Decolonisation of Oceania

The decolonization of Oceania occurred after World War II. Nations in Oceania achieved independence by either transitioning from British rule to Dominion status then to full independence or directly by decolonisation.

Timeline

Country	Colonial name	Colonial power [1]	Independence date [2]	First head of state [3]	War for independence
Indonesia [4]	Dutch East Indies	Netherlands	17 August 1950 [5]	Sukarno	Indonesian National Revolution
Samoa	Western Samoa Trust Territory	New Zealand	1 January 1962	Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole [6]	-[7]
Nauru	Nauru Trust Territory	Australia [8]	31 January 1968	Hammer DeRoburt	-
Tonga	Tonga	United Kingdom	4 June 1970	Taufaʻahau Tupou IV	-
Fiji	Fiji	United Kingdom	10 October 1970	Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara	-
Papua New Guinea	German New Guinea Territory of New Guinea Trust Territory of Papua and New Guinea	Germany  United Kingdom [9]  Australia	16 September 1975	Michael Somare	-
Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands Protectorate	United Kingdom	7 July 1978	Peter Kenilorea	-
Tuvalu	Gilbert and Ellice Islands	United Kingdom	1 October 1978	Toaripi Lauti	-
Kiribati	Gilbert and Ellice Islands	United Kingdom	12 July 1979	Ieremia Tabai	-
Vanuatu	New Hebrides	United Kingdom  France [10]	30 July 1980	George Kalkoa	-[11]
Australia	Australia	United Kingdom	1901/1942/1986	n/a	-
Marshall Islands	Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands	United States	21 October 1986	Amata Kabua	-
Micronesia	Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands	United States	3 November 1986	Tosiwo Nakayama	-
New Zealand	Dominion of New Zealand	United Kingdom	17 January 1853 26 September 1907 25 November 1947 1986 [12]	Henry Sewell	-
Cook Islands	Cook Islands	New Zealand	1965/1992/current [13]	n/a	-
Palau	Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands	United States	1 October 1994	Kuniwo Nakamura	-
Niue	Niue	New Zealand	1974/1994/current [14]	n/a	-

See also

• Current United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
• Current List of dependent territories
• Colonialism
• Colonization of Australia
• Colonization of New Zealand
• Decolonization
• Wars of national liberation

Notes

1. Some territories changed hands multiple times, so in the list is mentioned the last colonial power. In addition to it the mandatory or trustee powers are mentioned for territories that were League of Nations mandates and UN Trust Territories.
2. Date of decolonization for territories annexed by or integrated into previously decolonized independent countries are given in separate notes.
3. First head of state after independence. For current and former Commonwealth realms instead of first head of state is listed the first head of government.
4. Transcontinental country, partially located in Asia.
5. Netherlands New Guinea was separated from the Dutch East Indies on 29 December 1949. Following skirmishes with Indonesia in 1961 and the New York Agreement, the Netherlands transferred authority of Dutch New Guinea to a UN protectorate on 1 October 1962 and it was integrated into Indonesia on 1 May 1963.
6. Joint position known as O Ao o le Malo, whose individuals are severally referred to as O le Ao o le Malo.
7. The Mau was a non-violent movement for Samoan independence from colonial rule during the early 1900s.
8. As a League of Nations mandate and later UN Trust Territory Nauru was under effective Australian administration with the United Kingdom and New Zealand as nominal co-trustees.
9. The main part of German New Guinea after the World War I became a League of Nations mandate and later a UN Trust Territory as the Territory of New Guinea under Australian administration. The Territory of Papua was a British colony transferred to the British Dominion of Australian administration in 1902.
10. Vanuatu was a joint British-French Condominium
11. The Coconut War was a brief clash between rebels opposing independence and prime minister-elect sanctioned Papua New Guinea forces.
12. New Zealand has no fixed date of independence. See Independence of New Zealand.
13. Since 4 August 1965 the Cook Islands are a state in free association with New Zealand. The UN recognized them as state under international law in 1992. The Cook Islands are fully independent in their foreign relations and defence, but retain a residual constitutional link with New Zealand in relation to citizenship.
14. Since 19 October 1974 Niue is a state in free association with New Zealand. The UN recognized it as state under international law in 1994. Niue is fully independent in its foreign relations and defence, but retain a residual constitutional link with New Zealand in relation to citizenship.