New technology to combat pest and disease in cocoa

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

The PNG Cocoa Coconut Institute Ltd has formally released to the cocoa industry a new technology for farmers to use in improving productivity and reduce the impact of the cocoa pod borer.

Integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) involves a series of options (involving pruning, pest and disease control, shade tree management and resistant varieties) which form the basis of integrated management strategies to reduce yield losses from pests and diseases in the cocoa crop.

IPDM is designed to balance and manage activities in relation to the cocoa cropping cycle.

While new planting materials are one component, IPDM technology is equally effective when it is applied to existing plantings of hybrid or clonal cocoa.

IPDM is designed to maximise benefits to the farmer by improving the health of the cocoa plants.

The new technology was launched together with the PNGCCI’s strategic plan 2010-1019 at Tavilo research station last month.

Department of Agriculture and Livestock secretary Anton Benjamin, in launching the IPDM, said cocoa farmers were given renewed hope to maximise cocoa production and he called on the farmers to accept and implement the new management practices.

 DAL Secretary Anton Benjamin and CCI acting CEO Dr Eric Omuru at the launching at Tavilo

He said the government had put in a lot of money and resources to eradicate cocoa pod borer with limited success.

 It is now up to the farmers to decide on implementing the strategies under the IPDM.

Benjamin believed the IPDM technology was the best so far and its overall success in the cocoa industry would depend on farmers and all stakeholders.

The challenge is on all concerned parties including government agencies, provincial administrations, farmer associations, private sector and others to ensure that IPDM is successfully implemented.

He appealed especially to cocoa-growing provinces to take ownership of the IPDM and play a lead role in introducing the new technology to their farmers.

Benjamin also commended Papua New Guinean scientists and researchers who worked closely with experts from overseas to develop the IPDM technology.

“We have the best scientists and researchers in the region and they work under difficult situations,” he said.

“We must recognise the valuable contribution they are making to develop the cocoa industry in the country.”

Benjamin also thanked the Australian Government initiative, Agricultural Research and Development Support Facility (ARDSF), for helping to provide technical assistance and funding to develop the technology.

PNGCCI acting CEO Dr Eric Omuru commended his scientific and research staff for their efforts and believed that the IPDM would have an impact in minimising the cocoa pod borer.

Cocoa farmers have moved away to other commodity crops, however, with the new technology they were expected to return and boost cocoa production.

 A farmer and his two sons study the awareness material on IPDM during the launching

The PNGCCI was established in 2003 through the amalgamation of the PNG Cocoa and Coconut Research institute and the PNG Cocoa and Coconut Extension Agency.

The Cocoa Board and the Kokonas Indastri Koporesen are the shareholding boards each with equal shares of PNGCCI.

Its mandate is research, development and extension in cocoa and coconut production, processing and marketing.

This mandate requires the institute to play a pivotal role in lifting the profile of the two industries in providing income and self-employment for rural farmers in the lowland areas of PNG.

 It is estimated that around two million people depend directly or indirectly on cocoa and coconut products for their livelihood.

Papua New Guinea has vast resources and potential for agriculture

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

 Papua New Guinea has many natural resources including arable land for agriculture development and can provide a wide range of opportunities for investors.

At the same time PNG needs to be committed and positive in its efforts to promote agriculture investment.

Head of a visiting Chinese delegation, Lin Rentong, made these remarks during a briefing with officers from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and other agricultural agencies early this week.

 Rentong and his team members admire fresh vegetables on sale at a roadside market at Brown River along the Hiritano Highway

Rentong said he was impressed with the potential for major agriculture projects and believed that PNG would one day become a developed country like China.

He said PNG needed to utilise its resources through new technology and with assistance from genuine investors who could move the country forward.

This country has resources supported by suitable climate and soil conditions which make it possible for large scale or commercial development especially in rice and grain.

