The New Guinea Society was set up at a meeting in Canberra on 31 Jul 1957, following a call for expressions of interest from Ralph Bulmer, Margaret McArthur, Murray Groves and others. It was based in Canberra and drew most of its membership from the Australian National University, the Commonwealth Dept. of Territories and the CSIRO. The meetings were usually held in the Meetings Room, Eastern Annexe, University House under strict Chatham House rules. Professor J.W. Davidson, when Dean of the Research School of Pacific Studies, ANU, required all PhD students in the School to belong to the Society.

There were regular meetings of the Society, at which papers were presented; the texts of some of these are in included in PMB1379/1. Some important policy decisions were aired and discussed by the Minister and others before they were made public.

The Papua and New Guinea Society (not to be confused with the New Guinea Society) was established in Port Moresby, following an initiative by Nigel Oram, on 22 Nov 1962. Some documents relating to this society, including its constitution, are included in PMB1379/6.
Below is a list of Presidents and Secretaries of The New Guinea Society from 1957-1965.

C.S. Christian, President, 1957
Ralph Bulmer, Secretary, 1957
Dudley McCarthy, President, 1958-9
H.C. Brookfield, Secretary, 1958-9
R.D. Hoogland, President, 1960-1
Paula Brown, Secretary in 1960, 1961
J. E. Willoughby, President, 1961-2
J.N. Jennings, Secretary, 1961-2
Francis West, President, 1962-3
D. T. Lattin, President 1962-3, 1963-4
J. A. Mabbutt, in Chair in 1965
Colin A. Hughes, Secretary, 1963, 1964, 1965

New Guinea Society papers presented at meetings in Canberra, Australia (1959-1964)
New Guinea Society: membership and activities (1957-1965)
New Guinea Society correspondence (1962-1965)
New Guinea Society: Notices of meetings (1957-1964)
New Guinea Society: Committee meetings and notes (1957-1962)

New Guinea Society: Constitution (1957-1959)
See Finding aids for details.