4 September 2025
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has hosted a welcome barbecue near HMAS Choules, inviting Australian Defence Force personnel and international partners as part of the lead-up to the nation’s 50th Anniversary of Independence (PNG50).
The barbecue brought together more than 300 personnel, with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) leading the event as a gesture of hospitality and community. For many, it was the first chance to connect before formal PNG50 activities.
PNGDF soldier Musician Jamalyn Anena, a member of the military band supporting the PNG50 celebrations, said the gathering reflected the spirit of the anniversary.
“Sharing food, music and friendship is how we show unity in Papua New Guinea,” Musician Anena said.
“For PNG50, it’s special to welcome our partners into that tradition.”
'It shows what we do in the ADF is part of a bigger Pacific family story.'
Communal barbecues and feasts are a long-standing practice in PNG, used to celebrate milestones, strengthen relationships and welcome visitors. Extending that practice to Defence members reflected the country’s values of unity, family and hospitality.
Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Jon Anu, from the 4th Regiment in Townsville, said the experience carried deep personal meaning. Originally from the Torres Strait Islands, he grew up with strong cultural ties to PNG.
“My family is from the Torres Strait, which is only a few kilometres from the PNG mainland,” WO2 Anu said.
“Our language, our food, even the way we celebrate — it all connects us.”
He said speaking with PNGDF members highlighted those ties.
“Some knew my family name from the Western Province, those conversations showed how close the connections are between PNG and the Torres Strait,” he said.
WO2 Anu said the barbecue was a reminder of how the Australian Defence Force’s links with the Pacific were built on more than operations.
“This wasn’t just a feed — it was about belonging,” he said.
“It shows what we do in the ADF is part of a bigger Pacific family story.”
Personnel from PNG, Fiji, New Zealand, India, Japan, Tonga, Vanuatu and Australia attended, reflecting the broad regional partnerships supporting PNG50.
Together, PNG50 will unite Defence personnel from across the Pacific in honour of Papua New Guinea’s independence milestone. The welcome barbecue set the tone — showing that PNG’s traditions of community and hospitality remain central to the occasion.