He stressed that PNG needed to put in place key infrastructure such as transportation, roads, marketing facilities, access to water facilities and others which form part of the development process.

 Rentong, deputy director-general of Liaoning provincial farming and land reclamation bureau, led a team of seven government and technical officials to seek potential investment opportunities.

During its three-day visit the team travelled to Vanapa outside Port Moresby to inspect potential rice and grain sites and held discussions with government officials and PNG-based companies.

The Chinese officials inspecting corn at Doa along the Hiritano Highway

  

During the meeting with DAL and agricultural sectoral agencies, Rentong said the Chinese were prepared to assist in introducing new farming technology, conduct farmer training and establish seed multiplication farms as well as other activities including farm machinery.

All they required was land to be made available and conducive environment for investment.

DAL secretary Anton Benjamin said PNG was looking at opportunities to develop and boost its agriculture potential and welcomed the visit by Rentong’s team.

He said PNG had opportunities in grain production, livestock as well as the tree crops including coffee and coconut industries, which could be further expanded in suitable locations with assistance from overseas investors.

Chinese officials check out a lake near Kerea village in the Vanapa area outside Port Moresby

Julia Gillard, it's time to pull the troops out!

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

As in the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, Australia has again caught itself up in a strategic political entrapment situation with the US in a protracted insurgency war in Afghanistan. 

 It is time new Prime Minister, Julia Gillard review Australia's foreign policy on Afghanistan.

 PM Gillard must now not be seen to promote her last two predecessor's same policy of keeping Australian troops in Afghanistan longer than is necessary. 

The longer this policy remains unchanged, more Australian troops will die and return home in coffins.

 It is time Australia critically reviews her direct involvement in the eight-year war in Afghanistan.

 I believe the US military occupation of Afghanistan will end up being unsuccessful as time goes on.

If you do not believe me, then learn from history.

Australia must lean from its Vietnam history. 

 The Soviet Union lost its insurgency war in Afghanistan.

 In 1986, the Soviet generals found to their great disappointment that after seven years no single piece of land in that country had been occupied by a Soviet soldier and the majority of the territory still remained in the hands of rebels. 

Soon after, the Soviets withdrew from their Afghan misadventure.

Thousands were dead on both sides, yet the occupation failed to produce a stable national Afghan government. 

This same scenario is being replayed in stark contrast.

 I am sure Australian military planners know this.

The Australian government must now critically reassess its continued involvement in a volatile situation that has trapped Australia to stay on regardless of what it may mean in a matter of time - total defeat.

This is an insurgency like in Vietnam with no end in sight as to when to pull troops out and go home.

Australia has no real "exit-strategy" and neither does the US. 

This may be a poor excuse for Australia that Julia Gillard can correct. 

All Australians will be right behind her and this may well win her the federal elections for the ALP this year. 

 The US and the coalition forces are now eight years into this so-called war against terror in Afghanistan.

 The present US strategy is flawed and what happened to the Soviets will also happen again to the US, Australia and the coalition force.

 Australia must not be blind to what the US says it is in that country for.

 A big part of the problem stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation.

The US seems to ignore the fact that it is its very presence as occupiers that feeds the insurgency in Afghanistan.

 This would be the case if Papua New Guinea was invaded and occupied by a foreign force (s).

All diverse groups would put aside their disagreements to unify against a common foe -foreign occupation. 

For all its technology know-how, like the Soviets, the US will not win this so-called war against terror.

 This is what has happened in Afghanistan. 

Australia should by now have worked this very problem out. 

 The US has got it really wrong.

 Adding more US troops will only assist those who recruit fighters to attack US/coalition troops. 

The enemy is effectively using the US occupation to convince villages to side with the Taliban.

 As in Vietnam when Australia was caught out with the US in a political entrapment, Afghanistan is no different.

With no real workable strategy in Afghanistan, without a vision of what victory will look like, the US is left with the empty rhetoric of the last administration that “when the Afghan people stand up, the US will stand down”.

