A Note from the President

We are privileged to have this wonderful Association filled with energy 74 years after it was founded. The AGM on Sunday, 27 April 2025 highlighted the unique connections, the stories and experiences we share, and I am delighted to continue being part of the executive team and returning to this role this year.

This year we farewell some long serving and much valued voluntary committee members, and warmly welcome new ones—please see page 5. We thank them all, most sincerely.

PNGAA continues to have a wide network which nurtures our PNG-Australian community both here, in the Pacific, and internationally. Over the years many others have come to us for assistance, and we have willingly helped, and continue to do so … however, we also need to recognise, focus on, strengthen and showcase our assets.

Our journal, PNG Kundu, and its predecessor Una Voce, keep us in touch with what’s happening now but also hold 74 years of reflections, going back much further; both websites—PNGAA and Rabaul & Montevideo Maru hold extraordinary stories; PNGAA’s books and videos contribute culturally and socially.

PNGAA’s Collection of documents and artefacts needs a display centre and the PNGAA Scholarship holders need funding to ensure talented students who need support can achieve dreams.

PNGAA volunteers have achieved much. However, volunteers to assist with admin, website, stories, events, PNGAA Collection and projects are always needed. Please email admin@pngaa.net.

Collaborating, and engaging assistance from others to ensure our historically strong connections, the work of past generations and our continuing place in the Pacific remains a respected and valued part of future generations, are important.

We need to build our membership and, as mentioned, our voluntary organisation needs people with all kinds of skills, so please find a way to contribute or offer to help. Remote work is not new now!

This year is special—the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea independence. Australia has many reasons to celebrate taking a country, PNG, to a peaceful independence. Despite work in developing the country and then having it devastated through war, Australia turned around and started building again.

The achievements in the time frame are often overlooked but should not be. Students in our education systems, in both Australia and PNG, need our stories to understand their backyard, and to build on the achievements of those who have laid the path.

Whilst there is disappointment that a lack of knowledge together with an election year appears to take much government focus and funding away from what is a significant event for Australia, a golden anniversary, PNGAA events this year will celebrate it.

We encourage all members to host or engage in celebrations acknowledging PNG’s 50th anniversary. The Bilas Exhibition planned by the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, commencing in September, will be well worth a visit. Keep an eye on our journal, on our website and social media for events.

An Australian Pacific Cultural and Community Centre located in Australia could highlight Australia’s role with PNG independence, honour both historic and contemporary Pacific lives, including PNGAA’s rich stories, display the PNGAA Collection, and share and network the diverse cultures and heritage of Australia and the Pacific. This PNGAA project needs wide support from members to help achieve this. We all look forward to the year ahead.

2025 Annual General Meeting

PNGAA’s 74th AGM was a successful and happy day enjoyed by 50 people in North Sydney. We were delighted to have the PNG High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr John Ma’o Kali CMG, OBE, as our guest of honour. Mr and Mrs Kali drove from Canberra, so their attendance was much appreciated. Also attending were the PNG Consul General Ponabe Yuwa, Consul Keith Kawapuro and Linda Babao who mingled with attendees.

Attendees commented as to how much they enjoyed the speeches from Max Uechtritz and His Excellency, who later wrote: ‘It was a real pleasure to address your wonderful group yesterday’. Mr Kali was also thrilled to meet up with Emeritus Professor Ken McKinnon AO, who had signed his school Leaving Certificate. The PNGAA wishes to thank Ken for another generous donation to the Association. Now 94 years young, he’s renewed his membership, taking it to a further three years.

There were many aspects which added to the day’s success—the travelers who came from far and wide in Australia … this was greatly appreciated and, pleasingly, there was a delicious morning tea for everyone on arrival as they escaped the rain. Committee members—Kylee Andersen, Christine Leonard and Frazer Harry kindly flew in from Perth, Brisbane and Albury respectively! It makes a huge difference when committees can meet face to face as well as with the wider membership.

