Downstream processing of peanuts in Papua New Guinea

Peanuts have proved an ideal crop in Papua New Guinea, being easily grown in almost all areas of the country, most famously the great Markham Valley of Morobe Province.
They are excellent nutritionally, being concentrated sources of both protein and fat, which of which tend to be low in the diets of many Papua New Guineans.
The protein content of peanuts, in fact – is higher than that of eggs, dairy products, meat and fish.
They are well liked by children and adults.
Downstream processing of peanuts was the entire buzz in Papua New Guinea in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Peanuts were exported out of Lae to many countries in the South Pacific.
In the Markham Valley of Morobe province, peanut butter was mass-produced by the Atzera Rural Cooperative factory for both the domestic and international market.
Sadly, those exports have ceased and the peanut butter factory has long closed its doors, and the humble but mighty peanut has now taken a backseat.
However, they proved that downstream processing of peanuts was possible in Papua New Guinea, and do to this day.
The challenge is upon us to make that a reality.

Exports

Sum Sum, taken in its Morobe Province original meaning, is sunshine.
Sum Sum, referring to peanuts, meant some of the best grown, processed and exported from Papua New Guinea.
From an unimposing factory in Lae, the home of Nunga Tea and Coffee Company, came a fine variety of top-class peanuts, both salted and roasted, for the domestic and export market.
Growers in the Markham Valley sold to the company either at the factory door or at the roadside.
The factory boasted the biggest roaster machines in the country and the automatic packing machines made for an efficient and effective operation.
The peanuts used in the salted variety were often hulled near where they were grown, and sorted at the factory, roasted, salted and automatically packed.
About 40 workers were employed by the factory at its peak, with exports to many countries in the South Pacific region.

Peanut butter

In September 1976, a year after Papua New Guinea’s independence, the Atzera Rural Cooperative at Kaiapit, in the Morobe Province, embarked on its most ambitious programme yet – the manufacture of peanut butter.
The cooperative built a factory at a cost of K40, 000 and started peanut butter production in September 1976.
It was a unique operation in Papua New Guinea, as all peanut butter until then had been imported.
Atzera Rural Cooperative’s packaged nuts, Markham Peanuts, were sold in Kieta, Rabaul, Lae, Popondetta and throughout the Highlands.
The 2000-odd members of the cooperative came from a wide area – from the Leron River to the Kassam Pass, in the Eastern Highlands.
The factory grew, producing for both the local and export market, however, closed its doors in the early 1980s because of a variety of reasons.
It, however, has made its mark in the history of downstream processing in Papua New Guinea.

The future

A recent study by the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) ranked peanuts as the No. 1 reliable income earner for many families.
It was ranked among the country’s top five income generating crops, the others being kaukau (sweet potatoes), taro, banana, and Singapore taro.
Peanuts, like betelnut, are a major income-earner for the people of the vast Markham Valley.
The major customers are people from the Highlanders, who buy peanuts in bulk and in turn sell them at markets when they return home.
This has been an ongoing trend for many years.
Recently, peanut-growing has found new life.
The community is becoming aware that under-nutrition continues to exist widely, and that peanuts are one of the best foods to overcome this.
The major concern with peanuts is the risk of aflotoxin contamination, which is caused by a fungus when peanuts are not properly dried or when they become moist during storage.
Almost all provinces have active programmes to improve nutrition, with peanuts having an important part in these programmes.
The larger-scale Markham industry has also found new life.
Remote Karimui in the Chimbu Province is known to produce arguably the highest quality peanuts in the country – better than the Markham – but the main problem has been transporting it to market as Karimui is only accessible by air.
Lae-based NARI is trialing different varieties for the farmers of PNG.
Trukai Industries is growing large tracts of peanuts in the Markham Valley.
Ramu Agro-Industries is going big-time into peanut growing with a view to downstream processing in the not-too-distant future.
The challenge now facing the industry is to generate improvements internally – to grow peanuts more productively, at less cost, and with greater production.
This is clearly the case for the Markham Valley industry which, if it can keep costs down, can tap an enormous export market.
This is also the case for the more important subsistence gardening of peanuts.
People will grow more peanuts only if they get high production for the effort they put into the crop.
To attain an increase in productivity will not be easy, particularly for subsistence growing, but it can be the only basis for a permanent improvement in the industry.

Funeral feast for my wife

For the benefit of many of the friends of me and my beloved late wife, Hula (that's us pictured at our house in Goroka in 1999), and our four children, I will shortly be holding a funeral feast for her.

You can scroll down further to find the tribute I wrote to her or, otherwise, click on this URL http://malumnalu.blogspot.com/2008/07/tribute-to-my-wife-re-run-of-story-run.html.

You can email me at malumnalu@gmail.com for further details.

Thank you all for the many messages of condolence I have received from all over Papua New Guinea and the world.

God bless you all!

Malum

Beyond the Coral Sea

East of Java and west of Tahiti a bird of dazzling plumage stalks the Pacific over the Cape York Peninsula of Australia.
In her wake, she spills clusters of emeralds on the surface of the deep.
These are the unknown paradise islands of the Coral, Solomon and Bismarck Seas lying off the east coast of Papua New Guinea.
The islands were the last inhabited place on earth to be explored by Europeans and even today many remain largely unspoilt, despite the former presence of German, British and even Australian colonial rulers.
Beyond the Coral Sea – a book which portrays Papua New Guinea in a new light – is now being sold in bookshelves around the world.
Written by Australian Michael Moran, the book is arguably the most- comprehensive travel book to be written about PNG in many years, and introduces a new area to travel literature.
Beyond the Coral Sea introduces the adventurers, mercenaries, explorers and missionaries – past and present – who have inhabited the islands and brings them vividly to life.
“My PNG book has sold well in paperback but is not really a bestseller as normally understood, but for a book on PNG it has done brilliantly, particularly in international reviews and prizes,” Moran says.
“I have received many private letters from all sorts of people, also Papua New Guineans, who love the book.
“I notice on the internet the book is also in many university libraries around the world – Oxford, Cambridge, Australia and many in the US.
“This is excellent news for me and I am proud of it.
“In March 2005 I was invited to deliver the prestigious Monday lecture to the Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society in London – a great honour – and I used many slides of PNG and some rare recordings Malinowski made of cannibal laments in the Trobriand Islands. It was very successful.
“The book was short-listed for the world’s premier travel book prize in 2004 – The Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.
“This also was a great achievement – a first for an Australian travel writer and a first for PNG.
“Unfortunately I did not win but was runner-up.
“It gave excellent publicity for tourism to PNG.”
Moran begins his journey on the island of Samarai, historic gateway to the old British Protectorate, as the guest of the benign grandson of a cannibal.
But rather than a tale of cannibals and blood, this is a journey in the romantic and adventurous spirit of Robert Louis Stevenson and an exploration of encroaching change in remarkably diverse cultures.
Along the way Moran explores the role of superstition, magic rites and the occult in the lives of the islanders, including the trading route of the Kula Ring which unites many tribal island groups in a mystical exchange of symbolically valuable objects, one set travelling clockwise around the ring, the other anti-clockwise.
Moran describes the historic anthropological work of Malinowski in the Trobriand Islands and also catches up with some of the adventurers, mercenaries, explorers, missionaries and prospectors he has encountered on previous journeys.
He explores the former capitals of German New Guinea and headquarters of the disastrous Neu Guinea Compagnie, its administrators decimated by malaria and murder.
He travels along the inaccessible Rai Coast through the Archipelago of Contented Men, following in the footsteps of the great Russian explorer “Baron” Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay.
His narrative is interwoven with the fabulous and humorous stories of eccentric residents such as the glamorous “Queen” Emma on New Britain, the deranged Marquis de Rays who attempted to found a utopian colony on a malaria-infested shore of New Ireland and the impetuous sexual exploits of a young Errol Flynn.
“Queen Emma” of New Britain, who was born of an American father and a Samoan mother, built up a large empire of copra plantations, as well as traded in the fabled obsidian (black volcanic glass) and entertained on a lavish scale with imported food and French champagne.
Moran journeys by light plane, jeep and banana boat to reach former colonial capitals and occult heartlands.
He uses the historic anthropological work of Bronislaw Malinowski to guide him through the seductive labyrinth of the Trobriand “Islands of Love” and the sensual erotic dances of the yam festival.
“People are impressed with the appearance and general ‘seriousness’ but relaxed writing style of the book and my colour photographs of the lovely blonde children (of New Ireland) and landscapes,” Moran said.
“Those amazing New Ireland men in tatanua masks on the jacket have hardly ever been seen in the UK.
“The island provinces of PNG are regarded as incredibly exotic here.”
The book has been well reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement, a very prestigious journal, and the Daily Mail newspaper, which has a circulation about 2.5 million as well as others.
Moran said PNG High Commissioner to Great Britain Ms Jean Kekedo liked the book very much.
“She knows everybody I mentioned by name, particularly the Milne Bay area,” he said.
“We have come to similar conclusions about the problems of PNG, as she has a serious social conscience.
“The book is not 100 per cent positive, of course, as I tried to present a balanced picture of the more sensational and incredible events of its original ‘Western survey’ as well as a generally-glowing picture of the peaceful and beautiful people island people I met.
“The Highlands and the problems of that region could be on another planet compared to the island provinces.”
Moran concluded: “I truly hope that this happy, charming and informative book will assist tourism to your beautiful country – it really needs some positive press.”