 I believe the only solution to the Afghanistan quagmire is a rapid and complete US withdrawal including Australia too from that country, and the region.

Australia cannot afford to maintain its long involvement with the US in this unnecessary war that is hitting the Australian taxpayers hard with the prospects of more young Australian lives lost. 

The continued coalition occupation of Afghanistan will not make Australia any safer.

With that short analysis, I say to Julia Gillard, it's time to pull our Aussie troops out of Afghanistan now.

 

Improving poultry feed in Papua New Guinea

By JANET PANDI of NARI

Village poultry provides a source of income, improves nutrition and help meet family and social obligations.

Local feed resources can be used more effectively for feeding poultry.

Balanced rations for village birds can be devised from potential feed sources.

Farmers could also introduce new crops and use pasture species with higher nutritional values.

Feeding chicken with commercial feed has been challenging due to rising costs of imported ingredients and feeds.

Alternative feeding strategies are however available.

One approach is to develop concentrate diets for finishing broiler chickens by blending cheap local feed ingredients.

Since 2002, NARI has been working on improving efficiency and productivity of smallholder poultry producers.

One such way is to test locally-available feed materials that can potentially be used as feed ingredient in poultry diets.

A project on poultry feeding system was developed in Lae to establish a quality-assured research facility for Papua New Guinea to determine the quality of poultry feed.

 A variety of feed resources from PNG were tested using this facility.

They included maize, wheat, sorghum, sweet potato, sago, cassava, banana and legume leaves from village crops.

By-products tested were millrun, rice bran, palm kernel meal, copra meal, tuna offal meal and pyrethrum marc.

Potential poultry ingredients with apparent metabolisable energy (AME) values ranging from 12-15 MJ/Kg DM were agro-industrial by-products such as copra meal (15.01 MJ/Kg) and pyrethrum marc (13.63 MJ/Kg)), traditional staples such as cassava (15.87), sago (15.01) and sweet potato (15.39 MJ/Kg) and grains such as wheat (12.76). 

The AME values of palm kernel meal and copra meal at 30% inclusion were 9.05 and 9.86 MJ/Kg respectively.

Growth of birds was measured for seven days in the AME unit and fully evaluated over six-eight weeks in the broiler grow-out facility.

Birds (three weeks of age) fed diets for seven days in the AME unit with low inclusion rates of cassava, sweet potato, palm kernel meal and copra meal performed well.

Copra meal-based diets were superior.

 Evaluation of local feed resources over the full growing period of broilers were also undertaken with diets containing maize, cassava, copra meal, fishmeal and leucaena leaf meal.

 These diets were compared with a commercial ration comprising mainly imported feeds.

 In some trials feed conversion was superior in the commercial ration.

In other trials there was no difference between the commercial or the PNG feed-based diet.

Based on this, an alternative feeding strategy was developed, involving the development of a high protein poultry concentrate containing fishmeal and copra meal.

The concentrate was fed with up to 70% of high energy sources such maize, sweet potato or cassava. On-station and village feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the concentrate feeding strategy.

Meat birds fed with commercial broiler feed outperformed those fed the concentrate diets but the net income from sale of live birds was only 5% lower for the concentrate sweet potato diet.

 However, the huge demand for live birds may still make it profitable to use local feed resources mixed with a poultry concentrate, particularly in remote areas of PNG.

The  project was extended for another three years with the title ‘Improving profitability of village broiler production in PNG’ and focused on evaluating the economic viability of the concept of using concentrate as an alternative means of reducing broiler finisher feed costs.

The poultry feeding systems project had laid a solid foundation to assist in the development of the smallholder poultry sector in PNG, enabling this project to place a much-stronger focus on delivery of feeding strategies to village farmers through participation of NGO and conduct of on-farm evaluation trials.

Two energy concentrates – high energy and low energy - were developed to be used as mashed mixes with cassava and sweet potato, respectively.

