About the project: help and guidance

Welcome to the Remembering the war in New Guinea project website.

This project brings together Japanese, Australian and indigenous perspectives of the Second World War in New Guinea, to write a history of war in this theatre which truly reflects the experience of all the groups involved. With international participation, the project focuses on military activity at the strategic and tactical levels, particularly emphasizing the human experience of soldiers on both sides, their perceptions of the experience of the other groups involved, and the effects of the war on the indigenous peoples.

This comprehensive, multi-dimensional website serves a variety of audiences. Using multimedia, essays, and original documents, the website encourages researchers to study the war from a cross-cultural perspective, while also helping the general public understand the war experience of all three national groups.

This project is unique in involving senior scholars in both Australia and Japan and historians with extensive experience working in Papua New Guinea. By also being able to draw on the resources of the Australia-Japan Research Project at the Australian War Memorial, the project is able to break down linguistic barriers to cross-cultural understanding of the tragic meeting of three peoples in war.

The Remembering the war in New Guinea project had its origins in a suggestion from Professor Tanaka Hiromi from the National Defense Academy in Yokosuka, Japan. After consultation and discussion with historians from the Australian War Memorial and the Australian National University in Canberra, the National Institute for Defense Studies and National Defence Academy in Japan, and other scholars, an application was made to the Toyota Foundation for funding for twelve months in 1999-2000. The application was successful, and culminated in an international symposium held at the Australian National University in October 2000. A further year funding was secured in 2000-2001, which has resulted in the production of this website.

We hope that you enjoy your visit.