Beyond the Coral Sea: Travels in the Old Empires of the South-West Pacific
by Michael Moran
Format: Hardback
Price: £18.99
Imprint: HarperCollins

Malalo celebrates 100 years

It was one of those typically-beautiful Huon Gulf days on Friday, October 12, 2007, when we sailed from Lae to Malalo on Lutheran Shipping’s MV Rita for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the historic Malalo Lutheran Mission Station.
It was a sunny day, not a cloud was in the sky, as if they did not want to spoil the celebrations.
Hundreds of people from all over Salamaua, Morobe Province, converged on Malalo that Friday for the centenary celebrations.
Work started on this icon - overlooking idyllic and historic Salamaua – exactly 100 years ago on October 12, 1907.
Surrounding villagers and guests from Lae, other parts of Morobe, and Papua New Guinea, converged on Malalo for the 100th anniversary celebrations.
The people of my mother’s Laukanu village rekindled memories of yore when they brought a kasali (ocean going canoe) to Malalo in a re-enactment of the arrival of the first Lutheran missionaries.
The people of Laukanu were among the greatest mariners of the Huon Gulf, making long ocean trips throughout the Huon Gulf to exchange goods, long before the arrival of the white man.
When the first Lutheran missionaries arrived in Finschhafen in the late 1880s, the Laukanu made the long sea voyage to Finschhafen, and helped to bring the Miti (Word of God) to the villages south of Lae.
The launch of the kasali celebrated not only the great seamanship of the Laukanu, but more importantly, coincided with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Malolo Mission Station - overlooking idyllic and historic Salamaua – on October 12, 1907.
The people of Salamaua and surrounding villages, who make up the Malalo Circuit, converge on Malalo last week for this momentous occasion.
It was a time for all to celebrate the important role the church had played in their lives, as well as remember the many expatriate missionaries and local evangelists, who worked through the dark days of World War 1 and World War 11 to bring the Miti (Word of God) to the people.
These legendary missionaries include Reverend Karl Mailainder and Rev Herman Boettger (who started actual work on the Malalo station), Rev Hans Raun, Rev Friedrich Bayer, Rev Mathias Lechner, and Rev Karl Holzknecht.
Rev Raun suffered the humiliation of being interned by Australian authorities during WW1 while Rev Holzknecht (whose family has contributed much to the development of PNG) suffered the same fate during WW11 – their only crime being Germans.
Rev Bayer was taking a well-deserved leave in his homeland of Germany when he lost his life on July 24, 1932.
The heart-warming and touching story of Rev Bayer and his wife, Sibylle Sophie Bayer, is told in Sophie’s autobiography ‘He led me to a far off place’.
Rev Holzknecht replaced Rev Lechner in 1939 and was there when World War 11 broke out and wiped out Malalo and its famous neighbour of Salamaua.

Missionary’s wife Helene Holzknecht accompanied her husband on all but the trips along the Black Cat Trail into the Wau and Bulolo valleys, ministering to village women and helping the sick she found in these areas.
The outbreak of war in Europe in 1939 brought this idyll to an end.
Karl Holzknecht – being a German - was taken prisoner as an enemy alien by Australian authorities, leaving a pregnant and heartbroken Helene at Malalo.
Her eldest child and only daughter, Irene, was born at Sattelberg, on February 1, 1940, after Karl’s removal to Australia.
Helene and Irene were returned to Malalo, but were eventually evacuated after Japanese bombers attacked Lae and Salamaua.
Helene often talked of seeing those planes skimming the hills on their way to Salamaua, and the horror of the bombing of Salamaua.
Soon after their evacuation by DC3 to Port Moresby, Japanese aircraft also bombed the Malalo Station, destroying all the family’s possessions.
Reverend Karl Mailainder and Rev Herman Boettger started work on the Malalo Mission Station exactly 100 years ago last on October 12, 1907.
They had already checked out other places from Busamang to Kelanuc before settling at Asini at a place called Poadulu.
At Poadulu, work started on Malalo.
The local people were very happy and gave a large piece of land to the Lutheran Church.
The Laukanu people had two kasali so they sailed all the way to Finschhafen and brought missionaries’ cargo back to Malalo.
When Rev Mailainder was clearing land at Malalo, he had a surveyor, Mr Mayar, who worked alongside him.
Work had already started when Rev Boettger arrived and the station was established.
At that time, a church was made of sago leaves.
This was after the congregation membership increased to 500.
Work started on Malalo Mission Station on October 12, 1907, and the opening was on December 20, 1907.
In 1908, the work of confirmation started and work started on a new church building with proper roofing iron.
One missionary gave 1000 German Marks, while Munchen in Germany gave a big bell and a bowl for baptism.
Work started on the new church building and on January 30th, 1910, it was opened with Holy Baptism.
Malalo 100th anniversary organiser Elisah Ahimpum was pleased with the hundreds of people who turned up for the occasion, which also featured a cultural show.
Plaques with the names of all missionaries and evangelists who worked at Malalo were unveiled on the day.
Invited guests to the 100th anniversary celebrations include Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG leader Reverend Dr Bishop Wesley Kigasung, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge, Lae MP and prominent Lutheran Bart Philemon, Huon Gulf MP and Health Minister Sasa Zibe, as well as Bulolo MP Sam Basil as the Miti filtered into his area from Malalo.

Unfortunately, not all were able to attend, with only Assistant ELPNG Bishop Zao Rapa representing the church and Mr Philemon and Tewai-Siassi MP Vincent Michaels representing the government.
However, that did not spoil the occasion, with hundreds turning up to witness celebrations marking the centenary.

Port Moresby’s Garden of Eden

Port Moresby - Papua New Guinea's capital city – is fast becoming a rapidly growing urban jungle.

Many children who grow up in the city do not know, or perhaps never will know, of that flora and fauna that is so prolific all over our beautiful country.

But there is a temporary reprieve.

The National Capital Botanical Gardens can rightly be called Port Moresby’s “Garden of Eden”.

The gardens, since being taken over by the National Capital District Commission in 1993, have become one of the prime tourist attractions in the city.

Moreover, for caged-in city residents, they offer an oasis of peace and beauty amidst all the pressures.

The gardens also play a very important role in nature and conservation education as well as distribution of trees and flowers in the capital city.

Situated within the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) campus in Port Moresby, the gardens were established in 1971 by renowned gardener Andre Millar.

They were initially established as a teaching garden for the UPNG Biology Department and also as a nursery to supply plants for the university grounds.

When Mrs Millar left in the late 1970s, the gardens experienced problems with management and funding and eventually declined from a beautiful garden to a desolate piece of bush land.

When the NCDC took over the assets of the gardens in 1993 through the new curator Justin Tkatchenko, it established a major redevelopment programme.

Another expatriate Wolfgang Bandisch ran the gardens until his departure from the country last year.

The gardens today - under current acting general manager Judith Raka - have a huge collection of plants from all over PNG as well as other parts of the world.

These include palm species, bamboos, heliconias, cordyline, pandanus, native trees and shrubs.

The gardens are well known for their extensive collection of PNG orchid species housed in large greenhouses.

They have large orchid houses for orchid hybrids producing cut flowers for the flower shop.

There are a number of animals on display, like tree climbing kangaroos, gouria pigeons, birds of paradise, cockatoos, lorikeets, parrots and many other birds.

One of the new tenants is a strange looking tree kangaroo, hailing from the Sepik, which has a very long tail.

An orchid research centre was established some years ago.

It includes a small herbarium and a fully equipped ochid tissue culture laboratory where thousands of orchid plants are produced annually from seed and tissue cuIture.

The gardens' collection of flora and fauna is the only place in the city that offers educational attractions and an -depth view and appreciation of what PNG has to offer.

They provide valuable scientific and environmental education for school children.

Tours are offered to school children and cover a variety of subjects

A typical guided tour begins with the snake house, the palm collection, birds and animal collection, the mini rainforest, the timber tree collection, the vanilla collection, the orchid nursery and its collection and finally to the insect collection.

