The Territory of Papua was a de facto Australian possession comprising the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea, existing from roughly 1902 to 1949. It had previously been administered from London as British New Guinea and remained a de jure British possession until 1975 when Papua New Guinea was granted independence by Australia. The territory now forms the southern part of Papua New Guinea, and makes up roughly half of that country.

History

Sir Peter Scratchley special commissioner for Great Britain in New Guinea 1884-1885
Hugh Hastings Romilly (acting) 1885-1886
John Douglas 1886-1887 Special Commissioner

Sir William MacGregor, 1888-1895 Administrator

Sir William MacGregor, 1895-1897
George Le Hunte, 1898-1903
Christopher Stansfield Robinson (acting administrator)
Sir Hubert Murray, 1908-1940
H. L. Murray, 1940-1942, (civil administration was suspended in 1942 and replaced with a military administration for the duration of the war) Lieutenant-Governors

MajGen. Basil Moorhouse Morris, 1942-1946