The Legislative Council had its first sitting in 1951 with Sir Donald Cleland (the father of Bob Cleland, well known to PNG Attitude readers as a literary mentor) who became the first Administrator.

The Legislative Council, inaugurated in November 1951, played an important role during the colonial period and was the centrepiece of political development in PNG and pivotal in the creation of a nation state.

It was the first political body to have community representatives. Prior to this, the Territory of Papua and the Trust Territory of New Guinea were separate entities and governed directly by colonial administrators.

The Legislative Council was, set the ground work for the political development of Papua and New Guinea to become an independent state. It had 28 members of which three were elected and nine appointed along with 16 public servants. There was a prescribed minimum of three Papua New Guineans among the appointed members.

In 1964, the Legislative Council was replaced by the House of Assembly in the territory’s first nationwide elections. The House of Assembly, had 64 members, including 10 nominated officials.

The House of Assembly, at its opening in June 1964, had a majority of elected indigenous Papuans and New Guineans. The following year, the House set up a Select Committee on Constitutional Development whose recommendations were put into effect in 1967.

At this time, the number of elected seats increased to 84 and a new quasi-ministerial system instituted.

In 1971, the Select Committee on Constitutional Development recommended the Territory prepare for self-government and, in the 1972 elections, the number of parliamentarians was increased to 100 elected members with an additional three appointed and four official members.

Michael Somare became Chief Minister and self-government was granted at the end of 1973. Just two years later, on 16 September 1975, Papua New Guinea became an independent sovereign nation.

The Legislative Council served an important purpose when it was created in 1951 to provide local representation in government.

Its key roles and responsibilities included providing advice to the Administrator on public policy matters and passing laws for the territory.

In March 1962, Lloyd Hurrell, an elected member of the Legislative Council, introduced a motion to appoint a Select Committee on Political Development.

The motion attracted considerable support and was the seed that triggered the events that led to the creation of PNG.

The Select Committee on Political Development had terms of reference that included changes to be made to the Legislative Council, recommendations about a future constitution, the recommendations of the Foot Report (see part 2 in this series), future political development based on Westminster democracy and consideration ns relating to the qualifications of voters and candidates, the distribution of electorates, enrolment, polling and counting of votes

A notable recommendation was that the Legislative Council become a House of Assembly with 64 elected and nominated members. This led to more rapid political change; indeed faster than had been anticipated by the Australian government.

A major change, and a direct result of the recommendations of the Select Committee, was the first popular election in 1964 to elect representatives to the newly created House of Assembly. For the first time there was a majority of elected members and a majority of indigenous Papua New Guineans.

Under the new House of Assembly the political landscape continued to quickly evolve.

There was no date known but, by now, Australia recognised that independence was on the way.