Eastern part of New Guinea divided between Germany in the north and Britain in the south
Germany and Britain divide the Solomon Islands – Bougainville and Buka included as part of German New Guinea
British New Guinea transferred to newly federated Australian control and renamed the Territory of Papua
Australian forces take German New Guinea, including Bougainville
League of Nations grants Australia the “mandated” territory of New Guinea; Papua remains a territory of Australia
Australian, US and Japanese forces battle for control of Bougainville and the Pacific, ending in victory for Australian and allied forces
United Nations reaffirms Australian role in administering New Guinea as a “trust" territory and four years later the joint administration of Papua and New Guinea
Establishment of the Panguna copper and gold mine
Production at Panguna mine starts
September: Bougainville’s first Unilateral Declaration of Independence declared two weeks before PNG independence
Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) headed by Francis Ona is formed
November: start of the Bougainville war
Panguna copper mine closed in May; PNG declares a state of emergency in June
May: PNG Government cuts off goods and services to Bougainville
August: the Endeavour Accords, which restore services but defer Bougainville’s political status, are signed by PNG and BRA aboard the New Zealand warship
South Pacific Regional Peace Keeping Force (SPRPKF) provides security to enable peace talks in Arawa
March: Sandline mercenary crisis erupts in PNG
Burnham peace talks held in New Zealand in July and October; Truce Monitoring Group (TMG) deployed to Bougainville
January: Lincoln Agreement between PNG Government and Bougainville leaders signed in New Zealand
May: Australian-led Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) established to monitor the ceasefire
Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) signed in Arawa – the BPA provided for a referendum on Bougainville’s independence 10–15 years after the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG)
Withdrawal of regional PMG forces
June: Joseph Kabui elected first ABG President – a referendum for independence can be held between 2015 and 2020
July: BRA leader Francis Ona dies
James Tanis elected second ABG President (sworn in January 2009)
John Momis elected third ABG President
Bougainville Mining Act 2015 enacted, giving traditional landowners a say in mining licences and mineral extraction
November: Scheduled date for referendum