Kylee stepped into the breach in the last couple of days due to a certain accident from yours truly—huge thanks Kylee for all the help! Sara Turner brought bunches of homegrown bay leaves in a generous basket to offer guests as a gift of welcome before acting as MC and keeping the day flowing. We also thank Sara for offering to be our Events Co-ordinator this year.

Kylie Adams-Collier delighted attendees with her beautiful acapella singing of the Australian and PNG National Anthems, and taking many of these photos.

Ross Johnson put together an interesting display of independence-related memorabilia and posters that told the story around independence. Ross was on the Select Committee for Constitutional Development and has long assisted the PNGAA committee particularly as a former treasurer and membership officer. Setting off the displays was a row of PNG Provincial flags, adding colour and reference to PNG’s independence story.

The High Commissioner provided an update on the progress of the Kiap Memorial, and members heard a couple of fascinating overviews from authors Alan Pierce and Jane Rybarz about their soon-to-be published books.

Thanks also go to Robin Mead for reminding us that this unique Association and its network stand on the shoulders of those who went before; great men and women who helped progress PNG to independence, and who continued to keep a shared spirit of hearts and minds. We remember them! Great seeing Robin in his Talair tie too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special appreciation goes to the tremendous PNGAA Management Committee, and extended helpers who pitched in to make the AGM such a successful day. There’s always a lot of thought, collaboration and preparation from so many to ensure a smooth day—thank you Max Uechtritz, Kylee Andersen, Christine Leonard, Jane Rybarz, Steven Gagau, Sara Turner, Frazer Harry, Phil Ainsworth, Ross Johnson, Paul Munro and Beverley Melrose—and to those unable to attend but who have generously given significant and endless hours to this Association: Murrough Benson, Roy Ranney, Cheryl Marvell, Claire van Bakel, Chris Warrillow and Belinda Macartney.

Andrea Williams, PNGAA President

Outgoing Committee Members

The PNGAA wishes to thank and acknowledge some long-standing members who stood down from the committee at the April AGM after volunteering tirelessly across multiple roles. They are Murrough Benson, Secretary for three years and Treasurer for six years, Cheryl Marvell, PNGAA Archivist and Collections Officer for seven years and Roy Ranney, who has been the Membership Officer for 12 years and Website Administrator for at least a decade.

•  Murrough Benson

Murrough first went to PNG in February 1966 as a didiman with DASF, being posted to the Highlands before moving on to the Gulf District. His experience as a Rural Officer with the PNG Development Bank, a job that took Murrough all over PNG, stood him in good stead for his future volunteer roles with the PNGAA.

Having joined the PNGAA in March 2007, in January 2014 Murrough took up a general support role to the committee whilst not actually being a committee member. The tasks Murrough took on included collecting the mail and distributing it to committee members, fulfilling orders for books, DVDs and other items and maintaining spreadsheets of payments arriving by post. Cheques accounted for almost two-thirds of payments initially. Murrough’s spreadsheets were passed on to the Treasurer, but they also enabled an update of the membership database. So Murrough and Roy have worked closely together for more than a decade.

In May 2016 Murrough joined the PNGAA committee as Secretary and held this role for three years whilst still handling the general support tasks. In April 2019 he took on the role of Treasurer, still handling general support, but gradually he received more support with the book orders. Murrough reflected on how electronic funds transfers (EFT) and card payments have increased significantly since 2014 whilst cheques have similarly declined. In 2024 cheques accounted for 19 percent of incoming payments, and cards (mostly submitted by members through the website portal) accounted for 62 percent. EFT payments accounted for 19 percent.

Although Murrough stood down as Treasurer at the April AGM, he continues in the role as proofreader for the PNGAA  journal and we can vouch for his skill and experience in this regard. Thank you, Murrough!

