MAN: I think we are more fortunate than many other countries.
We have been lucky because we have reached full nationhood MAN: I think we are more fortunate than many other countries.
We have been lucky because we have reached full nationhood
without the fighting and bloodshed. we have reached full nationhood
without the fighting and bloodshed.
But even so, our achievement of independence
still represents years of planning
and hard work still represents years of planning
and hard work on the part of everyone.
I know that every man, woman, and child of our new nation
shares this moment of pride and happiness
shares this moment with one heart
to join in celebrating our independence.
NAMILA BENSON: Here I am in my home in Naarm, Melbourne,
NAMILA BENSON: Here I am in my home where I live and where I grew up.
I also have my cultural, ancestral,
and what I consider to be
my actual home, and what I consider to be
my actual home,
Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.
It's a big year for PNG, a richly vibrant nation
with over 800 languages and many more dialects.
2025 marks 50 years of self-governance
and independence from Australian colonial rule.
and independence Back in 1975,
when we gained independence under the Whitlam government,
it meant exciting possibilities and new beginnings.
We have, at this point in time, broken with our colonial past,
and we now stand as an independent nation in our own right.
This historical moment resonates
in PNG's cultural This historical moment resonates
in PNG's cultural and collective memory,
and for some of us living in PNG diaspora here in Australia,
and for some of us living we hold these memories close too.
It keeps us connected to home.
Living in Australia and being Papua New Guinean,
I often wonder what home really means.
Some of us might be fortunate enough to choose the place we call home,
and I'm mindful this is a privilege not afforded to everyone.
ALL: (SHOUT) Happy independence!
Watching stories of independence celebrations in PNG,
I'm reflecting on the ways PNG people
are linked to the land of our ancestors
through family, language, food, and culture.
There's a familiarity there, even if we can't always name it.
There's a familiarity there, (ALL SING IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
Being based in Australia,
the arts is a place Being based in Australia,
the arts is a place where I've been able
to connect with stories from PNG and also PNG artists.
to connect with stories from PNG (SINGS)
Wendy, hello.
And I want to talk to some of these artists
to get to the heart of the question,
what does home mean to you? to get to the heart of the question,
what does home mean to you?
And how do ideas of home shape their creativity?
I'm eager to have these conversations
because I'm about to journey back to PNG
because I'm about to journey back to enjoy independence celebrations.
Before I head to the airport, though,
I do have to check in with a brilliant sis.
I do have to check in Oh, my.... Stop it!
Wendy Mocke is a writer who brings amazing stories
from Papua New Guinea onto Australia's stages and screens,
and her list of credits and awards really speak for itself.
She's also a visual artist who documents the stories of PNG women.
She's also a visual artist who I'm so excited about going home.
Yeah, tell me about that. How are you feeling about it all? I'm so excited about going home.
Yeah, tell me about that. How are you feeling about it all?
I don't know, like, 'home' is such a big word,
especially when we live... Yeah.
especially when we live... ..as part of diaspora.
What does the word mean to you? Gosh.
What does the word mean to you? Um... Madang. Madang is home for me.
I spent most of my childhood Um... Madang. Madang is home for me.
I spent most of my childhood from the ages of, like, 3 to 12.
When I'm writing and when I'm creating,
When I'm writing it's, I think, like, in pictures.
Often what comes to me is the coastline of Madang.
And so a lot of my plays always start with, like, the ocean.
Even being away from it, I can still smell it, I can still see it.
And so a lot of my stories start there.
I always think of, like, my ground, my home soil
as also something that's internally in my brain.
And so I have to, like, water it. Right?
And so by watering it, that's... that's my...that's my land,
And so by watering it, that's... that's away from my land,
is the...is how I feel
when I come to writing and creating and being able to use the art
to stay connected to my... my people and my home.
You are such a brilliant, beautiful playwright,
and the reason why I love your work
is 'cause I always connect to a sense of home,
which I don't ordinarily get, living here in Australia.
But the ways that you elevate, centre,
and just celebrate Black Pacific Islander stories,
and just celebrate that's very specific.