The tours help instill in children a responsible attitude towards the environment and help them learn and appreciate the remarkable natural beauty of PNG.

"It's good for parents to bring their children here, especially those who don't go back to their villages," says scientific and education officer Linda Pohai.

"The school children can really learn a lot."

One of the exciting projects the garden has embarked on with the Forest Industry Association, Rotary Club and the Department of Environment and Conservation is a school nursery project.

“It’s about a national school nursery project,” Ms Pohai explains.

“It’s mainly about planting trees.

“What we do is we have a nursery here funded by all these organisations.

“We facilitate workshops for teachers on how to grow trees and build a nursery.

“Once they build a nursery, they can come and pick up trees.

“We’ve done it for the whole year last year, with a lot of schools from NCD attending. “There are two schools that have already collected their trees - that’s Ward Strip and St Therese Primary School at Badili.

“The trees that we grow are mainly useful trees like medicinal trees, fruit trees and trees that can provide shade or firewood to the community.

“We also try to get the community involved, such as teaching a group of boys from Koki how to grow trees, build nurseries and then giving them free trees.”

Apart from flora and fauna, there are recreational areas where barbeques, weddings and other functions can be held.

The Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery

Welcome to the depth and diversity of Papua New Guinea in the National Museum and Art Gallery.
The Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery is the “spiritual house” for the rich natural, cultural and contemporary heritage of this country.
The museum is owned by the people of Papua New Guinea and to date has well over 30,000 anthropological collections, more than 25,000 archeological collections, more than 18,000 natural science collections, more than 20,000 war relics and more than 7000 contemporary art collections.
It consists of three premises which are the main museum located at Waigani in Port Moresby, the Mordern History (sometimes known as War Museum) at Gordons in Port Moresby, and the J.K. McCarthy Museum at Goroka in the Eastern Highlands Province.
The main museum at Waigani consists of five display galleries which are the Masterpiece Gallery, the Independence Gallery, the Sir Allan Mann Gallery (for temporary exhibits), Life and Land (natural history and prehistory) Gallery and the Sir Michael Somare (new acquisitions) Gallery.
In addition, there is a central court yard with live animals and birds, a theatrette, amphitheatre, amenities area, souvenir shop, four large storage rooms, conservation laboratory, photographic laboratory, carpentry workshop, graphic rooms and editing equipment rooms.
It is one of the “must visit” icons of Port Moresby like the neighbouring National Parliament and the National Capital District Botanical Gardens at Waigani.
It is open to the general public from Monday to Friday (8.30am to 3.30pm) and Sunday (1pm to 3pm).
It is closed to the public on Saturdays except for organised visits.
The Mordern History premises at Ahuia Street, Gordons, consist of office space, two storage rooms, display room and a library.
The collection includes aircraft, vehicles and war artifacts from pre-independence and post-independence.
Some of the unique objects in the national collection include a P-38F Lockheed Lightning aircraft, the oldest P-38 in a museum in the world.
The J.K. McCarthy Museum in Goroka consists of six display galleries which are the Niugini Room, Giddings Gallery, Leahy Wing, Soso Subi Gallery and the Archeological Room.
It also has offices for scientific and administrative staff, a storage room and a gift shop.
Its main collections are artifacts and specimens from the Highlands region.
Artifacts include wooden dishes, stone mortars, stone blades, magic stones, and sandstones for making stone blades.

Independence Gallery

This gallery features a stunning Kula canoe from the Trobriand Islands of the Milne Bay Province.
The upper section of the exhibit contains a fine collection of traditional fishing equipment, bilums (string bags), pottery, traditional ceremonial and casual dress and cooking utensils.
Traditional musical instruments and a variety of PNG’s renowned kundu and garamut drums are also on display.

Masterpiece Gallery

This gallery brings to you a unique selection of the museum’s most-important cultural objects in terms of religious significance and aesthetic excellence.
In this collection are tall posts from the Sepik which are used to decorate haus tambarans (spirit houses), ancestral boards from the Sepik and intricately-carved Malangan masks from New Ireland.
Papua New Guinea’s astonishing diversity and depth of spiritual expression is demonstrated here.

Michael Somare Gallery

This gallery is named in honour of Papua New Guinea’s first Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and displays temporary exhibits.
It was opened in 1986 with an exhibition of Independence and State gifts Sir Michael received over the years.

Life and Land Gallery

This exhibition records the lives of the early inhabitants of New Guinea who arrived up to 50,000 years ago.
Archeological excavations have revealed the early Highlanders were among the world’s first farmers.
Within this gallery is a colourful collection of preserved bird specimens including a variety of birds of paradise, while seashore to mountain diorama shows the variety of PNG vegetation and wildlife from the swampy mangroves to the cool of the Highlands.

Sir Allan Mann Gallery

This gallery is named in honour of the Museum’s first Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
The gallery makes the display of traveling and temporary exhibitions possible.
This gallery has displayed a variety of important exhibitions over many years.

Other Features

Right in the heart of the museum is an enclosure of live birds and animals including hornbills, parrots and ducks.
The museum bookshop is located at the front of the entrance.
The bookshop sells a variety of carvings, bilums and cards as well as books on Papua New Guinea, which are excellent gift ideas.
A pleasant shady courtyard/reception area is also available for hire at a reasonable rate.
Within the museum is a small multi-screen lecture room, normally used for educational activities and a theatre that can hold up to 250 people.

Science and Research Division

The Science and Research Division consists of Mordern History, J.K. McCarthy Museum, Anthropology, Prehistory, Natural History, Conservation and Contemporary Arts.
These are specialised scientific and research areas that carry out the main functions of the museum’s heritage and cultural collections.

Export Permits

Please be aware that an export permit is needed to take artifacts out of the country.
The permit, as gazetted under the provision of the National Cultural Property (Preservation) Act, is issued at the National Museum.
To obtain a permit, consult the museum and provide either the artifacts or a photograph for inspection.
If the items are permitted exports, an export permit will be issued.

Contact details:

Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery
P.O. Box 5660
Boroko
National Capital District
Papua New Guinea
Telephone: (675) 3252522
Facsimile: (675) 3251779
Email: pngmuseum@global.net.pg

Goroka and Eastern Highlands Province

What is it about Goroka and the Eastern Highlands in general that makes outsiders fall in love with the place?
Having lived in Goroka from 1998 to 2002, where I worked for the Coffee Industry Corporation, I can understand why people go there and never leave.
That’s where my wife and I settled together, where our first two sons were born.
Six years after leaving Goroka, I can honestly say that it’s a place that we’ve never quite left and our hearts will always be there.
Before that, from 1975 to 1977, I did my early years of primary school in Goroka.
And in the 1960s, my mum and dad lived there, and that’s where my elder sister and brother were born.
So I guess you can say that Goroka has always been a second home to us.
The first and foremost attraction of Goroka and Eastern Highlands has been the friendly, peace–loving people.
Secondly, there’s the famed ‘perennial spring’ weather of the province.
Eastern Highlands province is made up of eight districts.

They are Goroka, Kainantu, Henganofi, Unggai/Bena, Obura/Wonenara, Asaroka, Lufa and Okapa.
Eastern Highlands has a total land area land of 11, 347 square km.
The Province shares a common administrative boundary with Madang, Morobe and Gulf Provinces and Simbu Provinces.
Eastern Highlanders like to think of themselves as the friendliest people in the Highlands and have less tribal fights compared to other Highlands provinces.
Eastern Highlands has a total population of 432, 792 people.
The Eastern Highlands makes up 8.3 per cent of the total PNG population, which is the fourth highest population in the country after Southern Highlands, Morobe and Western Highlands Provinces.
They are hardworking people who attend to their food gardens, coffee and livestock while the educated ones work in the towns or cities.
Many from all over the country and expatriates have made this province their home either because of work or marriage.
The Province is home to a number of national institutions such as: Coffee Industry Corporation, PNG Institute of Medical Research, University of Goroka, National Sports Institute, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Aiyura National High School, National Agriculture Research Institute, Coffee Research Institute, and Yonki Hydro Power Station.
Non-government organisations such as Research & Conservation Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Save the Children and Eastern Highlands Family Voice have a strong presence in Goroka.
The PNG Coffee Festival & Trade Fair every May and the Goroka Show every September are two major events on Goroka’s calendar.
The province is the regional trucking centre, having one of the Highlands region's major trucking company's operating in Goroka.
The East-West Trucking Company freights cargo and provides service to the entire Highlands region. Apart from that, there are other private trucking firms that freight cargo.
The province's economy lies in the production and export of coffee, which provides the economic backbone and livelihood for all Eastern Highlanders.
Leading exporters of coffee based in the Province are PNG Coffee Exports and New Guinea Highlands Coffee Exports as well as PNG's ground coffee manufacturers Goroka Coffee Roasters, Kongo Coffee and Arabicas Ltd.
The Coffee Industry Corporation headquarters is also located in Goroka.
Eastern Highlands is the leading producer of coffee in the Highlands region.
It produces large quantities of coffee annually for export.
Almost all rural households within the province own a small plot of coffee as a small family project.
A lot of families have now taken to supplementing their family's income by engaging in small agricultural and livestock businesses.
The introduction of vanilla, wheat and rice has had a huge impact on agricultural enthusiasts throughout the Province.

