It was initially raised as a unit of the Militia from white Australian and European expatriates in New Guinea upon the outbreak of the Second World War in , before being activated for full-time service following the Japanese landings in early The battalion subsequently established observation posts overlooking the main approaches and reported on Japanese movements.
Later, it inflicted significant casualties on the Japanese in a series of raids, and led them to believe that they faced a much larger opposing force. The battalion was disbanded in April due to attrition. In the years immediately following the war the Australian Army considered re-establishing a military presence in Papua New Guinea PNG , although there was some opposition among white settlers to the raising of native units.
In March a PNGVR detachment assisted in relief operations following the eruption of Mount Lamington , which killed 3, people and left more than 5, homeless. During the mids the enlistment of Papua New Guinean and Chinese personnel had finally been authorised, with the unit evolving into a multi-racial battalion.
By the eastern half of the island of New Guinea was divided into the territories of Papua in the south, and the former German colony of New Guinea in the north, both of which were administered by Australia.
The men were all white Australian or European expatriates and were drawn from a wide range of civilian occupations, although the majority were longtime residents and included gold miners, planters, traders and government officials. Most had lived in the territory for years, and many were quite old, with men between the ages of 18 and 50 accepted.
