On 16 September 2026, the 83rd anniversary of the liberation of Lae was commemorated at Situm 7th Australian Division Memorial Primary School, a defining moment in the history of Morobe and in the shared history of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Senior Austrade Commissioner for the Pacific Hon Stirling Hinchliffe and Trade Commissioner to PNG Esther Sun, along with Consul-General Brenton Kanowski and a delegation of Australian Army and Papua New Guinea Defence Force members, joined sons of ex-servicemen and their grandchildren, students and the local community to honour the courage, service and sacrifice of the Australian, Papuan, New Guinean and allied personnel who fought there, and to remember the civilians whose lives were profoundly affected by the war. This year the anniversary fell on Papua New Guinea's Independence Day, making the occasion even more significant as the nation also celebrated 51 years of independence and the strong partnership it has built with Australia over the decades.