 The tubers are cooked as for human food and mixed thoroughly at about three to one ratio of the boiled tubers with the concentrates and then fed to birds fresh.

As birds need to have unlimited access to the feed, the mixed mash should be prepared twice daily and offered to birds to minimise possible wastage and spoilage.

These best bet feeding options were extensively tested at village level in lowland and highland areas of PNG and were confirmed as appropriate and feasible.

Three NGOs were directly involved in the testing of candidate feeding options and the piloting of best bet feeding options.

 There were the Christian Leaders Training Centre (Banz), Lutheran Development Service (Morobe) and Ok Tedi Development Foundation (Tabubil).

Results from all three sites confirmed findings from the on-station grow-out trial conducted at NARI Labu that birds fed with 50% sweet potato with 50% low energy concentrate and 50% cassava with 50% high energy concentrate diets were able to reach market weight of 2kg or more at 42 days of age. Feed conversion efficiencies of birds on these test diets were similar to results obtained at NARI.

 Growth performance of birds is not affected by form of presentation of sweet potato component of the diet (mashed or milled).

The best bet feeding options were again tested on farm in selected villages through contact via our partners.

The trials were conducted in Madang, Morobe, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands and Western provinces.

 Overall performance of broilers on the test diets was good, attaining target market of over 2kg from week five of age.

 The sweet potato-based diet compared very well with the commercial control on end weight.

Economic modeling was also done on the use of mini feed mills to process these concentrates and the graph below depicts the projected costs.

 It is profitable to also have mini feedmills using the concentrate concept to minimise production costs.

 Based on this research, it is safe to recommend the two feeding options of using high energy concentrate with cassava and low energy concentrate with sweet potato for poultry feed in areas where these staple crops are in abundance.

Mad artist on no way out

From JAMES WANJIK

 

Madness and troubled mind are qualities of mad artists. Such are the truths about Waigani lawyers and leaders. Pala edict on media freedom and people's free speech is a plot many lawyers and leaders do not know about.

Lawyers who advised the government are very lost. They lost respect and dignity as lawyers. Mole in their midst is a lawyer with the Justice Department. That lawyer worked for Nellie James in 2006. Unknown to this lawyer was that Nellie James was a mole for World Bank. She had in the beginning of that year accompanied a Graeme Hancock to Washington DC to negotiate second World Bank loan for PNG.

Another person on that trip was a Philip Samar. He is now in charge of World Bank funds at the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA).

World Bank created MRA under first loan. Now World Bank wants PNG and Bougainville to revisit mining powers on Bougainville.

Reviewing corporate structure without legal and policy bases is putting cart before the horse. PNG followed exactly the same path and is facing problems already. MRA's corporate plan was done prior to legislation. Bougainville is on a very dangerous path.

MRA is a Trojan horse on Bougainville. It was in 2008 when Bougainville leaders worked with MRA to allow MRA into Bougainville. The infamous Alotau 15 steps pact was a political pact. Legally Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has mining powers. Sections 288 and 290 of the PNG Constitution vests mining powers in the ABG.

President John Momis has a mole in his house. Lawyer for ABG paid for by Australia is working against autonomy. Late Kabui and more recently James Tanis are victims of the Trojan horse.

Plot of lawyer and new Secretary for new Department of Mineral Policy and Geohazards Management Nellie James was to get Graeme Hancock into Bougainville. Now MRA her would be funder of new Department of Mining on Bougainville has advertised for consultants to do corporate plan.

Momis must remove MRA on Bougainville soonest. It is a mad artist with no way out.

God bless people of Bougainville.

Positive progress being made at University of Goroka

By KATE GUNN of UOG

 

Positive progress has been made in the months following the student boycott earlier this year at the University of Goroka.

The UOG council has begun implementing recommendations of the independent investigation committee’s (IIC) report.

