ISSN 1442-6161, PPA 224987/00025 2006, No 1 - March Una Voce JOURNAL OF THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INC (formerly the Retired Officers Association of Papua New Guinea Inc) Patrons: His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC (Retd) Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Mrs Roma Bates; Mr Fred Kaad OBE Annual General Meeting In This Issue And Luncheon To be held on Sunday 30 April 2006 at IN 100 WORDS OR LESS CATALINAS 3 the Mandarin Club, Sydney. Full NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 3 details on are page 3 of this issue, NEWS FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORY 5 booking slip and payment form are on a GREETINGS FROM THE AIRVOS separate yellow insert. The meeting APARTMENTS 6 should not take long, and then the event POPA BILONG OL 9 becomes a social function like the THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY OF PNG 10 Christmas luncheon. Would senior or NEWS FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA 13 incapacitated members who would like to TRIBAL SKIRMISH - 50S AND 70S 14 attend but do not have transport please Excerpt from FLYING MEN AND METAL contact our secretary or assistant BIRDS 18 secretary. REUNIONS 22 The President and Committee would like THE LAST T.N.G. POLICE OFFICER 24 to thank all those who sent Seasons FLYING TO MT YULE REPEATER STATION BY CHOPPER 26 Greetings. BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS 29 If you do not wish to have your INDEPENDENCE DAY GOROKA 31 name and address included in the SS MARSINA 10/7/30 32 MEMBERSHIP LIST which is PAPUA NEW GUINEA ARTEFACTS 33 published in the June issue of Una BOUT STOPS ASSEMBLY SITTING 34 Voce, please advise the Secretary. ANOTHER ASCENT OF MT WILHELM 35 FAREWELL PARTY ON FERGUSON ISLAND 36 ARE YOU UNFINANCIAL??? IMAGES FROM THE END OF AN ANCIENT If you notice a red sticker on the WAY OF LIFE 38 address label of your copy of Una Voce, COMMISSIONER FOR SUPERANNUATION you are unfinancial. Please complete the ANNUAL REPORT 37 Membership Renewal Form on the 36th PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM PORT yellow insert. MORESBY OCT 2005 40 Please note: Membership Fees $15pa. THE DIARIES OF EDWARD (TED) BISHTON 40 VALE 48 ***dont forget to have a look at WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS 55 our website: www.pngaa.net CHANGES OF ADDRESS 55 UNA VOCE IS THE JOURNAL OF THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA The Objects of the Association: ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INC to foster and maintain an interest in Please send all correspondence to: The contemporary and historical events in Secretary, PNGAA, PO Box 452, Papua New Guinea; Roseville NSW 2069. Items for Una Voce are welcome and should be marked For to foster and encourage contact and Attention: The Editor or emailed to: friendship with Papua New Guineans; [email protected] By submitting your to encourage the preservation of article/story for publication, you agree documents and historical material related that we may, after publication in Una . to Papua New Guinea; Voce, republish it on the internet unless to encourage members to contribute to you advise us to the contrary. the production and recording of the oral and written history of Papua New Una Voce is published in March, June, Guinea; September and December. to promote friendly association among all Advertising Rates: quarter page $50, members; half page $100, full page $200 to continue to safeguard and foster the Website: www.pngaa.net retirement conditions of superannuated Membership is available to any members of the former services. person having an interest in PNG. In so far as the original association was Annual subscription - $15. The formed to safeguard and foster the membership year corresponds to the retirement conditions of superannuated calendar year and an application form is members of the former services, including available from the Secretary at the conditions applicable to their widows and above address or you can download one dependants, the association shall continue from our website. to represent such members, their widows PNGAA Office Bearers and dependants in all superannuation matters appropriate to their prior service in President the former services. Harry West 02 9418 8793 Deputy President and Secretary Included with this issue - Your Committee has Pamela Foley approved the publication of a special one-off Phone 02 9967 2818 booklet containing details from our Xmas Fax 02 9967 2856 Anniversary luncheon celebration and sharing Assistant Secretary with ALL our members some history about Joe Nitsche 02 9451 2475 PNG. Membership Officer & Treasurer DISCLAIMER: Una Voce is produced for the Ross Johnson information of members of the Papua New Phone 02 9876 6178 Guinea Association of Australia Inc. It is Fax 02 9868 2068 written