Sir John Guise, GCMG

Order of St Michael and St George

The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....

, KBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (19147 February 1991) was the first Governor-General of Papua New Guinea

Governor-General of Papua New Guinea

The Governor-General of Papua New Guinea is the viceregal representative of Queen Elizabeth II, known in Tok Pisin as 'Missis Kwin', Papua New Guinea's head of state, performing the duties of the Queen in her absence...

, which gained independence from Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 in 1975. Dr. Guise was a native Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

n and was a vocal supporter for independence. He served in the Department of Native Affairs during the 1950s, and served in the East Papua Legislative Council from 1961 to 1963. In 1964, he was elected to the House of Assembly, and went on to serve as acting Speaker of the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea from 1973 to 1975. He also served as minister of the interior. He was the first Governor-General of Papua New Guinea from 1975 to 1977. He resigned as Governor-General after only two years, so that he could run against Michael Somare

Michael Somare

Sir Michael Thomas Somare, GCL, GCMG, CH, CF, KStJ, MP was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 2002 to 2011; he had previously been Prime Minister from independence in 1975 until 1980 and again from 1982 until 1985. Somare's first two terms were as a member of the Pangu Party, but he then...

 for the office of Prime Minister, an election he lost.

He remained politically active and considered as a potential leader during the civil unrest after his term in office. Guise died on February 7, 1991. After his death, a sports stadium was named in his honour.

He was appointed a CBE in 1972, knighted with the KBE on 6 June 1975 and appointed a GCMG on 16 September 1975.