Rice and wheat is being grown for own consumption and/or selling while the vanilla is sold to the international market.
Pigs, rabbits and especially chickens are readily farmed while fresh vegetables are still grown for the local and national markets.
Traditional houses, built circular or horizontal and walls weaved from pitpit canes or bamboo, are common in villages.
Traditional housing is built in a circular or rectangular shape and the walls weaved from pitpit canes or bamboo.
Cooking is done either by using bamboos, roasting sweet potatoes in the open fire or using earth ovens known as mumu.
Monthly rainfall follows a seasonal pattern with a wet season from December to early April having mean monthly rainfalls of about 203mm to 305mm.
Eastern Highlands Province is made up of rugged mountain terrain and broad valleys.
It has low coastal areas in the Markham and Ramu valleys.
The Province's two highest peaks, Mt Tabletop and Mt Michael, are located on Kratke and Bismarck Range respectively.
They rise at a height of more than 3000 metres above sea level.
Specifically, Mt Michael is situated 3750 metres above sea level while Mt Tabletop is at 3686 metres.
Asaro and Lamari rivers both flow into the Purari, which is one of PNG's five major river systems.
The Ramu River feeds the Yonki Hydro-Power Station.
The Province is entered through the Kassam Pass and exited to other Highlands provinces at Daulo Pass.
Kassam Pass offers a picturesque view of the Markham and Ramu valleys while Daulo Pass reveals a breath taking view of Goroka's lush, green valleys.
Grasslands dominate a broad area of land especially in the valleys, which is predominantly inhabited by people.
To surmise, there’s no other place like Goroka or Eastern Highlands!

Florence Jaukae makes the world her stage

Everyone under the perennial-springtime climate of Goroka seems to know Florence Jaukae.
She has time for everyone, her smiles are contagious, and she is heavily involved in community affairs and charity work.
I know, because I spent almost five years working in Goroka for the Coffee Industry Corporation, and often passed her on her way to work at Frameworks Architects.
Such is the popularity of this 36-year-old woman that, in a male-dominated society such as that of the Eastern Highlands, Jaukae is a Ward 4 councillor in the Goroka Rural Local Level Government.
And she is known for her no-nonsense approach during council sessions!
However, it is with the seemingly-ubiquitous bilum, that she is making a name for herself, Goroka, and Papua New Guinea.
Florence Jaukae hit the world stage in Melbourne in March 2006 when the Papua New Guinea team wore her products at the Commonwealth Games.
The mean wore bilum ties and the women bilum dresses supplied by her Goroka-based company Jaukae Bilumwear.
It was a proud moment for her, more so, when Ryan Pini won gold for Papua New Guinea in that moment forever etched in time.
Another big break for Jaukae came in September 2006 when the Small Business Development Corporation arranged for her to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, to attend an APEC seminar on supporting and enhancing capacity for women exporters.
Entrants in the Miss Papua New Guinea quest wore her dresses at crowing night last December.
Now, in a seemingly never-ending story, the Investment Promotion Authority arranged for her to attend an expo in Australia.
Indeed, Jaukae has made the world her stage, from very humble beginnings at her Kama village in Goroka about five years ago.
It was then that she started making and wearing dresses made like bilums.
The fad caught on in Goroka, the rest of Papua New Guinea, and the world is now Jaukae’s stage.
“We’re doing very well,” Jaukae says.
“SBDC has been very supportive and this has enabled us to get a loan from the Rural Development Bank.
“We’re got overseas customers, however, that I will not disclose because of increasing competition from other bilum dress makers.
“All I can say is that we’ve got a lot of interest from people overseas, mainly Australians.”
Jaukae Bilumwear involves about 50 women who spin and weave the wool to make dresses and other items of clothing at Kama.
“I buy the wool, give it to them, and they weave the dresses,” Jaukae says.
“They give the dresses to me and I find the customers.
“It is a labour-intensive industry.
“It can take up to two months to make a dress.
“That’s why the average cost per dress is about K300.
“The reality of it is that I don’t benefit.

“It is the women who make bilum dresses who benefit.
“About two-thirds of income goes to them while one-third comes to me, mainly to cover telephone and other administrative costs.
“We’ve come a long way over the last five to six years.”
Jaukae, however, feels that the women weavers need a lot more government assistance, especially in marketing.
She also feels that women must have readily-available access to credit, training in business, and knowledge of computers in this day and age.
“Every woman can make a bilum,” she says.
“It comes to us naturally as Papua New Guinean women.
“The government must help us find a market because the benefits trickle right down to the unemployed mothers.
“It will also fight against poverty.
“This is a new industry we’ve created in the country.
“We don’t want flattering remarks.
“We want your help.
“Marketing is the problem.
“We are looking at the government to help us find markets outside of the country.”
The future?
“I want to see this become a big industry in the country, because it is an industry for the grassroots,” Jaukae replies.
“The government should also look at creating a national dress for the country, and of course, I’m putting my hand up for bilum wear!”
People who wish to purchase genuine Jaukae bilum products can contact Florence Jaukae on mobile (675) 6868994 or email jaukaebilumwear@hotmail.com.

Flower pot man is a university graduate

Chris Dally is familiar sight outside Gerehu Stop N Shop Supermarket, Rainbow Village, and other parts of Gerehu in Port Moresby.
The tall, dreadlocked Dally, 44, from Busamang village in the south coast of Morobe province, ekes out a living by selling beautifully-crafted flower pots made from old tyres.
Many a house in Gerehu and Rainbow Village is decorated with trademark Chris Dally flower pots.
He fashions them himself at his Gerehu Stage 5 home and then takes them to Gerehu Stop N Shop, and Rainbow Village, where his biggest clientele is.
Dally averages K300 weekly, which is enough to put food on the table for his young family, pay the bills, and put his two children to school.
He is adamant Papua New Guinea would not have such a huge unemployment problem if people eat humble pie and go into such small business.
He is also proud that he is quietly contributing to the fight against pollution and global warming by discouraging people from throwing away and burning old tyres – something for which Papua New Guineans are notorious.
But, unknown to may people, Dally isn’t just a simple flower pot peddler.
The pithy saying, “never judge a book by the cover”, rings true for him.
Chris Dally is a graduate in Building Technology from the University of Technology in Lae and, before that, completed secondary education at Sogeri National High School.
It is with disbelief that former schoolmates of university and Sogeri, friends, and wantoks pass Dally under the shady neem trees outside Gerehu Stop N Shop.
He worked with a number of firms as a building designer before, literally, being run over by old tyres.
It was quite by accident, about two years ago, that Dally took up making flower pots from old tyres.
“I learned through trial and error,” he recalls.
“I had two old types, which I sold to some men from Pindiu (Morobe province).
“They found some faults with the tyres and came back to me demanding their money back.”
Dally fashioned the two tyres into flower pots and, lo and behold, “my neighbours said that they would buy the flower pots”.
“I saw that I could make good money so I continued.
“I make small pots, large pots, and hanging ones.
“Sales are very good.
“Everything I produce is sold.
“I can make up to K300 a week.
“I pick up old tyres all over the place.
“A lot of old tyres end up being burned.
“I try to stop people from burning tyres.
“At Gerehu Stage 5, where I live, I find a lot of tyres in the main drain which runs into the swamps behind Gerehu.
“I collect the tyres, dry them, mark them with chalk, and cut them out.
“I then make holes in the tyres, wire them up, thoroughly clean them up, and paint them.
“I can make six flower pots from an average-sized tyre, which I sell for K10 each.
“So you are looking at K60 from an old tyre!
“I can make K60 per tyre, and in one week, I can work on five tyres, which add up to K300.”
Dally is a crusader for self-employment and believes that there should be no such thing as unemployment in Papua New Guinea.
“I’ve passed on some of my skills to boys on the street and they are making their own money,” he says.
“There are a lot of ways for unemployed people to make money, rather than resorting to crime.
“I think people are just too lazy.
“A lot of people are also too proud to get into such small activities.
“For example, I have brought in some young boys, but they feel embarrassed standing out on the streets selling flower pots.
“Some of my ex schoolmates (from university and Sogeri) see me and they wonder what I’m doing out there, selling flower pots, but I don’t feel embarrassed.
“The problem with Papua New Guinea is that people don’t want to work hard.
“They just want to sit back and wait for handouts.”
Dally does get the occasional building job; however, he plans to stay on in the flower pot-making business.
At the beginning of this year, he registered a business name, to run his own company.