•  Cheryl Marvell

Cheryl took on the role of PNGAA Archivist/Collections Officer seven years ago. Fortunately for the Association, Cheryl brought professional expertise to her role, having worked in museums preserving archival material. The PNGAA collection holds a special value to the Association, apart from a comprehensive book collection, reflecting the memories, hopes and dreams of many members. A highlight for Cheryl were the conversations with member donors and learning about their lives in PNG and/or the lives of their family.

Cheryl took the view that the PNGAA Collection is a treasure trove worthy of respect and preservation. She felt the role taught her many things about PNG. In Cheryl’s own words, she added,

‘I was fortunate to have Robin Hodgson (Leahy) to help me with the artefacts—she had an amazing eye and knowledge; the irony of attending her memorial in late March 2025 was not lost on me. We leave the role together. I couldn’t have imagined doing it without her special friendship and artefact guidance. A great loss for the PNGAA.’

Seven years is a great innings. Thank you, Cheryl, for your contribution.

•  Roy Ranney

Roy joined the PNGAA in 2012 and, in 2013, took on the role of Membership Officer from Nick Booth. Around this time, a team of volunteers met every quarter at Harry West’s retirement complex in Chatswood to put labels on envelopes and insert printed journals into envelopes. Roy joined in on this activity. With the passing of Harry West, the venue changed to the Chatswood Bowling Club. Murrough and Roy managed these ‘Label and Pack’ working bees for several years in Chatswood until the printing, labelling and packing functions were contracted to the Lismore City Printery in northern NSW. However, these Chatswood working bees were so successful as a social networking activity that they continue today even though there is no longer any work required.

Sometime around 2014 the PNGAA developed a new website that offered significant new opportunities for presenting information for the Association, including the publishing of a digital magazine. The PNGAA needed volunteers to maintain the website, and in the early days several volunteers took turns working on it. This entailed a lot of trial and error figuring out what worked best until Roy became more closely involved in the website’s development and management, an important asset to the Association that has grown substantially in volume and functionality.

Whilst Roy has no family connections to PNG, he worked there for seven years and was charmed by the people and culture of Pacific islanders. This was his primary motivation for involvement with the PNGAA. Roy has resigned from the committee and has indicated that he wants to stand down as Membership Officer and Website Administrator; but being the committed individual that he is, he has agreed to ‘hold the fort’ until others take a turn to offer their services.

So, members, please consider offering your time in one of these or any of the vacant roles that have been regularly highlighted:

• Archivist and Collections Officer
• Membership Officer
• Website Administrator

Without volunteers taking turns in such roles, your Association will struggle to continue.

New PNGAA Committee Members

•  JANE RYBARZ, PNGAA Treasurer

The PNGAA congratulates Jane Rybarz on her successful nomination as the Association’s Treasurer following the April AGM.

Jane was born in Port Moresby and is the daughter of PNG road and bridge builder Stan Rybarz and author Beverley Rybarz.

After leaving private practice as a Chartered Accountant and CPA, Jane worked in senior finance roles in film, television and music. She has served on the Boards of Aurora Community Television Ltd, Women in Film and Television Association of NSW, Film & Television Association (FNQ), Cairns Regional Gallery VIPs Association and the Australian American Association Inc. Cairns.

Jane also worked as Chief Financial Officer of Link-Up (NSW) Aboriginal Corporation, who reunite members of the Stolen Generation, and is Financial Controller of the private members’ Australian Club. Jane was an honorary consultant with the Arts Law Centre of Australia and in 1995 she won the inaugural Cairns Business Woman of the Year Encouragement Award and a North Queensland Radio Marketing award.

As the current Head of Finance at the Ettalong Diggers RSL Club, Jane enjoys being involved in the local NSW Central Coast community. She is also a board member of Australian Women in Music as its honorary treasurer.

In keeping with Jane’s background and interest in PNG, she is a co-author with her mother, Beverley, of The District Commissioner, a biography of David Milbourne Marsh OBE. The book, expected to be published by August 2025, explores David’s nation-building work in Papua New Guinea from 1940 to 1975.

