After territorial elections in February 1961 the New Guinea Council a representative body consisting of 29 members were sworn into office by Governor Dr. P.J.Platteel on 1 April 1961 and the Council's inaugurations on 5 April 1961 were attended by #Australia, #Britain, #France, #Netherlands, #NewZealand, and other Pacific Forum nations with exception of the United States.

An inauguration ceremony was held on 1 December 1961 with the flag officially raised for the first time outside the Council's building in the presence of the Governor together with the Dutch flag.
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After territorial elections in February 1961 the New Guinea Council a representative body consisting of 28 members were sworn into office by Governor Dr. P.J.Platteel on 1 April 1961 and the Council's inaugurations on 5 April 1961 were attended by #Australia, #Britain, #France, #Netherlands, #NewZealand, and other Pacific Forum nations with exception of the United States.

After territorial elections in February 1961 the New Guinea Council a representative body consisting of 28 members were sworn into office by Governor Dr. P.J.Platteel on 1 April 1961 and the Council's inaugurations on 5 April 1961 were attended by #Australia, #Britain, #France, #Netherlands, #NewZealand, and other Pacific Forum nations with exception of the United States.

The Council appointed a National Committee to draft a Manifesto expressing the desire for independence and to design a flag and anthem commensurate with this desire. The full New Guinea Council endorsed these actions on 30 October 1961 and the first Morning Star flag was presented to Governor Platteel on 31 October 1961 The Dutch authorities did not accept the denomination of the flag recognizing it as a territorial flag (landsvlag), not a national flag.

An inauguration ceremony was held on 1 December 1961 with the flag officially raised for the first time outside the Council's building in the presence of the Governor together with the Dutch flag.

On 1 July 1971 at Markas Victoria in West Papua, Brigadier General Seth Jafeth Rumkorem, leader of the militant independence movement Free Papua Movement (Indonesian: Organisasi Papua Merdeka, (OPM)), proclaimed unilaterally Papua Barat or West Papua as an independent democratic republic. The Morning Star flag was declared as a national flag.