Susan Karike
Susan Karike | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Susan Hareho Karike c. 1956 |
| Died | 11 April 2017 (aged 60–61) |
| Citizenship | Papua New Guinea |
| Known for | Designing the flag of Papua New Guinea |
Susan Hareho Karike Huhume (c. 1956–11 April 2017) was a Papua New Guinean housewife, who, as a schoolgirl, designed the colours of her country's national flag.
Karike married Nanny Huhume and they had four children and twelve grandchildren.[1][2] She died in April 2017 following a stroke and was buried on 28 July 2017.[1][2]
Background[edit]
In 1971, when Karike was aged 15, her school, the Catholic Mission School at Yule Island in Central Province[3][4] was visited by the Selection Committee on Constitutional Development on 12 February.[3][5] The committee already had a preliminary design for a new flag for Papua New Guinea, which had been designed by an Australian artist, Hal Holman.[4] Nevertheless, they asked students to create a new colour palette for the flag.[3] Karike did not believe the original colours of blue, yellow and green were traditional enough,[6] nor did she like the vertical stripes that the flag was split into.[7] She used a diagonal line and the colours red, black and yellow, as well as keeping the motifs of the Southern Cross and the bird of paradise.[5] The new design for the flag was drawn in a page torn from her exercise book.[8] It was presented to the committee on 1 March 1971 and was formally adopted as the flag of Papua New Guinea on 4 March 1971.[5]
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2017, the Papua New Guinea National Museum & Art Gallery was redeveloped and a new gallery was named after Karike.[3]
Despite designing the colours of the national flag, Karike's achievement went largely unrecognised during her lifetime.[9] She received no pension from the government and lived in poverty.[10] The three-month delay between her death and her burial was due to the fact that the Prime Minister's office had promised her family that she would have a state funeral, yet rescinded on this promise.[11]
Gallery[edit]
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Hal Holman's initial flag design -
The flag in Beijing. -
The flag paraded at the 2016 Paralympic Games.
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References[edit]
- ^ a b MARIORI, BRADLEY (17 September 2019). "National flag still belongs to Susan, husband says".
- ^ a b "PNG's National flag designer passes on". One Papua New Guinea. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Susan Karike Gallery". Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Tribute for woman who designed PNG flag". RNZ. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ a b c "Papua New Guinea Association – Origin for the Crest and Flag". www.pngaa.net. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ Crossette, Barbara; Times, Special To the New York (10 May 1986). "THE TALK OF PORT MORESBY; THE QUEEN, BETSY ROSS AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ LAVARI, LEMACH (21 April 2017). "Designers of our symbol of unity".
- ^ "Tribute for woman who designed PNG's flag". Cook Islands News. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ Orere, Barnabas. "Paying Tribute To The Designer Of The Papua New Guinea Flag, Susan Karike".
- ^ "Tribute to Susan Karike". Post Courier. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ "Flag designer Susan Karike abandoned by Government". Post Courier. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2021.