In an earlier article, we looked at the early airmails between Australia and Papua New Guinea. In this article, we shall look at the shipping services up to World War II

In mid - 1892, an agreement was reached with Burns Philp & Co, for a bi-monthly service to be provided from Australia to Papua at a cost of £150 per round trip. The brigantine Myrtle was used on the subsidised run. At about that time, mails were also carried on the Burns Philp schooner Clara Ethel on its voyages between Thursday Island and Port Moresby and another, the Ivanhoe made a quarterly voyage with mail from Cooktown to Samarai thence the islands of the Loiusiade Archipelago. The contract was allowed to lapse in 1897.

Commencing 1900, the small steamers Adelaide, owned by Clunn and Sons, and the President operated by Whitten Brothers commenced trading between Cooktown, Samarai, Woodlark Island, Cape Nelson and the Mambare and also carried mails.

In 1902, Burns Philp offered a contract vessel for £4000 per annum to provide bi-monthly trips from Cooktown to Port Moresby and Samarai as well as intra-Territory services but this was not accepted.

Early in Murray's period of office as Lieutenant-Governor, a contract was formed between the Commonwealth Government and Burns Philp & Co., for a subsidised service. Two steamers provided a service leaving Sydney calling at Brisbane enroute to Papua and the Solomon Islands. Until 1912, a monthly service was provided calling at Woodlark Island, Samarai, Port Moresby, (Hall Sound alternate trips) thence to Cairns (later Cooktown). The path was then reversed.

In 1912, the service was changed with one steamer leaving at six-weekly intervals calling at Brisbane, Cairns, Port Moresby and Woodlark thence back by the same route. The other left Thursday Island on a monthly basis calling at Daru, Port Moresby, south coast ports, Samarai, Woodlark Island and north-east ports and return. This service connected at Thursday Island with the Burns Philp Sydney-Singapore service.

The first mail steamer used by Burns Philp on this run was the Moresby. Later vessels included the Mataram, the Matunga, the Morinda and the Montoro.

The introduction of the wireless telegraphy service in 1913 began to reduce the Territory's dependence on the mail steamer for its communication needs. However, the Burns Philp subsidised mail services continued through the war period though interrupted by the maritime strikes, the 1918 influenza epidemic and, of course, the war itself. The Matunga was lost to enemy action. The Morinda was also out of action for many months in 1917 following a fire.

By 1922, the Burns Philp subsidised service was provided by the Morinda and Marsina. The Marsina was then switched to the Mandated Territory service. The Morinda was replaced in 1928 by the Mataram.

Commencing in 1931, a new service to both Territories was commenced by Burns Philp. The Macdhui provided a monthly service and the Montoro a six - weekly service.

At cessation of the civil administration in 1942, the contract for the subsidised mail service with Australia was still held by Burns Philp.

The service was conducted by the steamers Macdhui and the Bulolo left Sydney every three weeks calling at Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Port Moresby then Samarai. They then travelled en route to New Guinea before returning by the same route.