A Didiman’s Diary (Part 2)
The nearly 10 years in the Territory had an enormous number of highlights. Great friendships; lengthy patrols into areas of contrast – to those of little or no development or contact and to areas...
Category: Outstation life
A Didiman’s Diary (Part 1)
A good while ago I realised there are always stories of kiaps in the PNGAA journal, Una Voce, but rarely news of didimen. So, after conferring with the editor, I decided to remedy the...
Memories of a Kiap — Morobe District 1961–65
Momsalom is a large village in the lower part of what was the Naba census division north of Lae. The Naba extended northwards well up into the Saruwaged Range, with the more northern villages at very high altitudes....
Family Farm to PNG Development Bank—Story of a Didiman (Part 3)
Part Two of my story described my move to Gumine and the living conditions and lifestyle there. This part describes my work assisting locals in the growing of their crops. MY MAIN FOCUS AT...
Sydney Event – Sunday 29 Mar – Women’s Panel
P O S T P O N E D In the interests of the health of possible attendees and the community at large, the Committee has decided to postpone PNGAA Events for the moment....
Kimbe to Kimbe: PNG Revisited—an epilogue to the 11-part Didiman’s Diary Series by David Montgomery
Ten years had passed since Gillian, myself and the two boys, Scott and Mark, had left Papua New Guinea. A new life and a new career had begun in 1967 on a property at...
Reunion for Kiaps and friends – Kawana Waters, Queensland – Sunday 10 November 2019
This Invitation is extended to all Kiaps, their families and their friends. It is at the same venue as the previous gatherings. Where: The Kawana Waters Hotel- located on Nicklin Way, near Kawana Waters...
Bob Gotts’ Butterfly Collection – 25 November 2019, Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra
The colourful butterflies of PNG add to this extraordinary country’s beauty and colour. This is a rare opportunity to see Bob Gotts’ amazing collection! Bob Gotts went to PNG to teach and spent 60...
See footage on PNG! National Film & Sound Archives, Canberra – Friday 22 November 2019
PNGAA members have a special opportunity to visit the NFSA and experience film footage on Papua New Guinea including sound and still images. There is a range of fascinating material starting from the 1930s...
Family Farm to PNG Development Bank — Story of a Didiman by Murrough Benson — Part Two
Part 1 in the June edition of Una Voce described my move to PNG and my posting as a didiman to Kundiawa, the administrative centre for the Chimbu District. IN MID-JUNE 1966 I was...
Didiman’s Diary #11 by David Montgomery
The story continues from Una Voce, March 2019, of new experiences, challenges and developments in West New Britain. One of the delights of tropical living, and the indigenous people’s skill as gardeners, was the...
Family Farm to PNG Development Bank—Story of a Didiman by Murrough Benson (Part 1)
Papua New Guinea was my home from February 1966 until September 1977, initially as a didiman (agricultural officer) and then with the PNG Development Bank as a rural officer. This instalment traces the first...
‘Indiana Joan’ by Joan and Colin Dwyer
Joan Dwyer turned ninety-two in November 2018. She was a patrol officer’s wife in Papua New Guinea for almost two decades—resourceful, friendly and determined, she lived in three countries, but Papua New Guinea was...
The Air Mail Gets Through by Robert (Bob) Piper
In 1939 a letter carried by a fleeing German pilot, in a stolen aircraft in New Guinea, amazingly reached its destination safely in Melbourne. The now famous correspondence was sent by Patrol Officer Leigh...
Didiman’s Diary #10 by David Montgomery
The story continues from Una Voce, June 2018, of new experiences, challenges and developments in the West New Britain District. I finished off in June saying there was a need to explain patrol necessities—mattresses,...