You know you're a Papua New Guinean when:

*You can have cordial 4 breakfast.

* You have Buai for Lunch.

* You still live with your parents even though you're 30.

*U bring your boyfriend/girlfriend to the house and everyone's concluded that you are married!

* You wear board shorts to cruz in town even though u r not going 4 a swim (KBS 2 the max!).

* You share one cigarette with five other people.

* Your Mother gives your father Black eyes.

* You have about 3 families living in one house.

* Still keep drinking even though you can barely talk and walk.

* At any major function, instead of a plate, your food comes in a plastic container.

* You run into a mountain of Slippers blocking the front door.

* Your staple diet is rice and tin fish or Ox & palm.

* You have a huge gap between your first two toes, (excessive thong wear...).

* Swimming pool is filled with people wearing t-shirts, (Females).

* You can sprint barefoot on sharp stones and rocks.

* You wake up and go straight to work or classes.

* At crossings, u r supposed 2 wait 4 the car to stop b4 crossing, not the other way around.

* Your first and last names are the same. (John John).

* You have a perpetually drunk Uncle who starts fights at every family gathering.

* You call a friend - (squad).

* Every time you greet someone he says "YOU"?.

* You have sat in a 4-seater car with up to 8 other people.

* You can speak with your face - eg. Twitch like a rabbit to ask, Where you going?"

* Your Grandmother thinks Vicks Vapor-Rub is the miracle cure for everything> (including broken bones ....).

* You're getting a hiding and your parents yell at you as to ,"Why you are crying for?" ("you karai lo wanem ah ......").

* You've been shamed and belted up by your Mother in front of schoolmates at the Supermarket.

* You're a Tycoon on your payday by shouting everyone and scab money off people till the next fortnight.

* You invite people over for dinner and your family all of a sudden says the grace.

* You've had an afro at some stage in your life (boys AND girls) and thought you looked cool.

* You're at your Aunties and see your 6 year old cousin doing household chores.

* Your Aunty visits and she's talking to you at the same time as looking in your pots for food...

* You go to your village rich and come back poor.

* You have lap laps for curtains in your house.

The write stuff now and into the future

It is while doing my annual end-of-year clean-up over the Christmas/New Year (2006/2007) period that I find a couple of old Kovave magazines from the early 1970s buried under a mountain of paper, novels and assorted paraphernalia.
I flick through the old Kovave magazines, hand-me-downs from my late father, and the memories of another day come to mind.
It is like being transported back to the halcyon days of Papua New Guinea literature in pre-1975.
For those who came in late, Kovave was arguably the best-ever literary publication of the young University of PNG, featuring some of our greatest talent such Vincent Eri, Albert Maori Kiki, Kumulau Tawali, John Kasaipwalova, Leo Hannett, Rabbie Namaliu, Russell Soaba, John Kadiba, John Kaniku, and many others.
Apart from Kovave, their work was also featured on the National Broadcasting Commission’s popular not-to-be missed Sunday night dramas and other literary programmes.
I lie on my mountain of paper and let my mind wander back to those days when such powerful writings so influence my young mind.
My wife wakes me up from my reverie and I fast-forward back to the future just like I am in a time machine.
Coincidentally, I happen to meet senior UPNG literature lecturer and established writer Dr Steven Winduo - who is a good friend of mine and part of the campus literary crowd in the 1980s – at the market that afternoon and we make it a point to meet some time.
Dr Winduo now wears many hats including being director of the Melanesian and Pacific Studies (MAPS) Centre at UPNG, and chairman of the National Literature Board, to name a few.
He believes that PNG literature is undergoing a renaissance after a literary lull between the ‘80s and ‘90s.
“I can see that there is a wave of new voices of PNG literature since last year when we started the National Literature Board,” Dr Winduo says.
“National Literature Board is under the auspices of the National Cultural Commission, so, we began to run the national literature competition
“When it started we had more than 300 entries.
“We had about six novels, a lot of short stories, poems and plays.
“That indicates to me that people are writing.
“But what they need is the support of the government as well as people in places such as UPNG to help them.
“This is very important because over the years, between the ‘70s and ‘90s, there was a literary gap.
“Commentators were saying that literature was dead in PNG, that the ‘80s and ‘90s was almost like ‘death’.
“I came through from that generation of a literary lull.
“People believed Papua New Guineans didn’t have the creative power anymore.
“But 2000 and beyond, individual writers began to publish.

“I think 2000 and onwards, we began to see new writers coming out.
“Some of them are very good.”
Dr Winduo’s MAPS Centre has a publishing programme in place; however, this has been limited because of funding constraints.
This is something that he feels strongly about.
“If we don’t give writers that opportunity (to publish), the work of a lot of people with literary talent will not see the light of day.”
Dr Winduo is also mindful that critical reading of quality works by Papua New Guineans is not done.
“This concerns me as a scholar.
“Otherwise, creativity is there.”
He also acknowledges the work of the Divine Word University in Madang in supporting literature.
“Balanced with scholarly work, fiction and non-fiction, I believe the university should play a central role in fostering and in developing cultural consciousness in PNG,” he adds.
“In some ways, my centre plays a major role and I’m very confident of seeing a lot more writing coming out.
“UPNG still runs Savannah Flames literary journal.
“It’s supposed to come out once a year.
“This is one avenue for writers to submit their works for publication.
“That’s the only journal that encourages creative writing.
“That’s now supported by MAPS Centre.
“Apart from that, I see the future as plentiful, but how do we cultivate it is the question?
“If you think about it, writing is now powerful.
“There are so many things happening in our country, so get the pen and write.”
Dr Winduo also feels that PNG writers are not given ample recognition, as well as financial endowment.
“One of my views is that I really want to see the government recognise our writers.
“Give them a medal or something.
“Maybe have totem poles named after them.
“Look at Russell Soaba, who was given a 30th anniversary independence medal (in 2006).
“It took the government so many years to recognise this writer.
“Albert Maori Kiki, Vincent Eri and others are recognised all over the world but they are not recognised in their own country.
“The other issue is that the government should look at creating an endowment fund for the arts, which is really a kind of funding mechanism to support all arts, including the literary art.
“The endowment fund can be used to support publishing houses.
“Without the endowment, it’s a bottleneck situation.
“For example, we at MAPS, are working with very limited funding.
“Literature and the arts have been very poor recipients of private sector support.”

Papua New Guinea literature took a giant step forward in May 2006 when the first-ever writers’ workshop was held at the Holiday Inn, Port Moresby, organised by the National Literature Board and the National Cultural Commission.
More than 80 aspiring and established writers rubbed shoulders in a long-overdue event.
Dr Winduo was away in New Zealand at that time, however, gave his full support to the event.
“That (workshop) should have been in the ‘80s,” he says.
“The feedback I got is that writing is there.
“It’s the support that the government gives as well as UPNG that is needed.
“I see the future of literature opening up.
“This is a concerted effort by like-minded people and institutions who are saying ‘let’s work together’.
“Literature goes into other activities and feeds its consciousness.
“The ability of Papua New Guineans is there”

Wednesday July 23 is Remembrance day in Papua New Guinea

Wednesday 23rd July is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea and marks the 66th anniversary of the first engagement by PNG and Australian forces against the invading Japanese in WWII.
Out of the chaos and death that followed came the enduring heroism of the Kokoda Trail, and the special relationship that has bound PNG and Australia ever since.
One of the bloodiest campaigns of the Second World War began 66 years ago on Wednesday this week, July 23.
And it has forever sealed the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
It was on this day, in 1942, that Japanese troops landed on the northern coast of New Guinea and unexpectedly began to march over the Owen Stanley Ranges with the intent of capturing Port Moresby.
Had they succeeded, the mainland of Australia would have come under dire threat.
July 23 - Remembrance Day - marks the 60th anniversary of the first engagement between the opposing troops on July 23, 1942, and from that engagement, as the Australian force was progressively outnumbered, began the long fighting withdrawal over the Owen Stanley Range.
The 21st Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Potts DSO MC, was rushed to New Guinea and within days, its 1500 men were closing in on the precarious Owen Stanley Ranges in an attempt to position themselves to stop the advance of the Japanese forces - now building up to over 10, 000 men.
The brigade also engaged the ill-trained but gallant militia 39th Battalion at Isurava in the foothills on the far side of the range.
Kokoda was arguably Australia's most significant campaign of the Second World War.
More Australians died in the seven months of fighting in Papua, and the Japanese came closer to Australia, than in any other campaign.
Many of those young Australians, whose average age was between 18 and 19, now lie buried at the Bomana War Cemetery outside Port Moresby.
The famous photograph of "fuzzy wuzzy angel" Raphael Oimbari leading a blindfolded wounded Australian epitomizes the close relationship between Australians and Papua New Guineans which has come about because of the battle of Kokoda.
To read between the lines of "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels", the celebrated poem by Australian digger Bert Beros, will bring you to tears.
The poem, while sentimental, touches a chord that has endured to this day in the hearts of both Australians and Papua New Guineans.
It tells of the prayers of worried Australian mothers, whose young sons are fighting the Japanese on that rugged trail, and how their prayers are answered in the form of "fuzzy wuzzy angels".