From the report compiled by the ILC who investigated the boycott, the UOG council standing committee has initiated improvements to help the overall effectiveness of the university in two key areas.

The first key area will involve the restructure of the university.

 This will involve a major overhauling of the university’s organisational structure to establish a model more relevant to the needs of the institution, in accordance with the organisational and academic re-structures already in place. 

Special focus will be given to the areas of senior academic staff appointments and remuneration. 

This will be undertaken by a specialist group composed of a consultant, UOG staff, and stakeholders who will work on the restructure as a matter of urgency.

The second key area to be undertaken as per direction from the council standing committee will concern staff salary increases. 

The UOG is taking steps to address this issue by reviewing the current wage structure for academic and non-academic staff by re-implementing the existing staff development programme, and by re-introducing annual increments for staff appraisals. 

This will be executed by the acting management team working together with representatives of the national academic staff association (NASA) and non-academic national staff association (NANSA) bodies to design a performance-based salary structure which will be adopted and implemented by the university.

Chancellor of UOG Benais Sabumei said: “The university has been long overdue for staff and academic reorganisational reviews and I am pleased that the IIC report has focused on these important areas. 

“The university foreshadows many significant changes to the higher educational system, and these decisions will ensure UOG is prepared and ready to accept the challenges ahead.”

 

Airport shooting leaves 3 injured

An armed policeman and an airport security standing guard over the wounded gunman as he lies on the ground after he was wounded and disarmed.

 Suspect turns on public after missing target

THREE people were wounded in an attempted murder drama that unfolded at the Jackson Airport last Friday morning, The National reports.

Four gunmen, allegedly from the rich Moran oil project area in Southern Highlands, went to the domestic terminal to challenge a landowner chairman and his officers who were scheduled to board a plane for Moro to attend the launch of the Moran Special Purpose Authority (MSPA).

Finding their target gone, the suspects turned on the public, wounding two before police also wounded one of them.

Among the delegation travelling to Moro that morning was MSPA chairman Tony Kila, local MP Francis Potape, deputy commissioner of police operations Anthony Wagambie, journalists and government officials.

The National was also at the airport bound for Moro when the incident took place.

The MSPA is voted into office by the Homa-Pawa and Baguale people through their 33 incorporated land groups.

Recently, a new board headed by Kila was elected into office, replacing that of former chairman David Mulungu.

While it was alleged that the airport shooting could have stemmed from the changes within the authority, it could not be confirmed with police and local authorities.

Reports said the attackers had gone to the airport armed with three firearms.

At the airport, one of the gunmen produced a handgun from a side bag and shot a bystander on the chest in front of the domestic terminal entrance. He then fired another shot into the air.

Another suspect, armed with an assault rifle and a shoulder-link belt filled with cartridges, stood up from the back of a Ford Ranger parked at the public car park and shot at the public.

A lone policeman within the vicinity of the incident retaliated and fired two warning shots at the gunman, urging him to surrender. Instead, the shooting continued and another man from the Highlands was shot just below the shoulders.

The gunman then alighted from the vehicle and took cover behind another car, believed to belong to PNG Gardener Justin Tkatchenko, and more shots were fired with a total of 27 bullet holes counted on the vehicle.

The drama lasted for about 20 minutes before the suspect was shot just below his knees and disarmed.

The gunman, after being disarmed and in agony, kept shouting that he was prepared to die for his land and for his brother.

He was later sent to the Port Moresby General Hospital.

Two people, believed to be a father and son, apart from the wounded gunman, were taken into police custody.

Police at the scene also retrieved the assault rifle, 27 live cartridges and the shoulder-link belt and a handgun used in the attack.

Police believed the weapons used in the attack were registered to a landowner company.

Police bail was denied yesterday.

ACP Wagambie tagged the airport incident as “politics of economy” where, he said, the landowners were fighting over who should

control the funds.

