Vale December 2012

ANDERSON, Alan William  (4 February 2012) | CUBITT, Judy, OAM  (23 September 2012) | FRANKLIN, Doug  (25 August 2012) | HARRIS, Ian |  (29 August 2012) HEAP, Bernadette (11 October 2012) | HEWITT, Terry  (9 October 2011) | NEWTON, Colin  (16 September 2012) | SUTTON, Glen Edward (23 August 2012)

 

Doug FRANKLIN (25 August 2012, aged 86)

Doug was born in Hong Kong on 7 October 1925 and after his early schooling there completed his education at Cranbrook School in Sydney. He then trained at Flinders Naval College Melbourne and soon found himself as second-in-command of the Royal Australian naval vessel HMAS ML 427. He remained in service against the Japanese in waters off Papua New Guinea until VP day when he returned to the UK to study agriculture at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. During this time he met Pam who was training steeplechase racehorses in the area and they married in 1952.

Doug then joined the colonial service as an Agricultural Officer and was posted to Nigeria, West Africa, where four of his five children were born. Doug spent 10 years in Nigeria until Independence when the family moved back to Australia and bought a dairy farm at Samford. During eight years at Samford he was heavily involved in the creation of the United Milk Producers Co-op which commenced the first bulk milk tanker pick up in the district.

In 1968 Doug accepted the position of Agricultural Officer in PNG and was posted to Kagua as OIC of the agricultural station. This posting was followed by service with the Department of Agriculture in field and training positions at Mendi, Goroka, Popondetta Agricultural College as principal and ending in Port Moresby agricultural headquarters. After a total of 16 years in PNG Pam and Doug decided to depart PNG and return to “Edenglassie” in Queensland, Australia.

Doug had a great life and anyone who served with him in PNG will agree with me that his contribution to the development of agriculture was always done with great gusto and enthusiasm. This made him a very popular and appreciated didiman (ag officer) amongst the people of PNG.

About five years ago Doug and Pam made the decision to sell the farm and say goodbye to Pam’s beloved horses. They then purchased a unit in a retirement village in Keppera and it was around this time that Doug’s health began to fail. After problems with his hips and some major operations Doug had a slight stroke and things deteriorated quickly from here.

Doug is survived by his wife Pam, his five children Phil, Anne, twins Geoff and Mike, and Andrew, fourteen grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Doug was a wonderful gentleman who enjoyed life to the fullest and will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Submitted by ex Papua New Guinea Kiap and friend of Doug Franklin, Noel Cavanagh

 

Alan William ANDERSON (4 February 2012, aged 92)

Born at Haberfield in Sydney on 30 April 1919, he attended Scots College 1929-1936. At 20 he enlisted in the AIF when war was declared and served in the Middle East, North Africa and what was then New Guinea, until the war ended. His father Alfred had established Anderson’s Smallgoods early in the 1920s and Alan returned from the war and worked in the family business while his father in 1947 decided to see what potential there might be in the Territory of P&NG for purchase of war surplus equipment and subsequently meat imports. He established a business selling meat from refrigerated ships first in Port Moresby then Rabaul, before actually opening a butcher shop there.

When Alfred’s ill health necessitated his return to Australia, Alan took over and expanded the business into a supermarket which then also expanded into Lae in 1972. His sons Alan Jnr and David eventually managed these stores until their sale to the East New Britain Development Corporation (one of the most successful Provincial Government enterprises in the country).

The Anderson’s Foodland jingle became one of the most well known in the country, and Freddy Foodland almost as famous as Ronald McDonald! Alan’s foresight built the company into a highly regarded business, and Papua New Guineans queued up to work for the store when it opened in Port Moresby in 1988.

He also expanded the family interests into the plantation industry on the Gazelle Peninsula. Gela Gela Plantation was acquired in the 1950s and interests expanded with the acquisition of Ramidal and Warana plantations. The group moved from predominately copra to cocoa growing.

