Australasia 1990: Bougainville Conflict
Decolonization of the Pacific
1788–1859 The Australasian Colonies
1859–1901 Colonial Consolidation
1901–1941 Southern Dominions
1941–1945 The War in the Pacific
1945–pres Decolonization of the Pacific
Bougainville Conflict
7 Jan 1946 Japanese Surrender
25 Nov 1947 Indonesian War of Independence
25 Apr 1950 United States of Indonesia
1 Sep 1951 ANZUS
16 Nov 1962 West New Guinea dispute
2 Jul 1971 Independence for the Pacific Islands
13 Jan 1976 Indonesian invasion of East Timor
10 Jul 1985 Breaking with Britain
17 May 1990 Bougainville Conflict
26 Jul 2003 Policing the Southwest Pacific
15 Jan 2020 Australasia Today
When Papua New Guinea (PNG) gained independence from Australia in 1975, the island of Bougainville - geographically part of the Solomons - immediately attempted to secede but was persuaded to stay on in return for greater autonomy. However, tensions continued to rise over mining in Bougainville and in 1988 conflict broke out. In a nine-year war, PNG was largely expelled from the island and eventually agreed to a New Zealand-sponsored truce.