Air Niugini’s Jack Pidik blamed Civil Aviation Authority for the incident after a similar incident took place last month when a gold buyer was murdered inside the terminal.

He said that there had been many calls to improve security at the main entrance to the airport but nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, reports from Homa-Pawa said many pigs were killed and the planned celebration went well without any disturbances despite the incident.

Government cops the blame for airport shooting

THE national government has been blamed for last Friday’s shooting incident at the Jackson Airport which left three people wounded, The National reports.

Among those wounded was a gunman who acted in a Rambo-style manner, firing at random at the public before he was shot, wounded and disarmed.

Police also arrested an alleged father-and-son gang at the airport while confiscating a handgun, an assault rifle and a gun belt with 27 live cartridges.

Police have refused them bail.

Authorities have attributed the airport shooting incident to landowner issues and differences.

Civil Aviation Authority chief executive officer Joseph Kintau has brushed aside claims by Air Niugini that last Friday’s incident was an airport security issue.

He said the incident was a sensitive landowner issue which the government did not address properly.

“The government must be blamed for the actions of landowners, because these issues must be addressed properly,” Kintau said.

His comments came after Air Niugini corporate affairs manager Jack Pidik blamed CAA for lack of security at the airport.

He said several requests and meetings had been held to improve security at the airport’s main entrance but nothing had eventuated, resulting in several internal security threats at the airport.

Early last month, a gold buyer was shot dead by armed criminals inside the terminal.

But, Kintau did not agree with Pidik, saying that the government must be held responsible for what happened last Friday.

Several landowner leaders at the airport also levelled the blame at the national government.

They said this was only the beginning of many more to come, explaining that landowners were already frustrated.

An expatriate at the scene last Friday said this was the start of worse things to stem from the liquefied natural gas project if not addressed properly by those in authority.

Meanwhile, assistant commissioner of police operations Tony Wagambie, who was at the crime scene when it unfolded, rated it as a security issue.

However, he said “it was the politics of money and power by landowners” in their fight to have access to landowner funds.

 

 

Somare settles for Aussies

AUSTRALIANS were asked to help with the management of the large inflow of revenue from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project because Papua New Guineans do not trust each other, Public Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare said, The National reports.

“I’ve invited the Australians to look over my shoulders,” Somare told The National at Brisbane airport en route to Melbourne for the PNG-Australia LNG ministerial meeting last Thursday.

The meeting was held to discuss the establishment of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) as a vehicle to manage revenue flows to the government from the PNG LNG project.

He said Papua New Guineans were quite capable of managing the inflow of large amounts of revenue from 2014 but, for purposes of accountability and transparency, Australians were invited to “look over our shoulders”.

“The involvement of Australians would also help to further boost PNG’s international credibility rating.

“Papua New Guineans also did not trust each other to manage the funds. Therefore, the involvement of Australians should allay fears of inappropriate application and expenditures ... I may not be around by then,” he quipped.

The official delegation to Melbourne included Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Sam Abal, National Planning Minister Paul Tiensten, Public Services Minister Peter O’Neill, Commerce and Industry Minister Gabriel Kapris and a team of senior bureaucrats.

In a pre-talks statement, Somare said the ministerial delegation would discuss possible Australian assistance for the creation of a transparent governance regime covering taxes and dividends received by the PNG government from the LNG project.

“The government needs to have these measures in place before the LNG revenue starts to flow in about five years’ time,” Somare said.

Under a joint understanding signed with the Australian government late last year, PNG requested that Australia help set up an effective and transparent governance regime for the LNG project revenue to provide international credibility for a challenging undertaking.

A strange story about missionaries, cannibals and colonial officers

By MALUM NALU

Writing the article about missionary James Chalmers and his tragic end at the hands of Goaribari Island cannibals in Gulf province, which appeared in The National’s Weekender last Friday, made me recall a book which I read some years ago on the same subject.