•  John Reeves

John’s journey with the PNG Association of Australia began with a profound connection to Papua New Guinea’s history, specifically during the 2014 Commemoration of the Battle of Bita Paka in East New Britain. This was when John rediscovered his grandfather’s role as a member of the ANMEF in 1914 stationed around Namanula.

Most of John’s working life was spent either in civil construction or as a works manager for local governments in the Gulf country of Queensland or the Snowy Mountains region of NSW.

Whilst in the Gulf, John served with the Army Reserve as Patrol Commander with the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment. From 2020, for four years, John ran his own consulting business.

John’s academic journey culminated in a Master of Research at Macquarie University. His thesis was on the evacuation from Rabaul in 1941—a testament to his commitment to preserving the history of the New Guinea Islands, a mission inspired by the late Gideon Kakabin.

Having travelled to Rabaul many times for Anzac Days and other commemorations, John became aware of the lack of understanding that many Australians have about PNG and New Britain in particular. This lack of knowledge, John believes, often leads to misconceptions and oversights about the rich history and culture of these regions.

John has been instrumental in organising annual Christmas lunches for PNGAA members and friends in Canberra, as well as annual commemorative luncheons for the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society.

•  Frazer Harry

Frazer’s relationship with Papua New Guinea harks back to his childhood and his parents’ connections with the country. Bill Harry, Frazer’s father, was a member of the 2/22 Battalion and was based in Rabaul when the Japanese landed in 1942.

Bill went on to live and work in PNG for a period. Ruth Harry, Frazer’s mother, taught at Malabunga High School just out of Rabaul in the 1960s. While most of Frazer’s childhood was spent living in Melbourne, the family regularly returned to PNG for holidays, Rabaul in particular.

In the 2000s Frazer became involved with the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society and consequently the PNGAA.

He also linked up with Kori Chan and Alan Manning (two ‘Rabaulites’) of South Sea Horizons, setting up the Lark Force Trek which followed the general route taken by many men of the 2/22 Btn over the Baining Mountains on the Gazelle Peninsula and through to the South Coast of East New Britain.

Frazer accepted a position in PNG with Pacific Industries in 2014 as Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for the Islands Region. Based in Kokopo, Frazer found this to be a wonderful experience in terms of forming new friendships and lasting connections in the area.

On returning to Australia, Fazer and family (wife Leah and children Sarah and Ryan) settled in Albury/Wodonga on the Victorian NSW border.

They return to PNG and Rabaul on occasion, the most recent trip being April 2024 with other members of the 2/22 Battalion Association to unveil a ‘storyboard’ at Tol, alongside the Memorial Cairn for those who lost their lives there in 1942.

Welcome Jane, John and Frazer to the PNGAA team!

Address to the 2025 PNGAA AGM

by the PNG High Commissioner to Australia, His Excellency John Ma’o Kali CMG, OBE

Let me begin by acknowledging the Cammeraygal People, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are gathered. My people and I pay our respect to your Elders, past and present.

On behalf of the Government and the people of Papua New Guinea, I sincerely acknowledge the important role that the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia Inc. continues to play in strengthening the people-to-people links between our two beautiful nations through acknowledging and respecting our joint history and in promoting social interaction between a broad network of organisations and people.

Thank you for the honour of being your guest today to commemorate and celebrate with you all another significant milestone, marking the 74th Annual General Meeting of this important association.

There is this old adage—You can choose your friends but you cannot choose your neighbours. That is so very true of PNG and Australia, for we are neighbours stuck together at the hips geographically and have no choice but to coexist peacefully!

 Therefore, both countries place significant value on our bilateral relationship. For PNG, this is the single most important one because it has its roots in our shared colonial and military history, apart from our geographical proximity that has enabled the relationship to remain resilient and robust over the last 49 years of PNG’s political independence.