Talk about that in terms of your craft.
The common perception is about the Black Pacific
is that we're either asleep
or we're just kind of standing idly by,
or we're just kind of not really active...
Mmm. ..in our own stories.
Mmm. And so I like to activate us,
just kind of show everyone And so I like to activate us,
just kind of show everyone that we are here,
and we've always been here... Mmm.
..and really kind of then find the nuances
and the ways in which we define ourselves
and the way that we live and celebrate and love.
I want to talk about your beautiful award-winning work.
I want to talk about I Am Kegu.
Can you please explain a bit about that?
Well, it was around the time that I was training at NIDA.
I realised in second year that I'm going to graduate
and there's going to be no roles for me
because no-one's writing any roles for us.
because no-one's writing I decided I'm going to write a play.
And around that time,
there was a sorcery-related killing And around that time,
there was a sorcery-related killing that happened
up in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
And that not only terrified me, but it also, like, saddened me.
And that not only terrified me, And so that propelled me.
I just wrote to be able to understand parts of my culture.
And then over the years, it kind of grew into this play
And then over the years, called I Am Kegu.
Well, I could happily talk more with Wendy
Well, I could happily talk more about her incredible work,
but, alas, today's not the day.
Well, I know where I need to be but, alas, today's not the day.
Well, I know where I need to be in the next 50 minutes or so
is the airport... Oh, my gosh.
is the airport... ..but let's do that.
OK. And...
What else? Oh. Can't forget the passport.
Yeah, let's not forget that. Yeah.
Yeah, let's not forget that. Alright.
BOTH: Goodbye.
See ya. See you.
# Whoo! #
It's tricky to verbalise how it feels to be back in PNG.
Of course I have my life in Australia,
but there's a different sense of belonging here.
That said, I'm so excited,
because along with a bunch of Melanesian and First Nations artists,
we're all finally here in Port Moresby.
Preparations are under way for Meganesia,
a massive concert that forms part of pre-independence celebrations,
and some of my favourite musicians are in town for the show.
It is going to be a huge celebratory event.
# Fire in my soul, lifted by the sunshine... #
But for now, I'm just taking in the sights and sounds of Port Moresby
But for now, I'm just taking in and taking time to meet an artist
whose work is a familiar sight in this city.
Look at this.
Like, I've seen this so many times on the internet,
and I can't believe that I'm now here.
and I can't believe This is Lesley Wengembo,
and for me, his work really encapsulates home.
Like, talking home,
this image is it, this mural is it.
This mural, it's about family. Yeah.
'Cause there... When we talk about the idea of home,
this mural represents that, 'Cause there... When we talk about the idea of home,
this mural represents that,
from grandfather to a parent
and then to a child.
Lesley is an iconic figure in PNG contemporary art.
He paints both intimate portraits and stunning public works.
Through his hyper-realist technique,
he has a gift for capturing the essence of his subjects,
he has a gift for capturing from politicians and sports figures
to babies and kids, right through to elders.
I think what I find most amazing about your work is eyes.
You're extraordinary with capturing eyes.
I would say, like, I mastered the eyes when I was really young.
I used to look at all these old masters
and all the lights kind of glow in the eyes of,
and all the lights kind of glow like, how to create that connection.
The soul in the eyes of people.
With PNG, the eyes of, like, of elderly people.
It's so engaging when you look at them.
It's with love and warmth and innocence.
It's with love and warmth Also with the knowledge.
I grew up with my grandma Also with the knowledge.
I grew up with my grandma for a while,
so, like, something that fascinated me
so, like, something is the love that they give to you.
That's what even motivates me to do
a lot of paintings of, like, That's what even motivates me to do
a lot of paintings of, like, faces of old people.
It's because I wanted to capture that love,
that connection, that knowledge, that wisdom,
that connection, that knowledge, and portraying the essence of PNG.
That's where it comes from.
Do you ever look at the mural and think,
"Oh, maybe I should have done a little line here, or..."
Most of the time. (LAUGHS)
Most of the time, yeah. Well, it looks perfect to me.
