Staying in line: cultural markers in colonial society

A series of laws and economic structures from the profound to the most trivial separated the lifestyles, occupations and places of residence of the two races. Only gradually during the post-war years were these laws abandoned and attempts at a semblance of equality gradually gained momentum. At first there were racially mixed uncomfortable social gatherings; followed by non-racist legislation and an expansion of opportunities in education and employment; and finally self-government.

Once the relations of domination and subordination are clearly established, every black person is a servant of some sort and every white person a master or mistress at some level. As the Royal Commission into Papua in 1906 put it:

So entrenched is the white/superior and black/inferior bifurcation that a bosboi of a labour line identified the anomalies of his slightly superior situation by calling out ‘You think I'm a black man. No I'm a black white man’. A Papuan wrote to the Post Courier in 1972 ‘People are so impressed with my ability to speak English and maintain an intelligent conversation, they say that I am not a black man but a white man’.