Australia was only a few years old as a Federation when it was entrusted with the responsibility of taking on PNG from Britain. From there, the relationship evolved from a master/servant relationship, overt aid dependence to an equal partnership with significant improvements in respective domestic and external operating environments.

The battles on Kokoda developed so many important bonds built through blood, sweat and tears, which led to changes in attitudes and policies towards PNG and its people, leading to the birth of a nation from the rubble of the Kokoda campaign.  

Those hard-earned bonds have evolved to take a more focused stance on building an economic and strategic partnership through trade and investment links, security cooperation, and strengthening institutional and people-to-people links. This reflects the close relations between Australia and PNG based on mutual respect and understanding.

Both countries are committed to maintaining a peaceful region and are therefore focused on security cooperation that will create strategic trust that underlies all aspects of socio-economic, trade and investment, while development assistance plays more of a catalyst role in certain strategic areas.

Security cooperation is not only about securing our borders, it’s about protecting and securing our respective sovereignties and about protecting and securing our core values in democracy—freedom of speech, individual rights and liberties against the authoritarian regimes of the world who venture to subjugate our freedoms to their central control.   

PNG will also continue to work closely with Australia on combating issues of human trafficking and other transnational crimes at both the regional and international fronts. Other areas on these fronts include addressing the issue of climate change through the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and other renowned regional and sub-regional blocs, as well as through participation at international forums like the Commonwealth of Nations; the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the ASEAN and the United Nations, among others.

On 16 September this year, PNG will celebrate the attainment of its 50th Independence Anniversary. On that day 50 years ago, the Australian flag was peacefully lowered, NOT TORN DOWN AND BURNT as in other developing nations around that time, to mark the beginnings of the birth of a nation. On that day we raised our own flag and took our place among the sovereign nations of the world. Today, we stand proudly as a nation that has persevered, evolved and defined our identity on the global stage.

It is a day to remember with gratitude the visionaries and patriots who led our country to independence, the early missionaries, kiaps and teachers who brought peace among the warring tribes and who brought development to our rural people. The journey they began was not easy, and the path since has been filled with challenges and triumphs with the undying and tireless efforts of our people.

I want to express my most sincere thanks to you, the PNGAA, for maintaining the connections and the beautiful memories of our forebears, some of whose descendants sit among us today. I believe many of you are descendants of these early Australian warriors, missionaries, teachers, kiaps and administrators, and some are still alive today.

From our humble beginnings as a young democracy filled with dreams, we have grown into a proud, diverse, and resilient country. We have embraced our immense cultural diversity and heritage, which makes Papua New Guinea one of the most unique and vibrant countries in the world.

Our diversity, with over 800 different languages and distinct cultures, remains our greatest strength in developing tolerance and resilience and forging our identity as a united nation in diversity. 

As we approach our 50th anniversary, it is time to look to the future with hope and purpose. We are a young nation, and our potential is immense. In the coming years, we will focus on several key areas to strengthen our foundation and ensure that Papua New Guinea is prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

I would like to once again thank the PNG Association of Australia Inc. for inviting me and my spouse to this auspicious occasion. I am confident and look forward to supporting the good work the Association is currently doing, especially by providing the link between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Help with Grant Writing

Much has been achieved in the last 12 months, and our hardworking Secretary, Kylee Andersen, in collaboration with Andrea Williams, the PNGAA’s President, has been and is still working on the Association receiving deductible gift recipients (DGR) status from the Australian Taxation Office. Such status will apply when members make donations to the Association. These applications and other similar initiatives take up a lot of time.

Meanwhile, there are opportunities for which the Association can apply such as the Volunteer Grant we submitted in December 2024 towards a couple of laptops to assist committee members who live in different states so they have up-to-date equipment to function properly as a hybrid remote office.

Grant writing is not an ongoing task reflecting a lot of commitment but on top of other tasks the committee is already doing, it mounts up.