I have to say,
I think that beautiful face on the end is the one for me.
I know I'm sweating up a storm,
but, hey, let's run with it.
Can I please give you this camera?
I'd love a photo in front of this one.
I'd love a photo There we go. OK.
Hang on. I don't want to block it off.
Hang on. Ah, you're good. Yes.
Hey, Jesus! Ah, you're good. Yes.
Hey, Jesus! Eee! (LAUGHS)
Hey, Jesus! Am I dripping with sweat?
I think...I think...
So not flattering, but I don't care.
I've seen your mural now. I'm happy you've seen it.
Finally. I needed you.
Finally. Yes.
For Lesley, he soulful eyes of his grandmother
For Lesley, he soulful eyes summed up a connection to home.
And when I see the incredible eyes of his mural
in the unique light of Port Moresby,
there's kind of an unspoken recognition
there's kind of of people whose faces I don't know
and yet they feel familiar.
It's work like this that's kept me connected to home from afar.
So happy to be back here.
Family, including chosen family through friendships,
is an important part of building a sense of home.
I'm meeting up with a dear friend from Australia,
whose creative practice has reconnected her
whose creative practice with our PNG heritage.
And that ancestral connection is adding
a remarkable new dimension to her work.
This is Grace Dlabik.
She's a multidisciplinary artist
renowned for her beautiful ceramic and sculptural works.
renowned for her beautiful ceramic Hi, Grace.
Hi.
I'm visiting Grace at her Aunty Elizabeth's house.
This is Aunty Elizabeth.
And before we sit down for a chat,
they're cooking up a very special treat.
(SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE)
A flatbread made (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE)
A flatbread made with coconut and sago.
You always go for the orange sago. Why orange?
It's dried in the sun. Oh.
Sago is a prized food within Grace's Motuan roots.
Her ancestors crafted unique earthenware pots
to trade, cook, and store this precious resource.
to trade, cook, and store Ooh! And the magic is done.
Mmm!
This is... Yes.
And now that rich history forms This is... Yes.
And now that rich history forms an integral part
And now that rich history forms of Grace's creativity.
My ancestors, because we use clay
as a very practical source to create our food,
to store our sago.
So I wanted to know exactly what that meant
in terms of who we were and where we came from.
I realised having conversations with the elders
that our people would make these Motuan pots.
And I asked around to see who is making these pots still,
and it's really an art form that is sort of dying.
That only a few people know how to make these pots now.
There was one elder that was still around
that was teaching the younger generations these pots.
And she is Auntie Lahue Arua,
who is 104 years of age, living in Porebada.
I'm sitting with her, learning from her
the methodology of how we would make these pots,
going into the bush, digging for the clay,
going down to the ocean and getting the salt water,
and then bringing it back to the village
and then bringing it back to create the body of clay,
to then work with the clay.
Connecting with this craft has made Grace consider
what home really means
and how that relates to the art she makes whilst at home in Melbourne.
A lot of my practice began as, like, intuitive forms,
just playing around with clay and just touching clay.
And when I was doing it, I found great peace
and a sense of home in...
..maybe the familiarity with, like, the earth.
In the backyard of my place,
I've dug a hole, which is a mumu.
You know, where we cook in the ground in Papua New Guinea.
But it also is where I fire my pieces.
There's something really grounding about using fire
There's something really grounding as a natural way
to harden and create something into a permanent object.
Home for me, when I was little,
just meant a place where I lived.
I think more and more home is becoming
my actual lineage of home,
being here in Papua New Guinea.
We don't have the language to be able to describe
We don't have the language what this means to me,
but it's extremely special what this means to me,
but it's extremely special and really sacred, actually.
And the feeling for me is familiar.
In the experience of the sound and the textures and the feelings,
I remember what it is to be home.
And now you're gonna make me cry. (LAUGHS)
And now you're gonna make me cry. And now we're both crying.
MAN: Smile.
Grace's story tells us that art can enrich and clarify our sense of home.
