Susan Karike

Karike was born in Mei'i, Gulf District, Territory of Papua and New Guinea; her birth date was sometime between 12 April 1955 and 11 February 1956. On 12 February 1971, Karike's school — the Catholic Mission School at Yule Island in Central Province{{Cite web |title=Susan Karike Gallery |url=https://www.museumpng.gov.pg/galleries/susan-karike-gallery/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903063254/https://www.museumpng.gov.pg/galleries/susan-karike-gallery/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 September 2020 |access-date=14 May 2021 |language=en-US }}{{Cite web |date=13 April 2017 |title=Tribute for woman who designed PNG flag |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/328755/tribute-for-woman-who-designed-png-flag |access-date=14 May 2021 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514171246/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/328755/tribute-for-woman-who-designed-png-flag |url-status=live }} — was visited by the Selection Committee on Constitutional Development.{{Cite web |title=Papua New Guinea Association – Origin for the Crest and Flag |url=https://www.pngaa.net/Independence_Anniversary/crest_flag_origin.htm |access-date=14 May 2021 |website=www.pngaa.net |archive-date=11 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211092918/https://www.pngaa.net/Independence_Anniversary/crest_flag_origin.htm |url-status=live }} 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. Nevertheless, they asked students to create a new colour palette for the flag. Karike did not believe the original colours of blue, yellow and green were traditional enough,{{Cite news |last1=Crossette |first1=Barbara |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=10 May 1986 |title=THE TALK OF PORT MORESBY; THE QUEEN, BETSY ROSS AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/10/world/the-talk-of-port-moresby-the-queen-betsy-ross-and-papua-new-guinea.html |access-date=14 May 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514171251/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/10/world/the-talk-of-port-moresby-the-queen-betsy-ross-and-papua-new-guinea.html |url-status=live }} nor did she like the vertical stripes that the flag was split into.{{Cite web |last=LAVARI |first=LEMACH |date=21 April 2017 |title=Designers of our symbol of unity |url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/designers-symbol-unity/ |access-date=14 May 2021 |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514171248/https://www.thenational.com.pg/designers-symbol-unity/ |url-status=live }} 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. The new design for the flag was drawn in a page torn from her exercise book.{{Cite web |date=18 August 2020 |title=Tribute for woman who designed PNG's flag |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/tribute-for-woman-who-designed-png-s-flag/ |access-date=14 May 2021 |website=Cook Islands News |language=en |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514171249/https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/tribute-for-woman-who-designed-png-s-flag/ |url-status=live }} This design was presented to the committee on 1 March 1971 and was formally adopted as the flag of Papua New Guinea on 4 March 1971.

In 2017, the Papua New Guinea National Museum & Art Gallery was redeveloped and a new gallery was named the Susan Karike Gallery after Karike.

Despite designing the colours of the national flag, Karike's achievement went largely unrecognised during her lifetime.{{Cite web |last=Orere |first=Barnabas |title=Paying Tribute To The Designer Of The Papua New Guinea Flag, Susan Karike |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2017/04/11/paying-tribute-designer-papua-new-guinea-flag-susan-karike |access-date=14 May 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202130229/http://www.pireport.org/articles/2017/04/11/paying-tribute-designer-papua-new-guinea-flag-susan-karike |url-status=dead }} She received no pension from the government and lived in poverty.{{Cite web |date=12 April 2017 |title=Tribute to Susan Karike |url=https://postcourier.com.pg/tribute-to-susan-karike/ |access-date=14 May 2021 |website=Post Courier |language=en-US |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514171249/https://postcourier.com.pg/tribute-to-susan-karike/ |url-status=live }} 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.{{Cite web |date=4 July 2017 |title=Flag designer Susan Karike abandoned by Government |url=https://postcourier.com.pg/flag-designer-susan-karike-abandoned-government/ |access-date=14 May 2021 |website=Post Courier |language=en-US |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514171249/https://postcourier.com.pg/flag-designer-susan-karike-abandoned-government/ |url-status=live }}

File:Flag of Papua New Guinea (1970–1971).svg|Hal Holman's initial flag design

File:Flag photo Papua New Guinea.jpg|The flag in Beijing.

File:2016 Paralympics Parade of Nations Papua New Guinea cr.jpg|The flag paraded at the 2016 Paralympic Games.

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Category:1950s births

Category:2017 deaths

Category:20th-century Papua New Guinean people

Category:20th-century Papua New Guinean women

Category:20th-century women artists

Category:Papua New Guinean women artists

Category:Flag designers

Category:People from Gulf Province