Would you be willing to lend some time towards grant writing? Some skills and tasks include the ability to review funders’ guidelines relevant to the grants being advertised, writing a compelling argument that aligns with the Association’s needs and the funder’s goals and objectives, as well as good computer skills to put a proposal together.

If you fit the bill, please contact Kylee Andersen, who is waiting for your call!

PNGAA Scholarship Program Update

Euthanneshia Meibo is one of the student recipients of the program who moved into year 11 at Vanimo Secondary School. Euthanneshia was so excited about the opportunity that she wrote a letter with accompanying photos taken by her dad.

Following is an excerpt from Euthanneshia’s letter, dated late February 2025:

My name is Euthanneshia Meibo, I’m 17 years old. I’m from Anguganak in Nuku in West Sepik Province. I last attended Anguganak Junior High School and was selected to do my grade 11 at Green River Secondary School, which is near Vanimo, but it takes me some hours to travel from Vanimo to the school. [We believe there were difficulties travelling to Green River, resulting in Euthanneshia being subsequently accepted at Vanimo Secondary School.]

I just attended class in week two on Wednesday. When entering the school gate, I was a bit shy because I was new to that school … as time passed, every student in the same class knew me already. The way that they greeted me and talked to me just made me feel comfortable…

I am very pleased to be part of Vanimo Secondary School and it’s a pleasure to have new subject teachers. And I would like to take a science course but it depends on my marks for term one. I am so thankful for the sponsorship that you have invested in me and the others. I have registered using the school fee receipt of K1960. It is an opportunity for me to be part of the sponsorship. I will do my best academically to maintain it.

Thank you to God for providing this opportunity.  

Glenda Giles, our scholarship facilitator, explained that most school principals use WhatsApp. Glenda also communicates with scholarship recipients, albeit through their parents, by email or on WhatsApp.

In late March or early April, Glenda was running teacher training for elementary teachers in Sandaun at Vanimo, after which she was to travel to Nuku, then Oksapmin and Aitape. Enclosed are transcript excerpts of letters from Wulai Augustine and Railly Aliawani—two students attending Green River Secondary School. It’s interesting to note all three students are doing science subjects.

Augustine’s letter follows:

Hello Ms Glenda

I am Wulai Augustine currently doing Gr. 11 at Green River Christian Secondary School West Sepik PNG. I really appreciate … this opportunity and your acceptance [sic] sponsor which is really helping me by paying my school fees since last year. Here is my short story.

I am in a boarding school that is mentioned above. I usually follow a normal school routine. At 6.00 to 6.30 am we have morning charge (grass cutting). Then we go for a bath and have breakfast by 7.00 am. Assembly starts at 8.00 am outdoors (Mon. Wed. & Fri). Normal lessons begin at 8.30 am to 1.00 pm. We have a one-hour break (lunch) and continue periods 7 and 8 in the afternoon from 2.00 pm to 3.20 pm. After that we have afternoon charges, either playing or cutting grass… Study starts at 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm and by 10.00 pm it is sleeping time.

My interest or what I am thinking to be in the future…is to be a doctor …This is what is in my mind that makes me try my best …to do well in my assignments in order to meet my future goals.

My favourite sport in school is soccer…May the Good Lord bless you and your family.

Railly Aliawani’s letter:

Hello Miss Glenda,

I am Railly Aliawani who wants to thank you for taking me as a sponsored student. I am very pleased to have such an opportunity … I am happy that I attend Green River Secondary School for my next two grades—11 and 12. I happily attend every school activities [sic], both indoor and outdoor.

I am interested to be a doctor in the future so I decided to take science subjects.

PNGAA New Members

The committee welcomes the following new members: Robyn Arrowsmith, Keith Clarke, Rosita Henry, Sir John Kaputin CMG, Jeffrey Kite, Anna McCall, Melody Ann Pollard, Gillian Righi, Ronald Sandell, Bronwyn Scott and Edward Wolfers.