Kavieng, New Ireland – February 4, 2025

The people of New Ireland gathered at Kavieng Sports Stadium to honor the life and legacy of the late Grand Chief Rt. Hon. Sir Julius Chan, reflecting on his unparallel contributions to Papua New Guinea’s governance and development.
The tribute event, themed “Strengthening Good Governance for Greater New Ireland,” saw emotional speeches from family members, government representatives, and national leaders, all united in paying their final respects.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Sir Julius’ daughter, Vanessa Chan Pelgen, expressed gratitude to the people of New Ireland and highlighted the deep bond her father shared with his homeland.
“As I stand here, surrounded by the Maimais, Kabisits, Komgois, Nguts, Watongs, Kamnavol, Kandaru, Toye, Vau, and the Passingans, I feel my father is happy to be back home with the people he loved the most,” she said.
“Even though we miss him dearly, hanmark bilong em bai stap oltaim. His legacy is your strong foundation. He planted the seed of the Malagan Declaration so that all the people of New Ireland, rich or poor, strong or weak, had a right to eat the fruits of our land.”
She urged the younger generation to follow his example: “To the next generation, he is your example. Emulate him. Wokim wankain olsem em. He is your roots.”
Representing the Somare family, Arthur Somare, son of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, spoke on the historic role Sir Julius played in leading Papua New Guinea to independence and beyond.
“Sir Julius Chan, together with a brave bunch of cohorts from 1968 until 1975, forged a relationship and a friendship to bring a young democratic country to independence. The challenges at the time would have been tremendous for a mixed-race Chinese Papua New Guinean, a Sepik like my father, and Peter Lus. But in New Ireland, they found exactly what was needed – friendship and unity.”
He described Sir Julius as a “Giant among men”, emphasizing his critical role in laying the foundation of the country.
“His hard work has already been done. The foundation for a new country was the toughest challenge, and he was among those who built it. Development today is not only Sir Julius Chan’s responsibility—it is now the responsibility of all leaders, in politics, public service, churches, and society.”
Sir Julius’ son, Byron Chan, expressed gratitude to the government and people of Papua New Guinea for honoring his father’s final wishes.
“Firstly, I want to appreciate the Government of Papua New Guinea for following my father’s wishes. I want to say thank you to the Speaker, the Governor General, the Prime Minister, and all who made it possible for Sir Julius to come back and be with his people.”
Byron Chan recalled an emotional moment from his father’s final days:
“He saw his brothers pass—Sir Michael, Sir Bill Skate, Sir Mekere, Sir Rabbie—and he told us, ‘Two weeks is a long time for the country to mourn me.’ So he asked for three days in Port Moresby and three days in New Ireland.”
“The feud in politics is because of service for the people—it is about schools, hospitals—but in the end, they were brothers.”
The ceremony was followed by “Wok Kastom”, tribute and appreciation from groups representing all areas of New Ireland Province, including the business community