But in many Western museums and galleries,
artworks that have a strong cultural relationship to place and people
have found themselves removed, often without context,
have found themselves removed, from their country of origin.
So does art itself have a home?
Our resident art historian, Mary McGillivray,
explores this question with someone who thinks about it a lot.
MARC FENNELL: In the days of the British Empire, things were taken.
They now live in museums, galleries, and some much stranger places.
KATE: I wanted to ask you about the language that you use
talking about The Stuff The British Stole.
You used the phrase "contested objects".
Why... Why that phrase?
Because there's always more than one perspective on these objects. Why... Why that phrase?
Because there's always more than one perspective on these objects.
If there was only one perspective, it was legal and it's fine,
or it was stolen and it's not fine,
or it was stolen then there would be no show.
The objects are a doorway into a bigger history,
and the way you get there is by different perspectives.
How do you decide if an object is stolen or not?
I'm quite assiduous about not making a judgement
on whether something is or isn't stolen.
Often what I find is the object is a talisman for a broader theft.
Often what I find is the object What I have noticed over the years
is there's a handful of objects What I have noticed over the years
is there's a handful of objects that attract a lot of attention.
The Parthenon Marbles is an obvious one.
There's lots of First Nations objects that have been taken
not just from Australia, but from Canada, the Pacific, America.
And those objects get a lot of attention,
and then, like, it's stolen, it was taken.
And sometimes that's true and sometimes it's not.
But what is undeniably true is those objects are a...
..a tether for a much broader theft of land, of culture, of identity.
..a tether for a much broader theft These objects,
they get to illuminate a bigger These objects,
they get to illuminate a bigger and more complicated history
that we are all still grappling with.
So these objects are kind of, like, conduits
for seeking justice for a broader injustice.
for seeking justice Yeah. Yeah, I think they are.
They're space to be able to say, Yeah. Yeah, I think they are.
They're space to be able to say, "Actually, you know what?
"Technically, legally, not stolen. But...
"..what else is going on here?
"What else is going on around this moment that we haven't dealt with?"
What I am adamant about is tell the truth about how it got there,
What I am adamant about is tell because that's what makes me angry.
It was collected in a punitive mission.
You mean you massacred people? Is that what you mean?
That's the shit that drives me up the wall.
Do you think that objects have a true home,
Do you think that objects whether it's a legal home,
a sort of spiritual home, ethically a home?
a sort of spiritual home, It's a wonderful question.
En masse, no.
I do not believe that every object has a singular home.
Individually, every object that sits in a museum and a gallery
has its own journey, has its own story,
has its own journey, has its own injustices.
What I find most interesting is that
as these objects What I find most interesting is that
as these objects move through time and space,
as these objects they actually acquire more story.
And what I love to do is the unravelling of that.
If you actually want to learn from the objects...
..why not ask the people where it came from,
and not be afraid that they will instantly want it back?
But maybe, more often than not, I find lots of source communities,
they just want a say in how that story is told.
they just want a say And they want to tell their history.
There can be more than one truth and reality at the same time,
and concurrent histories are the full picture, right?
It's about the mess. History is messy.
MAN: Welcome back to Nicksville Magai Jenset Radio 1010
on your AM dial.
With me live in the studio, on your mobile phone,
is Sprigga Mek, 3KiiNgZ, and myself, Rifa Vela, One Sound.
# One sound from the underground Rifa Vela, One Sound.
# One sound from the underground
# You know these suckers don't play when we come around... #
Music is a big part of my life and a big way I connect with home.
Award-winning PNG hip-hop artist Sprigga Mek
is one of the performers at the Meganesia concert,
is one of the performers and he has a huge following.
# 3 KiiNgZ, Rifa Vela... #
His songs very much speak # 3 KiiNgZ, Rifa Vela... #
His songs very much speak to his story
His songs very much speak of being Papua New Guinean,
and his flows represent the multiple languages of his heritage.
So I can rap in (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE), English, pidgin, and his flows represent the multiple languages of his heritage.
So I can rap in (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE), English, pidgin,
So I can rap in (SPEAKS LOCAL and (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE).
