In 2002 the Retired Officers' Association of Papua New Guinea changed its name to the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia Inc. The Association was established to strengthen the civil relationship between the peoples of Australia and Papua New Guinea; to foster and encourage contact and friendship with Papua New Guineans and promote friendly association among members; to foster and maintain an interest in contemporary and historical events in Papua New Guinea; to provide appropriate financial, material or intellectual assistance to projects of benefit to Papua New Guinea as an Association individually, or in conjunction with other agencies; to publish journals, magazines, newsletters, websites, books and other media to inform and educate people about Papua New Guinea and to provide a means of communication among members of the Association and others; to encourage the preservation of documents, historical and cultural material related to Papua New Guinea; including the production and recording of oral and written histories; to safeguard and foster the retirement conditions of superannuated members of the former services in Papua New Guinea.

Peter Cahill was born in 1935 on the island of Samarai, Papua New Guinea. Peter’s family was evacuated to Australia after the Japanese invasion of Papua New Guinea during World War II. The family returned to Port Moresby, and later Rabaul, after World War II. Cahill completed his high-school education at a boarding school in Australia. Peter returned to Papua New Guinea and worked in various government departments. During this time, Cahill completed a Bachelor of Arts degree externally through the University of Queensland. Cahill later completed a Master of Arts degree through the University of Pauapa New Guinea. In 1973, Cahill, and his young family, moved to Brisbane, Australia. After completing a Graduate Diploma in Library Science, Cahill worked at the University of Queensland Library until his retirement. During the 1980s, Cahill completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree through the University of Queensland. He wrote and published two books in 2012 and 2017 about the history of Chinese people in Rabaul. Cahill created a collection of documents, photos and other materials from the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia (PNGAA) as a research resource in the Fryer Library at the University of Queensland. Cahill passed away in 2022.