Draft:New Guinea timber scandal

The New Guinea timber scandal was an instance of fraud and political corruption which occurred in 1945 in the Australian-administered Territory of New Guinea.

Former federal MP Jock Garden and his business partner Edward Farrell sold non-existent timber concessions in the Bulolo Valley of New Guinea to Hancock & Gore Ltd. for £50,000 equivalent to $4,000,000 in 2022), as part of a syndicate also including Garden's son and aviator Ray Parer. Garden, a public servant in the Department of External Territories, fabricated official documents and forged the signature of his close friend Eddie Ward, the minister for external territories. Garden was convicted of forgery and was imprisoned for three years, while a royal commission cleared Ward of any wrongdoing.

Background

In 1942, federal government minister Eddie Ward appointed his close friend and former parliamentary colleague Jock Garden as a liaison officer in the Department of Labour and National Service. Ward was transferred to the Department of External Territories following a cabinet reshuffle in 1943, but remained in contact with Garden as they had offices in the same building. Garden also served as campaign director for Ward at the 1946 federal election.

Royal commission

On 24 December 1947, Prime Minister Ben Chifley announced that a royal commission would be held into the

Sources

• Spratt, Elwyn (1965). Eddie Ward: Firebrand of East Sydney. Rigby Limited. ISBN 9780727009692.