Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea is a province of the Anglican Communion. It was created in 1976 when the Province of Papua New Guinea became independent from the Province of Queensland in the Church of England in Australia (officially renamed the Anglican Church of Australia in 1981) following Papua New Guinea's independence in 1975. The first Archbishop and Primate of Papua New Guinea was David Hand, the Bishop of Port Moresby. Succeeding Primates were also as a diocesan bishops until the consecration of Joseph Kopapa, who was Primate from 2010 to 2012.
Papua New Guinea is supported by the Philippines and co-observer Timor-Leste. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is often ranked as likely the worst place in the world for violence against women. A 2013 study in "The Lancet" found that 27% of men on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, reported having raped a non-partner, while 14.1% reported having committed gang rape. According to UNICEF, nearly half of reported rape victims are under 15 years of age and 13% are under 7 years of age. A report by