 James Chalmers

The book is titled Missionaries, Cannibals &  Colonial Officers – a dog-eared copy of which is still on my bookshelf - and is one of the most-fascinating history books about Papua New Guinea I have ever read because of its novel-like writing style.

 Cover of Missionaries, Headhunters & Colonial Officers

It touches on the Goaribari incident in 1901, the subsequent killing of Goaribari islanders in retaliation by the British administration, and how then-governor Christopher Robinson – who ordered the punitive expedition – then took his own life under the flagpole at government house in Port Moresby.

It is the Goaribari incident that lies at the heart of Peter Maiden’s extraordinary history of what was then British New Guinea.

The second half of Maiden’s history focuses on the career and tragic end of the very first Australian-born governor of British New Guinea, the Brisbane solicitor Christopher Robinson.

 Christopher Robinson

He arrived in BNG in May 1903 and soon afterwards witnessed a savage conflict between the native constabulary and Papuan warriors.

In March 1904, Governor Robinson committed a catastrophic error in the Goaribari affray.

June 9th, 1903, was a proud day for Queenslanders in general, but most particularly for the people of Brisbane, for that day the Australian Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, had appointed a local man, 30-year-old Christopher Robinson, as acting-governor of British New Guinea (BNG).

However, it was a difficult assignment and despite his legal skills Robinson was quite inexperienced.

 For this shortcoming he was to pay a terrible price.

In 1903, Britain was in the process of passing control of BNG to the Australian government and the colony’s administrators, operating on a shoestring budget, faced fearful difficulties.

Sorcery, cannibalism and headhunting were endemic in Papuan society.

Sorcery was a criminal offence but still it flourished.

Its practitioners “spoke” directly to the Spirit World and could simply frighten a Papuan to death.

 A sorcerer had only to tap his victim on the shoulder, tell him he would soon die and within a week the unfortunate native would be in his grave.

And these magicians seemed omnipotent.

In 1903, for instance, a disgruntled sorcerer in eastern New Guinea announced that within three days he was turning every man in the village into a woman, and every woman into a man.

The men were panic stricken, New Guinea being such a male dominated society, but, as the investigating white magistrate observed, “the women viewed the threat with supreme complacency”.

Headhunting was another obsession.

To possess a skull collection was to enhance one’s standing in the spirit world.

In 1901, on Goaribari Island in the Gulf of Papua, a missionary, Harry Dauncey, found 10,000 skulls in the island’s Long Houses.

Even as late as 1957, Australian government officials on one occasion confiscated 78 skulls on Papua’s Casuarina Coast.

Fortunately, cannibalism was not quite as widely practiced.

As one writer, Wilfred Beaver, pointed out, “the population would eventually be reduced to small proportions”, if everybody was a cannibal.

The weakest tribes were most vulnerable.

West of Port Moresby the Mohohai tribe, according to Beaver, was regarded as “a kind of larder” for the predatory Ukiaravi warriors.

Elsewhere, the Scottish missionary, James Chalmers, newly arrived at Suau in 1878, was pleased to be invited to his first tribal feast – before learning that a terrified young boy was on the menu.

Chalmers, the so-called “Livingstone of New Guinea” was a star in the London Missionary Society’s firmament.

For 34 years he served in the South Seas islands as a near-perfect example of “muscular Christianity”.

 Chalmers was a physically impressive man with a commanding presence and he possessed a cool head in a dangerous situation.

He liked whisky, loved exploring the magnificent countryside and had a genuine, albeit paternal affection for the Papuan people.

But for a white man, life in New Guinea was anything but a sinecure.

Numerous lonely miners and missionaries met with a grisly end, most notably in 1901 when the Reverend Chalmers’ party of 12 was lured into an ambush on Goaribari Island.

There they were beheaded and eaten by natives.

This atrocity demanded revenge and more than 20 Goaribaris were killed in a government reprisal raid.