In retirement he spent time fishing and travelling, overseas and in Australia. His wife Jenny (Brereton) had predeceased him in 1984 so he did this on his own. He also made frequent visits back to PNG and always had a soft spot for the country. He developed emphysema (he was a 60 a day man) however this did not become a big problem until very late. He was ready to go and told us that he had had a good life. He died peacefully and without pain on 4 February and will be missed by his family. Alan Anderson (Jnr)

 

Ian HARRIS (29 August 2012, aged 68)

Ian spent 40 years in Papua New Guinea with the majority of the time in Mt Hagen. He was involved in several business enterprises in PNG. He sold B & M Engineering Ltd in Mt Hagen and retired to Australia in 2007. He avidly read each Una Voce as it arrived and used it to find old friends. Nora Anne Carlin

“Harro” was an aviation “character” who resided in Mt Hagen 35 years, running numerous sawmilling and engineering businesses and owning several aircraft. Ian anonymously assisted many expats in PNG but always insisted the details be kept silent. I’ll have a bundy or two for you old mate. Bob Fulton

 

Glen Edward SUTTON (23 August 2012, aged 74)

After four years’ service in the Royal Australian Air Force, he joined the Queensland Police Force in October 1961 resigning on 12 November 1967, being appointed to RP&NGC on 20 November 1967. After service in Port Moresby he was appointed to Kerema Police Station, and later served at Boroko before resigning  20 March 1969 to join PNG Corrective Services until February 1976. He is survived by widow Lynell and family.

For meritorious service when at Kerema, Sub Inspector Glen Edward Sutton along with Sub Inspector Alexander Wallace Fyfe (died 14 May 1998) were the first European officers to be awarded the Royal Papua & New Guinea Constabulary Police Valour Medal which was instituted in 1965.

Citation: On Monday 18 December 1967, whilst members of the Royal Papua & New Guinea Constabulary stationed at Kerema Police Station in the Gulf of Papua, Sub Inspectors Sutton and Fyfe were informed by villagers at Siviri Village No 1 that cries for help had been heard coming from the sea. A storm was raging at the time. Heavy rain, driven by a strong wind, reduced visibility to no more that fifteen feet. The water in the bay was extremely rough with waves up to ten feet. In company with Sub Inspector Fyfe, they unhesitatingly commandeered a seventeen-foot flat-bottom punt with a small outboard motor and ventured into the bay despite the fact that the local people were afraid to put to sea. After approximately forty minutes of fruitless search in the open water to the south of the bay, Sub Inspectors Sutton and Fyfe were forced to return to shore to bail the large amount of water taken by the punt as a result of heavy seas. Having tipped the water out they this time directed their search towards the west. At about 10.15 pm, by which time the wind had dropped appreciably, they came upon seven native women clinging to a capsized canoe. With the aid of a small torch, the attention of a large native canoe was attracted and together the two vessels brought the women safely to shore. Sub Inspectors Sutton and Fyfe displayed conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty in affecting this successful rescue at great personal risk. Maxwell Hayes

 

 

Terry HEWITT (9 October 2011)

Terry was a teacher, principal and registrar in the Madang and Central Moresby area from 1963 to approximately 2003. A clever man, Terry matriculated at fifteen from the Marist Brothers who were good teachers of education. He did the ASOPA teachers course in 1961-62 and continued to pick up several degrees on his way through life: these were no effort for Terry. He spent many years around Saidor, some on KarKar and some in Madang, then later in Moresby. Terry spent many of his early PNG years with a pre war officer, a veteran of the Middle East and the PNG Campaigns, R Ivor McIlwain and his off sider PK Moloney; perhaps not the two easiest people to get on with but Terry did; he liked them and they liked him. Terry could get on with anyone. Apart from his high intellect he was very musical, playing most instruments although he specialised in the guitar. He even made them as a hobby and had his own band. He re-wrote a few songs which he played eg  I’ve been everywhere man; I’ve walked the Finisterres man. The Finisterres being an extreme mountain range running down what is termed the No 1 and No 2 Rai Coast out of Saidor. The term Finisterres—in Portuguese—means the end of the early. Terry had walked some of that and knew how hard it was. Another favourite was Having a beer with Leo: Leo was at Lamtub under Terry’s auspices, a dedicated but different type of teacher who Terry also got on well with. I recall in 1969 telling Terry about my reluctance to participate in a fifty kilometre organised charity walk from Madang to the Plantation Hotel along a hot coral road. Terry immediately said “I will come with you”, and he did: such was the measure of the man. Warren Read

 

Judy CUBITT OAM (23 September 2012)

No further details available.

 

Bernadette HEAP (11 October 2012 aged 81 years)

No further details available.

 

Colin NEWTON (16 September 2012)

No further details available.