A patrol in the Southern Highlands was filmed for screening at the UN to show patrol officers at work with police protection in difficult terrain while contacting scattered tribes—before independence.

Daryl Binning OAM, ACS

…. Missionaries to mud men, kudus to Kokoda, lap laps to lakatois—just some of the topics discussed by wantoks at the August luncheon meeting of the Western Australian branch of PNGAA. The guest speaker was kiap (patrol officer) Peter Worsley.

Peter left Perth in 1961 for four weeks of training in Sydney before leaving for Port Moresby to join the administration for another month’s local orientation with other recruits. He was initially based as a cadet patrol officer at Finschhafen in the Morobe District. There he was to find his future roles involved a vast range of skills, which he later described:

A patrol officer’s main responsibility was law and order, and he was given police powers as a member of the Native Constabulary and made a Magistrate of the Court of Native Affairs. He worked long hours and was on twenty-four-hour call, seven days a week. As well as district administration, familiarising himself with the people and the country, patrolling, court work and suchlike, the kiap needed a range of knowledge to be a ‘Jack of all trades’. He had to plan and supervise the building of roads, bridges, houses, airstrips, wharves and hospitals and, as records had to be kept and reports written, he needed to be a competent clerical person. His ultimate aim was to build an orderly, prosperous and unified people living in peace and harmony, with independence from Australia as the long-term goal.

The screen presentation to support Peter’s talk on his experiences kept the audience of about 40 members re-living some of their own experiences. The role of a patrol officer was best summed up years ago by the then Administrator’s wife, Dame Rachel Cleland, who wrote:

Kylee Andersen with Peter Worsley, holding a stone axe from Southern Highlands

After all, when you saw a twenty-year-old boy with perhaps five policemen keeping 30,000 warring tribesmen in happy harmony, you were just astounded at the thought, ‘how does he do it!’

As Kylee Andersen stated on the PNGAA Facebook page:

The PNGAA WA Winter lunch on 16 August 2024 in Perth was a testament to the vibrant community spirit and the rich history that we share as expatriates of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The event not only brought together individuals with a common interest in the heritage of PNG, but also served as a platform for sharing fascinating personal histories. Peter Worsley’s recount of his experiences as a kiap, complete with captivating photographs, offered a glimpse into the challenging yet rewarding life in remote areas.