Many a mother in Australia when the busy day is done
Sends a prayer to the Almighty for the keeping of her son
Asking that an angel guide him and bring him safely back
Now we see those prayers are answered on the Owen Stanley Track.

For they haven't any halos, only holes slashed in their ears
And their faces worked by tattoos with scratch pins in their hair
Bringing back the badly wounded just as steady as a horse
Using leaves to keep the rain off and as gentle as a nurse

Slow and careful in the bad places on the awful mountain track
The look upon their faces would make you think Christ was black
Not a move to hurt the wounded as they treat him like a saint
It's a picture worth recording that an artist's yet to paint

Many a lad will see his mother and husbands see their wives
Just because the fuzzy wuzzy carried them to save their lives
From mortar bombs and machine gun fire or chance surprise attacks
To the safety and the care of doctors at the bottom of the track

May the mothers of Australia when they offer up a prayer
Mention those impromptu angels with their fuzzy wuzzy hair.

- Bert Beros

In 1942, a seldom-used track climbed from the small village of Buna on the north coast of Papua, over the Owen Stanley Ranges and on to Port Moresby.
The track was fairly easy up the slopes through Gorari and Oivi to the village of Kokoda, which stood on a small plateau 400 metres above sea level, flanked by mountains rising to over 2000 metres.
It then climbed over steep ridges and through deep valleys to Deniki, Isurava, Kagi, Ioribaiwa, Ilolo and, at Ower's Corner, linked with a vehicle road leading from plantations in the hills above Port Moresby down to the coastal plains.
Between Kokoda and Ilolo, the track often climbed up gradients so steep that it was heartbreaking labor for burdened men to climb even a few hundred yards.
Much of the track was through dense rainforest, which enclosed the narrow passage between walls of thick bush.
At higher levels the terrain became moss and stunted trees, which were often covered in mist.
From July to November 1942 this was the setting for a bitter campaign to prevent the fall of Port Moresby.
On January 23, 1942, the Japanese landed at Kavieng on New Ireland and at Rabaul on New Britain where they quickly overcame the Australian defenders.
On March 8, the Japanese established themselves firmly at Lae and Salamaua in Morobe.
But the famous Battle of the Coral Sea from May 5 to 8 averted a Japanese sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby.
The American success at the Battle of Midway in June not only destroyed Japan's capacity for undertaking long range offensives but also provided the Americans with the opportunity to move from the defensive to the offensive.
The Japanese, who were regularly bombing Port Moresby with 20 to 30 bombers with fighter escort, decided on the overland attack across the Owen Stanley Ranges.
On the Kododa Trail the Australian 7th Division resisted the Japanese General Horii's overland attempt to capture Port Moresby, and the advance was halted within 30 miles of the city.
A small force of Australians known as "Maroubra Force" arrived at Buna on July 21st, 1942, as the first Japanese force of 1500 men landed at Gona, eight miles to the west.
What followed will forever go down as one of the most heroic defensive actions in the annals of military history.
The first engagement between the opposing troops was on July 23, 1942, and from that engagement, as the Australian force was progressively outnumbered, began the long fighting withdrawal over the Owen Stanley Range.
Kokoda is a small plateau on the north-east slopes of the Owen Stanley Range and possessed a small airstrip the retention of which, for at least as long as it would take Australia to fly in supplies and reinforcements, was of great importance.
However, the remnants of "Maroubra Force", exhausted by a month's constant fighting, were unable to achieve this. Valiant though their effort was, even recapturing the plateau after being driven out, the Japanese need was of equal importance.
They needed a forward base at Kokoda for their drive over the ranges along the "Kokoda Trail" to Port Moresby and they struck before the Australians were able to muster sufficient strength.
The initiative now remained with the Japanese and Australian withdrawal began again - through Isurava, Alola, Templeton's Crossing, Myola, Efogi, Menari and Nauro until at Ioribaiwa Ridge, beyond which the Japanese could not be permitted to penetrate, a final stand was made.
From August 26 to September 16 in 1942 Brigadier Potts's Maroubra Force, consisting of the 2/16th Battalion, together with the 2/14th, the 2/27th and the militia 39th and scattered elements of the ill-trained 53rd Battalion - outnumbered and outgunned by an estimated 5 to 1 - fought the Japanese to an eventual standstill on the ridges overlooking Port Moresby.
Two main battles were fought during that period (Isurava, August 26 to 29 and Brigade 'Butchers' Hill, from September 6 to 8).
In general, the desperately-tired but determined force kept themselves between the Japanese Major General Horri's South Sea Force and Port Moresby -- defending, retreating and then counter-attacking in a masterly display of strategic defence.
Conditions were almost indescribable.
It rained for most of the time, the weary men endured some of the most difficult terrain in the world and they were racked by malaria and dysentery.
But they kept on fighting, making the enemy pay dearly for every yard of ground. They bought time for those being prepared to come up from Port Moresby to relieve them.
The Australians, however, had a surprise in store for the enemy.
This was in the form of 25-pounder guns brought from Moresby to the road head at Ower's Corner and then laboriously dragged into position at Imita Ridge, opening up on the enemy's barricades.
It was now the turn of the Japanese to suffer what the Australians had suffered in the preceding two months.
Australian shelling smashed Japanese defences and aggressive patrols inflicted severe losses.
On the morning of September 28th, the Australians were closing in and it became evident then the Japanese were withdrawing.
The chase, with the Australians the pursuers, was now on.
The Japanese, despite sickness and hunger, were still formidable and tenaciously defended all the places in their withdrawal as the Australians had in their retreat some weeks earlier.
Kokoda was entered on November 2 and this was the beginning of the end of Japanese hopes in Papua.
The campaign now entered a phase known as "The Battle of the Beaches".
The Japanese were bottled up in the area from where they had begun their drive against Port Moresby some months previously -- Buna and Gona.
This final campaign began on November 19, 1942, and ended on January 22, 1943, when all organised resistance by the Japanese in Papua ended.
Lt Col Honner DSO MC, who commanded the gallant 39th in the campaign, later wrote of these men in the foreword to Peter Brune's book 'Those Rugged Bloody Heroes': "They have joined the immortals." Of those that did not survive, he wrote: "Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free."

Plans to build hotel in famous Lae Botanical Garden kick up a stink

(Note: If you wish to make a comment on this burning issue, click comments at the bottom of this posting)

Talks going on between the Forest Ministry and a private company to build a hotel in the middle of the famous Lae Botanical Garden have kicked up a stink.

Forestry Minister Belden Namah revealed in Parliament last week that his Ministry was making K7 million available to rehabilitate the Lae BotanicalGarden.

He said the plan to build the hotel was purposely to make the Lae Botanical Garden, which is one of the Papua New Guinea's biggest of its type, to sustain itself because for many years the Government had neglected this most-beautiful botanical gardens in the country.

Mr Namah said his ministry was in the process of signing the agreement between the company, the Morobe Provincial Government and the Forest Ministry for the proposed hotel development.

"The Government will now be making available K7 million to rehabilitate the botanical gardens and on top of that, there is a plan to give more than K100 million towards the proposed hotel project in the middle of the Lae Botanical Garden," he said.

B. Javanese wrote: “The proposal put forward by the PNG Gardener to have a five-star
hotel right in the heart of the botanical garden as part of rejuvenating the gardens as a tourist attraction is seen as a blatant blow to the purpose this garden exists for.

“ I am sure if he puts up a hotel, all the grass roots will be stopped outright from going in and out for family reunions, meetings, sightseeing and other picnics and activities.

“I propose the garden be left as it is and just work on putting up facilities and upgrading the beautification of the gardens.