Still collecting and (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE).
Still collecting a few languages.
And I stick to the essence and the roots of hip-hop.
And I stick to the essence Being a voice for the voiceless,
representing the struggle, and trying to tell it how it is.
(RAPS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE) representing the struggle, and trying to tell it how it is.
(RAPS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
I've been a rebel since I was a kid, so, you know.
Yeah, I started with graffiti art and,
Yeah, I started with graffiti art you know, breakdance and stuff,
and I kind of realised I had an affinity to hip-hop
and I kind of realised with the storytelling and...
(RAPS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
PNG has gone through massive changes
on the journey from colonialism to self-governance and independence.
There's been social and political upheaval.
These shifts inevitably have an impact on the nation,
and Sprigga's songs speak to those impacts.
Tell us about the ways that you share stories of Moresby in your music.
I was born and bred here, Port Moresby,
so I've lived to see, you know, the changes
over the...over the... my years on Earth.
And I think that's one thing, you know, as an artist,
we have a moral obligation to society to, you know, give back.
I see my surroundings. I see what's happening.
I see my surroundings. I just, you know, put it into song,
and just share it with the...with my audience.
And I feel as an artist, you know,
we're messengers of change
and messengers of, you know, hope at the same time.
What do you hope for the next 50 years for PNG?
I doubt we'll ever see a real, realistic, tangible change
in my lifetime.
We still have our ups and downs in the current economy.
And, you know, everyone's really feeling the...
I wouldn't say pinch but punch.
This is still home.
Yeah, home. It'll never change.
This is the land we were born into.
And I still love my country. I still believe there's hope.
We gotta stand up and fight for it and try to make a change, you know?
Best way we can. Yeah.
Tell me, where is the place where you feel most at home?
For me, personally, when I'm on stage.
Really? That's like...
To me, that's complete freedom.
(RAPS INDISTINCTLY)
The MC mentions my name, and I mentally switch from Allan...
Ooh. ..into Sprigga Mek, the artist.
Ooh. (RAPS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
Hearing Sprigga's passion for PNG's storytelling is powerful.
As home changes around us, our ideas of what that means
does require truth tellers to speak to the challenges.
But it's also important to celebrate the wins.
But it's also important And at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium,
which is where independence actually took place back in 1975,
preparations are under way for a truly epic celebration.
The Meganesia concert has an astounding number of moving parts.
The Meganesia concert has an Roadies, crew,
not to mention over 100 Aboriginal, Zenadth Kes,
West Papuan, and PNG artists and performers.
It's a whirlwind of activity
with a surprisingly chilled-out artistic director, Airileke Ingram.
MAN: We're getting ready for the big night.
We're close. MAN: We're getting ready for the big night.
We're close.
I'm not sleeping. (LAUGHS)
I'll sleep after the show. Yeah.
Airi, known as Airileke, is a prominent name
proudly bringing Pacific culture to stages around the world.
He's an ARIA-nominated musician and producer, master percussionist,
as well as being an artistic director
of some of the largest musical and cultural events across the Pacific.
He's even tried to teach me to play drums on national television.
Oh, God.
You're getting close.
You're close, you're close. OK.
And, uh, as you can see, I needed to stick to my day job.
And, uh, as you can see, (BOTH LAUGH)
As a champion of contemporary cultural music,
I'm curious to hear about Airi's concept of home.
Mostly, you know, my home where, I guess, my roots is I'm curious to hear about Airi's concept of home.
Mostly, you know, my home where, I guess, my roots is
is Gabagaba, Central Province, PNG.
But, you know, I guess home is where the love is, you know?
But, you know, I guess home is That's really what it means to me.
So as a musician, what sounds or instruments
immediately remind you of home?
Definitely gaba, in... which is the Kundu drum.
My village is called Gabagaba, and in English that means 'drum drum'.
In Torres Strait, they call it warup.
In Torres Strait, West Papua, they call it tifa.
And PNG, we call it kundu.
When my grandfather taught me,
he would say that the gaba makes your blood move.
