Maprik’s royal visit: Paul Dennett
We were treated in 1970 while in Maprik to a visit from the then Prince Richard, now Duke of Gloucester. Was the Prince making the trip out of personal interest or to show the...
Author: president
Mi meri Tolai: Born and raised in Rabaul: Muriel MacGowan Larner
Jim Burton runs regular monthly gatherings, at Toowong Library, Brisbane, titled: ‘Memories of the South Pacific Islands Are Being Recalled’. Each gathering has a guest speaker. The following is an excerpt from an address...
The Evennett family and Samari: Jeff Evennett
The name “Evennett” is familiar to anyone who has spent time in Samarai. Ernie Evennett’s forebears lived in Essex, England. Sometime around the middle of the 19th Century, three Evennett brothers migrated to Australia....
Derris: Paul Oates
When I was at Sialum, I remember walking along the beach and seeing a bloke from the village (Kwamkwam) nearby, busily pounding two rocks together. I’ll give the gist of what happened next and translate it...
Gwen Dyer: Barry Dangerfield
From the Eulogy delivered by Rev. Barry Dangerfield on behalf of the family Gwen married Keith Dyer in 1948 and they sailed to Taskul, New Hanover, Papua New Guinea, where he was the Patrol...
Isolation in post-war Papua: Nancy Johnston
(Published Una Voce, March 1997, page 15 and in Tales of Papua New Guinea, page 105) Nancy Johnston was wife of the late Bill Johnston who began his career in PNG as a Patrol...
Christmas, East Cape, Papua, circa 1947: Valerie Allan (Grant)
(Published Una Voce, September 2002, page 24.) Valerie, one of three daughters of Rev. R V Grant, spent her early childhood in the Milne Bay District of Papua (Dobu, Fergusson and Normanby Islands). At...
Some biographical notes on pre-war New Guinea administrative staff: Philip Selth
I am writing a biography of John Joseph ‘Mangrove’ Murphy (1914-1997), New Guinea Patrol Officer, Coastwatcher, POW, District Commissioner. As part of my research into John Murphy’s life, I am endeavouring to prepare brief...
Kudgeru and beyond, 1972: Paul Oates
Click on the image for a hand-drawn map of the Kudgeru area. One of the few Patrols at Wau was to visit the area down near the Papuan border and over the ridges from...
Christmas at Malalia, 1934: Jean Brawn – UV Dec 2014
Submitted by George and Edna Oakes “I am afraid we will not have very much Christmas this year.” “No, I am afraid not.” It was the Missionary and his wife who had spoken. They...
Exploring the Jimi Valley: Paul Ryan
In the late 1960s it seemed as though the valley of the Jimi River had been forgotten; a small part of Papua New Guinea largely passed over in the development process and progression into...
Patrol walking times: Paul Oates
Our concept of time and distance has been ingrained into us from an early age. Australians tend to think in words and not necessarily in word pictures or non verbal concepts. Tokpisin can also...
Chu Leong: Rod Noble
During WW 2, after the Pearl Harbor attack, when Japanese forces were rapidly conquering Pacific islands, the Australian Government decided to evacuate expatriates from its Papua and from its New Guinea mandated territories: but...
Captain RR Cole, MC: Bob Harvey-Hall
1968 Igam Barracks L-R: Capt Bob Cole wearing the rank of Colonel as Hon Col of PNGVR, Lt Col Don Ramsay CO 2 PIR, Brig Ian Hunter, Commander PNG Command, Lt Col Mal Bishop...
Harry West’s eulogies: Andrea Williams, Bill Brown and Ross Johnson
These are eulogies from the funeral of Harry West, OAM, held on 21 July 2015 Andrea Williams Harry was a dear friend to so many of us and we miss him. He was humble...
