New Feller Master: Beyond the Trenches – Australia’s Neglected WW1 Story. Presented by Michael Piggott

Deep into the shadows of empire acclaimed archivist Michael Piggott AM unearths a crucial yet overlooked story: the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) and its occupation of German New Guinea.

In 1914, this small force, supported by the Navy, swiftly captured German New Guinea. Days later, a chilling proclamation in Pidgin declared Australia the ‘New Feller Master’ to hundreds of thousands of New Guineans, marking the start of a de facto colonial administration that would last until 1921.

New Feller Master traces the entire occupation and its century-long aftermath, revealing the intertwined military, colonial, and racial complexities of this neglected episode. Drawing on vivid primary sources, Piggott exposes looting, reprisals, and the controversial assault on Reverend William Cox – an incident that tested official responses to misconduct and reflected broader colonial practices.

In tracing moments of routine and rupture – from boredom and looting to conflicting casualty counts and vivid personal stories – Piggott reveals the attitudes and actions of Australians convinced their deeds mattered, and how these would echo for generations.

Prepare to challenge what you think you know about Australia’s past and confront a legacy that still resonates today.

New Feller Master brings this neglected corner of history back into the light, inviting readers to confront the silences, the myths, and the uncomfortable truths about Australia’s first steps as a colonial occupier.

‘Turns the spotlight from the trenches to the tropics — a fascinating, unsettling account of the moment Australia became a colonial power.’

‘Michael Piggott brings the skills of an archivist and the heart of a storyteller to this extraordinary history of conquest and conscience.’

About the Author

Michael Piggott, AM is an archivist, writer and reviewer specialising in Australian military, cultural and curatorial history.

Formerly with national and tertiary cultural institutions including the Australian War Memorial, he brings a critical lens to an underexplored episode in Australia’s military, colonial and racial past.

New Feller Master reflects years of commissioned and independent scholarship focused on archives and the contingency and politics of memory.