Despite the heated competition for colonial possessions in Papua New Guinea during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the personnel required to run an effective administration were scarce. As a result, the Australian colonial regime opted for a quick solution - it engaged Papua New Guineans, often to perform the most hazardous and most unpopular responsibilities. Based on extensive interviews with former policemen, written records of the time, and reminiscences of colonial officials, this book links events involving police, villagers and government officers over a 40-year period to wider issues in the colonial history of Papua New Guinea and, by extension, of the Pacific islands and beyond.