development in Papua New Guinea" and the TCI team for their support in coordinating the book launch and promotions.
The book is available with ANU Press on https://bit.ly/CiPNG
Images: (above) Damien Arabagali & Jelta Wong. Credit: Sule Akbas.