“Income from the hotel will not at all sustain it.

“It is a public facility for the people of PNG and should be maintained at the expense of the taxpayers of this country and not be given to private companies.

“ If that happens the primary reason why the garden exists will be defeated.”

Max Kuduk wrote: “While on the face of it, the idea might be a good one, there seems be something that does not add.

“The Government putting up K7 million for garden re-development and K100 million for hotel development?

“ Does not seem like a kosher deal to me.”

Former PNG Forest Authority staffer Dr Osia Gideon wrote: “This is the most outrageous proposal I have ever seen.

“We never seem to learn!

“ Who will own the hotel when constructed?

“How many government business ventures have been running profitably over the
years?

“Almost none.

“ Like Max I sense a very fishy deal, tailored for someone's benefit.

“Every Papua New Guinea must oppose this proposal.

“The National Botanical Garden belongs to the people of Papua New Guinea, and must remain that way.

“ Too much public land and property has gone to individuals with political connections.
“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”

Dr Simon Saulei of the University of PNG: “Like Dr Gideon, I am very concern about this outrageous proposal.

“Why not spend that K10 or so millions on upgrading the gradens than building a hotel?

“ I have more to say but let us see this proposal and make our comments on it or better still front up with the Minister and tell him and his Morobe counterpart about the purpose of the garden and what really needs to be done and be sustained over a longer period of time.”

Laden wrote: “There are few facts that minister Nama and his forestry advisors need to know about Botanical Garden.

“Lae National Botanic garden is about 0.00002 % of the PNG’s current forested land area (29473000 ha).

“This is a very tiny piece of forest area by comparison yet it houses an estimated; 5-10% of all the plant species occurring on the island of New Guinea.

“About 2% of these plant are endemic to the island of New Guinea (found nowhere else in the world).

“The garden also holds remnant flora from one of the world’s oldest land mass, namely; Madagascar.

“The garden is very unique in many facets.

“For example, it is the only piece of land in Lae that remains to this day to tell of the kind of native flora of the LAHI tribal land, it is the only botanical garden in the entire PNG that has both the montane and lowland forest species coexisting, it is the only place in PNG that our children and their children can get to see one of the giant tree species Shoraea sp (Dipterocarpaceae), it is the only botanic garden in PNG which our children can see world’s most primitive flora.

“The botanic garden also provides a refuge for a rich resident bird fauna in the middle of all the noisy streets and ugly buildings.

“The Lae Botanical garden is certainly a great natural emporia of the New Guinea flora which primary schools, high schools, secondary high schools, colleges, and universities utilise in their curriculum.

“It is a Natural Heritage and warrants a designation equivalent to all our protected areas.

“Its biological, ecological, and esthetic values are clearly of national and global significance.

“ Lae Botanic garden indeed is perhaps the only significant piece of forest which has the capacity to effectively sequestrate all the toxic fumes generated in Lae city.

“The native plant species in the Botanic garden can be used as wild plant parent genetic material (PGR) that can produce new and improved tree crops that may be more resilient.

“The conversion of botanic garden to hotel will result in loss of the endemic species which would mean not only a loss to PNG, but a loss to the world as well.

“Minister should also know about the rate of deforestation in PNG.

“ PNG’s current rate of deforestation is 0.44 %, according to FAO report of the United Nations (1995-2005).

“ Deforestation rate in Japan, Australia, and USA; is 0.17%, 0.17%, and -0.10% respectively.

“It would seem that in our blindness in rushing to catch-up with their development, such as the crazy proposed hotel in the middle of botanic garden; we have neglected to see the greater care they have put into guarding their natural heritage and resources.”

“A case in point; the Didipa clan of Kau wildlife area in Madang, they did not have the necessary formal education in biodiversity and conservation that ministers advisors have, but what they were able to achieve in conserving and saving their forest is something that would make any conservationist proud.

“They have with limited resources, no formal education and little capital of their own, been able to set aside their small area of forested land all because they had the belief that what they were doing was right.

“Some of the plant species in the Lae Botanical Garden have little scientific data on their biology.

“Hence PNG has a country needs to preserve and conserve these species for future research to fulfill its global responsibility to protect and maintain all species within its borders.

“This knowledge is also critical for the development of effective conservation measures and for the preservation of biodiversity.

“What Lae Botanic Garden needs now to restore its former glory is a stand alone funding and not a squeezed-up funding from PNGFRI as is the case now.

“The Botanic garden has been in the past able to attract hundreds and thousands of tourists in a year without a hotel.

“ Records should show that not a single one of the tourists ask to see a five-star hotel in the botanic garden, so where is this crazy idea coming from?

“Come on! Wake up Minister and Advisors from this callous!”

Thomas Warr wrote: "I would suggest someone or a group in Lae to organise a meeting for us to talk about this.

"In saying that I think we should organise the Lae communities/groups to protest against this proposal."

Russell Soaba’s world

Welcome to Russell Soaba’s world.
He is the portrait of the odd man out, an individual, and a great thinker.
Russell Soaba is also one of the greatest, if not the greatest, writer in Papua New Guinea.
His works, particularly novels Maiba and Wanpis, are studied in universities around the world by students of literature and philosophy.
Followers of the existentialism philosophy around the world dote on the writings of Russell Soaba.
It is, however, a paradox that Russell Soaba is not even recognised in his own country Papua New Guinea for his great contribution to the country’s literature.
In 2006, he was awarded a Papua New Guinea independence medal, something that was supposed to have been given in 2000 but deferred because of the troubles on the University of PNG campus.
For this he is grateful, and adds that it is something for all the writers of Papua New Guinea, both young and old.
The 58-year-old, who speaks in parables, was born the “day after the 4th of July in 1950”.
“I think it’s about time,” he tells me in a rare interview.
“The only writer we have honoured, but in that matter for some other reason, is Sir Paulias Matane, with Michael Somare, Rabbie Namaliu, these people.
“But they are being honoured for some other reason than writing, and that’s the saddest thing.
“What these men must realise is that we deserve the same type of recognition as they do, even though they may think that the work they do differs from us.
“If you look at it closely, it all boils down to one important aspect of our society, and that is ‘communal service’.
“Every other journalist or scribe does exactly the same thing.
“So we must all be recognised on an equal footing.
“Ultimately, there is no denying that we all serve our community with the same amount of determination, commitment and dedication.
“What’s the difference between a good accountant who gets all his figures correct at the end of the day, and a writer who records the same sort of events in our lives, but in a different form?”
“It always comes back to what I always complain about.
“A writer is an unofficial ombudsman of the country.
“That means duties more in the area of human relationship.
“By that, I mean that as an ombudsman, or as an unofficial ombudsman, he does not set out to correct his neighbour, rather, what he is doing as that type of ombudsman, is lightly tapping a colleague on the shoulder and saying ‘listen brother, let’s no overdo this. It might have some negative results for both of us’.
“A writer is an ombudsman in that sense.
“He’s likely to correct a brother, who is likely to make a serious mistake.
“He’s acting more as a friend than a colleague or neighbour.”

Soaba then speaks three parables to me - that of the girl who does not serve him at Big Rooster, Asian efficiency as compared to his owned beloved country, and Alotau laziness – to point out the very serious attitude problem Papua New Guinea has.
“We as Papua New Guineans have this very bad attitude,” he says.
“If we change these bad attitudes, how much more easier, better and happier it would be?
“Looking at the way a writer looks at the society he lives in, and how he feels about certain things, why are things suddenly so wrong?
“We can’t blame the politicians too much.
“He is merely behaving like why is he a politician.
“The real wrong lies within out attitudes.
“I could write a long, long book about these bad attitudes we have as Papua New Guineans.
“You’re seeing the writer passing over as an unofficial ombudsman; a friend who cares to give some good advice because he cares about you.
“I see all of our writers as unofficial ombudsman of the society we live in.
“It comes back to the age-old slogan that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’.
“Its might is seen when there’s so much of small detail faithfully recorded without any grudges, put with a great amount of passionate zeal.
“Because of its sense of simplicity, it lasts forever.”
Soaba, Australian-educated high school student from Cape Vogel in the Milne Bay Province, talks fondly about his schooling days including the visit of Prince Charles to Martyrs Memorial High School in 1967.
“We were able to push him and given him a nudge.
“It was quite an experience.”
In 1968 and 1969, this precociously-talented Papua New Guinean was awarded an Anglican Church Scholarship to Australia to complete 11 and 12 at Baldwyn High School in Melbourne.
“Around that time I read in the Melbourne Age about 10,000 Years in a Lifetime (by Albert Maori Kiki) and I became excited about a Papua New Guinean writing a book,” Soaba tells me with emotion.
“And then I read I bit in Melbourne about Uli Bier (literature lecturer) influencing on (UPNG) campus.
“Even when I qualified to enter any Australian university then, I discovered that it would be far more exciting if I came back to UPNG.
“I was able to terminate the church scholarship, come back, and apply for government scholarship at the university.
“In 1970, I became so excited meeting Leo Hannett, Uli Bier, Arthur Jawodimbari, Rabbie Namaliu, a certain angry student politician called John Kasaipwalova, and a certain angry young man from outside called Michael Somare.
“These people I felt thrilled in meeting in person in the years 1970 and 1971.
“And of course, the personality who really thrilled me most was Vincent Eri, author of the first Papua New Guinean novel called The Crocodile.
“There was another quite personality I felt proud to meet: that was the poet Kumulau Tawali, and also another poet called Jack Lahui.