with care, in good faith, and from Email: [email protected] sources believed to be accurate. However, Editor of Newsletter readers should not act, nor refrain from acting, Andrea Williams solely on the basis of information in Una Voce Phone 02 9449 4129 about financial, taxation or any other matter. Fax 02 9449 4196 Having regard for their own particular Email: [email protected] circumstances, readers should consult the Caring Committee relevant authorities or other advisers with Pat Hopper 02 9953 7061 expertise in the particular field. Neither the Superannuation Committee PNGAA nor the editor accepts any Fred Kaad 02 9969 7217 responsibility for actions taken by readers. Also, the views expressed by any of the authors of articles included in Una Voce are not necessarily those of the editor or the PNGAA. 2 NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The 55th AGM of the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia, Incorporated, will be held on Sunday 30 April 2006 at the Mandarin Club, Oriental Room, 4th Floor, Cnr Goulburn and Pitt Streets, Sydney, commencing at 11:30 am. The AGM will be followed by a Luncheon at approximately 1:00 pm. AGENDA: 1. Members present and apologies. 2. Confirmation of the Minutes of the 54th AGM (circulated in June 2005 Una Voce) 3. Business arising from the Minutes. 4. Presidents Report. 5. Treasurers Report and Receipt of Audited Financial Statements. 6. Certificate required by Section 27 (1)(b) of the Associations Incorporation Act 1984. 7. Correspondence. 8. Election of Management Committee (see Nomination Form below) President, Deputy President, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer & Membership Officer, Asst Secretary, Editor Una Voce, 5 Committee persons, Hon. Auditor. 9. General discussion. Note that alcoholic beverages will not be available until after the AGM. Members together with their families and friends are all welcome but please let us know if you are staying for, or coming to, the luncheon by completing the booking form and payment details on the separate yellow sheet and returning it as soon as possible. The cost is $30 per person this does not include liquor or soft drinks - would those attending please pay in advance and not at the door. Advance payment enables us to plan the seating and confirm numbers with the Mandarin Club. Cancellations advised to either Ross Johnson (02 9876 6178) or Pamela Foley (02 9967 2818) by Friday 28 April will secure a full refund. This is the date we inform the Club of final numbers after this date the Association must pay for those unable to attend. Parking is available at the Goulburn Street Car Park (cnr Goulburn and Elizabeth Sts) for a flat rate of $10 however as parking vouchers at a cheaper rate may be available from the Mandarin Club, do not pre-pay your parking fee.. IN 100 WORDS OR LESS MY TRIP IN A CATALINA Suddenly the co-pilot was tugging at our sleeves and gesticulating wildly; no chance to talk in the screaming slip-stream of air rushing across the open Catalina portholes but when we saw him grabbing sacks at our feet and stumbling forward with them we caught the urgency, unclipped our safety harness and followed him in tossing sacks back up the front of the Catalina. The plane was tail-heavy and rapidly losing the characteristics of flight. We were air-dropping double-bagged sacks of rice and meat and the cargo-boys had completely emptied the first bay instead of progressively emptying each bay. Level flight again and lots of smiles! Paul Brigg 3 In the latter half of 1952, I was District Clerk at Kikori, where Jim OMalley was District Commissioner. At the time Syd Smith and Des Clancy were involved in constructing the airstrip at the new station of Tari, in the Southern Highlands. Supplies for this party were airdropped by Qantas Catalina which called at Kikori for extra fuel before proceeding to Tari via Lake Kutubu. On this particular flight the DC detailed Patrol Officer Garry Keenan and I to go with the plane to assist with the actual drop procedure. All went well to start with. There were two storepedos (long containers with a parachute and collapsible nose) for the more fragile supplies, with all other items loosely packed in hessian bags. The storepedos were no trouble but the hessian bags were another thing! They were filthy, and while balancing the packages on the edge of the planes blister, the slipstream forced the dust and dirt from the bags directly into our eyes, which we had to keep open to see the drop signal. Somehow we managed to accomplish this and the drop was successful. On the way home the skipper, Freddy Fox, passed word to us that he was going to give us a treat by flying low over the magnificent Beaver Falls a sight not many had been privileged to see. Unfortunately by this time our eyes were in such a state that we could hardly see anything so the great gesture was lost to us.