TISA: A teacher’s experience in PNG – Photos from Roy Kirkby
Like so many expatriates, I was attracted to Papua New Guinea long before I arrived there. My interest began in England as a high school student in the late 1940s through a world map which showed the mainland as partly unexplored; this stimulated in me a desire to visit. Later that fascination was expanded with a desire not only to go there but to stay and work. In 1960, when I embarked on an around the world experience, the Arctic Circle and New Guinea were on the top of my list. It took until 1962 on my travels via Canada and Australia to get there.
Roy Kirkby
A peaceful evening on Rabaul Harbour, 1962
Ready for lectures and wearing the correct uniform for teachers, E Course at Malaguna
Wearing the correct uniform for teachers, E Course at Malaguna
Tolai children in my Year 6 class at a Raburua practice teaching school
Kompiam Primary T School nestling on the edge of the spur above the Sau River. The grass airstrip is behind the school. On the slopes in the foreground were old gardens and new ones being developed by the boarders in the school.
The E course single person donga – shipped in by air, all metal, 2 rooms and a small wood stove kitchen, no electricity and cold water only – luxury accommodation at the time
Misikaram, a quiet, diligent and dignified teacher
The bush material classrooms at Kompiam school on arrival. It was equipped with one old blackboard and some very rudimentary desks in one of the two classrooms.
On the move: teaching at Kompiam 1962
Misikaram with the full school complement after taking on a new class together
A new garden for peanuts was planted
A good harvest resulted
Bringing in the harvest
Weighing the crop, one of the first cash crops for the area
The area where Kompiam boarding students mainly came from and where I walked. It was a 2-to-3 day walk from Kompiam to the Schrader Range.
Taking one student home for school holidays
Meeting another’s family
Walking to Wariaram while taking students home
Sometimes walking was easier when on patrol, as here with Bill Biscoe, purchasing food for the patrol carriers, police and us
Men of a clan gather to hear the kiap and me outline the merits of letting some boys attend the station and school,
A leader from a little contacted group who was inquisitive as to what was going on. I seemed to get on well with him.
The live pig is collected from the Station with loud chanting on the way to the school
I did wonder where the coloured chalk and several other items had disappeared to!
A local girl engaged in the dancing.
Sepik boy engaged in the dancing.
At the Kompiam New Year’s Day Singsing, 1963
At the Kompiam New Year’s Day Singsing, 1963
Sergeant Wengi, loyal officer and leader
The Jimi River Station Office at Tabibuga looking down the valley with the Hagen-Sepik Divide
The view down the valley from my classroom
Corporal Porti leads a local clan group with classroom building materials.
Jimi girls visiting the school
Jimi School cultural day.
It was sometime hard to distinguish re-enactment from the real thing
Building new steps between classrooms was less exciting.
One that did not get smashed and cost me 30 shillings
Jimi Primary T School with happy students
Kolda teaching New Maths at Keltiga
Kolda’s class at Keltiga New Mathematics Pilot School, Western Highlands District
Kolda’s class at Keltiga New Mathematics Pilot School, Western Highlands District
Kolda’s class at Keltiga New Mathematics Pilot School, Western Highlands District
It was a whole school project to prepare the seedbeds
Ensuring the (seedbeds) were correctly dug
Build fences to protect the (seedbed) site from pigs
Seeds were planted to a strict depth and spacing.
Agricultural officers (see below) came along to learn how to develop seed nurseries, instructed by the students!
Married
The happy couple.
Nonie on an average part of the path on the decent into the Wahgi on our honeymoon
The Headmaster at Hagen PTS was Dick Ellison
Children worked independently in small groups on maths activities
Children worked independently in small groups on maths activities
Teachers at a Maths workshop interacting with students
Teachers at a Maths workshop interacting with students
Nonie with her Prep class
Goroka Teachers College main buildings.
The quadrangle – the centre of activity but don’t walk on the grass
A student on practice teaching
Deciding on the winner of a competition to find an appropriate name for our country.
Student dancers at a College Cultural Festival
Mothers visit daughters
Lecturer’s wives and their children
Keen student baby-sitters
Nonie Kirkby as Brown Owl
Nonie Kirkby as Brown Owl and her Goroka Troop
Korfball at Goroka Teachers College
The College Island at Nagada, a haven for staff and student recreation.
The College Island at Nagada, a haven for staff and student recreation.
The College Island at Nagada, a haven for staff and student recreation.
Manuals produced by Madang Teachers’ College
Manuals produced by Madang Teachers’ College
An article from the Post Courier in 1974
Hi Roy,
Wanting to touch base. Janet (McDonough) from our time at Keltiga and Goroka. John and Gwen McDonough.