“In a way, I felt proud to be among this famous group of PNG writers.
“That was it.
“Since then I attended Uli Bier’s creative writing classes.
“He exercised that same sort of influence he had in Nigeria.
“His presence merely motivated PNG writers to emerge into worldwide recognition like Vincent Eri, Albert Maori Kiki, and the plays of Leo Hannett, Arthur Jawodimbari and John Kasaipwalova.
“Writing flourished at that time.
“Since then I have enjoyed the privilege of being among these famous people.
“Since then, of course, I consider myself as a writer.
“But whether or not a successful or great writer, that is highly questionable.”
Soaba’s greatest works are Wanpis (1977) and Maiba 1986 – around the world - and poem anthologies Naked Thoughts (1978 and Kwamra (2000), among various others.
“Since then, I sort of became lazy, not really lazy, but too much of teaching commitments,” he laughs.
“As such, much of the writing that I do has dwindled.
“It’s good to work and write at the same time.”
The government, Soaba feels, must give more support to writers.
“What the government of Papua New Guinea must do is institutionalise a writers’ and artists’ endowment fund, a grant programme,” he tells me.
“The government of PNG has no choice but do what is honourable by creating a grant programme for our writers and artists throughout the country.
“There is a place where this can be housed.
“This is the National Cultural Commission.
“The National Cultural Commission does have a Literature Board.
“What the government needs to do is use the literature board as the clearing house for this grant programme.
“The Somare government must recognise that, along with any government that comes along into power.
“It’s only honourable that they entertain it, support it in the best way possible.
“Consider the percentage of tax that government solicits out from business houses, companies, corporations.
“What I would ask for is 2 per cent tax money to go towards the writers’ grant scheme.
“The government can enjoy its 98 per cent.
“We have been ignored for too long.”
I ask Soaba about how he describes in writing, which I – personally – would describe as way beyond its time.
“My writing is highly personal, very intimate,” he replies,
“It addresses the individual man than the community as a whole.
“This is because I believe that this is where things start.
“Everything starts off with an individual and progresses to two people, on three, and then the community.
“Also, the characters that I create are these Papua New Guinean individuals.
“So really, if I concentrate on an individual, that doesn’t mean that I am working alone.

“In fact I’m speaking for the whole population.
“Each of these individuals gets born, cries to be heard, becomes an individual, and becomes a Papua New Guineans man or woman.
“Their fears, the hardships that they go through, their romantic experiences, tragedies, and all these things that is most human to us.”
So how this he feel about his books being studied around the world by students of literature and philosophy?
“The books themselves are studied not only in literature out there, but also in philosophy, social work and cultural studies.
“There are a great number of universities throughout the world who use the novel Maiba as a textbook.
“There is a women’s university in the USA who use the book Maiba every now and then as a textbook.
“I recall how pleased I felt with that school at one time.
“The principal wrote to me about the book, and that they were happy to teach the book at the school, they regarded me as an up-and-coming African woman writer.
“I replied and said ‘thank you’,” Soaba laughs wickedly.
His future?
“I am really anxious to publish one more novel before I call it quits
“I have had an offer from an Italian publisher who wants to translate Maiba and Wanpis into Italian.
“I also have recently selected a biographer to write my biographer.
“The other thing I would like to add is that I want to encourage our young writers of today to write seriously about us as Papua New Guineans.
“Give ourselves some kind of identity on the face of the world.”

Death of the Macdhui

A small, but significant, anniversary took place on Monday June 18, 2007.
That was the 65th anniversary of the sinking of the motor vessel Macdhui, sunk in the Port Moresby harbour by Japanese bombs in June 1942.
One of the best-known landmarks in Port Moresby is the wreck of the Macdhui in the waters just off the Port Moresby Technical College at Kanudi.
Many people just drive or walk past without knowing the significant role that the Macdhui played in the development of Papua New Guinea.
Recently, I was asked to be a tour guide for a retired US veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, and one of the World War 11 relics I showed him was the wreck of the Macdhui.
As we stood at Kanudi looking out to sea, I wondered what stories the deep blue sea, the rolling hills, and the wide sky could tell me about what they saw that fateful day in 1942.
It was then that I realised that June 18, 2007, would be the 65th anniversary of the sinking of the Macdhui and decided to put pen to paper.
The Macdhui, 4630 tonnes, built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1930, was owned and operated on the Australia-Papua New Guinea service by Burns Philp and Company Limited.
Macdhui’s maiden voyage took place in March 1931, sailing to Suva, Fiji, via the Azores, Jamaica, and the Panama Canal, with a load of coal.
Then the Sydney to Rabaul route for Burns Philip with 167 first-class passengers’ accomodation.
On June 20, 1931, a fire broke out on another voyage between Madang and Lae, but the passengers were safely taken ashore in lifeboats.
MacDhui was safely towed to Salamaua, New Guinea's then administrative capital, by Neptuna, another Burns Philp & Co vessel.
After patching at Salamaua, MacDhui was sailed to Sydney for six weeks of repairs.
With the onset of war the ship was commandeered by the Navy and used to evacuate civilians from New Guinea, then carrying Australian troops back to Port Moresby.
On June 17, 1942, the Macdhui was attacked by Japanese bombers as it was discharging to lighters in Port Moresby harbour.
It began zigzagging around the harbour but took one direct hit which caused considerable damage.
The vessel later went alongside the main wharf to unload dead and wounded.
The next day, at 10.45am, there was another air-raid warning and the Macdhui moved out into the harbour and began manoeuvring.
Soon after the raid began, it took a direct hit.
The captain headed towards shallow water where his ship finally keeled over onto a reef.
Ten of the crew of 77 were killed along with five Australian gunners from 39 Battalion.
Altogether, the Macdhui took four direct hits.
The dramatic sinking was captured on a black and white movie film shot by the famous Australian cameraman, Damien Parer from a nearby hilltop.
The loss of the Macdhui was a great blow to the morale of the Australian troops in Port Moresby. Until then it had been the only regular and reliable link between Australia and Port Moresby.
After the war, the Australian government compensated Burns Philp for its loss.
The wreck itself is now deeply pitted and corroded under the waterline.
It is gradually breaking up but even if it does slip completely under the surface part of the Macdhui will remain in Port Moresby.
In the late 1960’s the mast was removed and now stands outside the Royal Papua Yacht Club as a memorial to those who died.
One of the bells was erected in the tower of St John’s Anglican Church in Port Moresby and to this day still calls parishioners to worship.
Former vice-commodore of the Royal Papua Yacht Club, Trevor Kerr, tells of a supernatural experience in 1979 when the ashes of the late Captain J. Campbell, skipper of the Macdhui, were laid to rest with his ship.
The powered launch Tina, owned and skippered by yacht club committee member Russ Behan, approached the wreck with Captain Campbell’s two sons, a United Church minister, and Kerr on board.
“The weather in the harbour was unusually placid, not a zephyr stirred,” writes former Port Moresby diver Neil Whiting in Wreck and Reefs of Port Moresby.
“The sea was so clear that the superstructure of the Macdhui could be seen below the surface of the water.
“There was not a ripple on the surface or current drift to break the calm.
“With heads bowed in prayer, the United Church minister upturned the urn containing Captain Campbell’s ashes and scattered the contents into the sea.
“Trevor, observing the ceremony in a more detached fashion than the others, observed the most amazing sequence of events.
“The ashes initially clouded the water as one would expect, but almost immediately condensed into a form similar to a teardrop.
“Then, the most amazing phenomenon occurred.
“The teardrop cloud quite rapidly crossed the six-metre intervening gap between the Tina and the Macdhui and disappeared into the hull.
“At a nudge from Trevor, Russ glanced up and also observed the incredible event.
“The engines of the launch were quickly started and in a state of chilled awe, the funeral party motored away.
“Captain Campbell had returned to his ship.”