Soon after arriving in BNG, Christopher Robinson joined a government patrol along the Yodda River and saw at first hand the savage conflict between the native constabulary and Papuan warriors.

This patrol appears to have soured Robinson’s attitude towards the Papuans.

Afterwards, Robinson seemed to show little sympathy to the indigenous population.

He once declared that he had “an intense loathing” for these “inhuman creatures”.

 He had no friends among the colourful Port Moresby expatriates and he was overwhelmed by a monumental backlog of work.

Robinson was capable and one local identity described him as “one of the most promising officers New Guinea ever possessed”.

Others, though, believed he was arrogant, and even frightened by the very people he was supposed to be protecting.

In March 1904 Robinson led a strongly armed commando to Goaribari, intent on arresting those responsible for the Chalmers’ missionary massacre.

Unfortunately, his serious mismanagement of a confrontation with the Goaribaris became the subject of a sensational Royal Commission in Sydney in July.

While the native bowmen fired only a handful of arrows in anger, Robinson’s men replied with a murderous fusillade of 250 rounds.

At least eight natives were shot dead and two European witnesses testified that the governor had shot at least three of the Papuans.

Robinson’s career prospects were in tatters.

The lonely young governor, now afflicted with a severe bout of malaria lost heart and fell into a mood of deep depression that worsened as the date of the Royal commission approached.

Finally, on June 20th, 1904, Robinson took his own life under the flagpole at government house, Port Moresby.

This is a history that makes the clash of the proselytising white colonials with the Papuan warriors come vividly alive.

It is a story of dedication and courage, but also a story of tragic failure. A riveting read.

Sir Rabbie Namaliu is new Badili Club patron

After six years without a patron the professional networking organisation the Badili Club yesterday secured the patronage of former Prime Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu. 

Sir Rabbie Namaliu (seated, centre) with Badili Club executives and former presidents

The executives and members of the club had over the last year debated the type of patron that could build upon the strong foundations established by its founding chairperson the aate Sir Anthony Siaguru. 

Although Sir Anthony passed away in 2004, as a result of his tremendous influence and out of respect for this great man the club had not sought to fill the vacancy until last year when the matter was seriously discussed.

 The executives and members of the club took over a year to debate if it was the right time to seek a new patron, these discussions also included the type of person who would be able to add real value to the membership and assist the club to continue to expand its network and areas of influence. 

After much debate and searching, the members agreed the most -suitable person and indeed the only person who could fill the large shoes left by Sir Anthony was Sir Rabbie.

Sir Rabbie when accepting the invitation said: "It is an honour being asked to be patron of the Badili Club. 

"I have been aware of the work of the club over its 13 years of existence, and have indeed participated as a speaker at the annual PWC and Badili Club budget breakfast. 

"I look forward to supporting the club’s executives and adding value to its membership as required"."

Sir Rabbie added: "I must say when first asked I felt a little daunted given the founding chair was my dear good friend Tony (Siaguru).

"He and I in our early days were thrown in to the deep end in the public service and you had to either sink or swim.

"I am thankful that a club such as the Badili Club has been building that bridge between our current leaders and the next generation of leaders, and will gladly support its development."

 In another milestone for the club, at its 14th annual generall meeting the club installed its new executives: Data Nets CEO Sundar Ramamurthy as president, PNGFM general manager Adrian Au as vice president, Gorethy Semi brand manager South Pacific Export Lager as secretary and Paul Harris CEO of Pacific Wealth Management as treasurer. 

Ramamurthy becomes the eighth president and will serve a two-year term, supported by his vice president and executive.

 The Badili Club is a professional networking organisation that encourages membership from individuals aged between 25 and 45. 

Its objectives are to encourage and promote best practice within the work place and establish a network of committed individuals who are able to uphold high levels of integrity and who bring positive change to the organisations and industries they operate. 

The club was established in 1997 and as part of its charitable work continues to donate urgently -needed medical items in short-supply to National Capital District urban clinics.