The actual beat is the heartbeat, you know.
The actual beat is the heartbeat, It's this kind of beat.
It really pulls you in. You know, like, you belong with this drum.
Yeah. That sound always, you know, straightaway back to my village.
When I was taught, then, by more contemporary musicians...
When I was young, they used to tell me, you know,
"Your passport don't take you around the world.
"This drum takes you around the world."
And that's been my life story.
I totally get what Airi's saying here.
And it's a common feeling living in the diaspora,
And it's a common feeling that certain sensory moments create
an evocative and unmistakable pull back to our motherlands.
Many of the Meganesian performers travel for a living
and have their own unique concept of home,
including West Papuan brothers and dancers in the show Sam and Yoshua.
How does movement and dance connect you to that place of home?
We both came to Australia as a refugee.
We both came to Australia I was 12, he was 15.
And now we are living in two worlds. I was 12, he was 15.
And now we are living in two worlds.
You know, I'm leaving my home, but I'm also creating a home here.
Every time we came together as a band, we feel home.
You know, all the drumming, all the songs we sing,
You know, all the drumming, it's to remind us about home.
So it's like home. Home is bring family, joy, peaceful, and freedom.
So it's like home. Home is bring (MUSIC PLAYS)
And at the rehearsal (MUSIC PLAYS)
And at the rehearsal before the big event,
I'm particularly thrilled to see music artist Yirrmal.
With close family connections to Yothu Yindi,
he continues an important legacy and tradition
of bringing his Yolngu language, music, and culture,
to audiences in Moresby.
And at Meganesia,
he'll be performing with members from the legendary Yothu Yindi.
Can we take a minute for your bilum? Look at that.
You've got your beautiful bilas already. Can we take a minute for your bilum? Look at that.
You've got your beautiful bilas already.
You've got your beautiful bilas I'm carrying all my family now.
Yes. From Port Moresby. Yeah.
(LAUGHS) And I'll take it back to Australia.
(LAUGHS) Tell me how it's been for you.
I'm thoroughly enjoying it Tell me how it's been for you.
I'm thoroughly enjoying it at the moment.
Seeing the beautiful people, Wantok people, from this country,
and celebrating with them for this 50-year anniversary.
and celebrating with them Yeah, yeah.
That's what I'm looking forward to it.
And sharing my spirit about my home. Yes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MAN: Ah, love. All the way love.
Happy 50th birthday, PNG!
(FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS)
Being in Port Moresby watching this incredible line-up of artists
celebrate 50 years of PNG independence,
well, it's an incredibly moving experience.
There's an explosion of culture and pride
and so much joy and connection on stage.
and so much joy and connection (PERCUSSION TAPS RAPIDLY)
I'm thinking back to all the artists I've connected with on this trip,
and the different perspectives they've generously shared about home,
through the traditions that connect us across generations,
the people and family that nurture our souls...
..the music and dance that allows us to celebrate
and locate our relationships with land and with each other.
and locate our relationships (ALL SING IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
# One people, one soul, one destiny... #
Home is an elusive concept that's tricky to nail down.
Home is an elusive concept But what I've come to realise is
you definitely know it But what I've come to realise is
you definitely know it when you feel it.
WENDY: So proud about so many things.
In particular our sense of community.
In particular Oof.
You know, being part of a tribe.
And it doesn't matter where you are You know, being part of a tribe.
And it doesn't matter where you are in the world,
And it doesn't matter where you are you know you belong somewhere.
And your people will call you home. They'll always call you home.
For me, it's that feeling of true belonging
where how you show up and what you share of yourself in the world
makes sense.
Where people and place ground you in the most poignant ways.
Everyone who we've spoken to about home
has spoken about home being a sense of security, safety, and belonging.
has spoken about home being a sense And I very much feel that here.
It is such a weird thing to say,
but walking around and seeing faces that look like mine,
and then connecting with artists
who take so much pride in sharing our culture
and, you know, beautiful, specific parts of our customs,
yeah, it's...it's amazing being home.
Captions by Red Bee Media
Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation