Eight new sites, from the Straits of Malacca, to Papua New Guinea and San Marino, added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Monday, July 7, 2008
The World Heritage Committee meeting in Quebec City has added eight new cultural sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on the morning of the 7 of July. With these inscriptions, Papua New Guinea and San Marino enter the World Heritage List for the first time.
The new sites inscribed are:
Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia) have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.
Kuk Early Agricultural Site (Papua New Guinea) consists of 116 ha of swamps in the southern highlands of New Guinea 1,500 metres above sea-level. Archaeological excavation has revealed the landscape to be one of wetland reclamation worked almost continuously for 7,000, and possibly for 10,000 years. It contains well-preserved archaeological remains demonstrating the technological leap which transformed plant exploitation to agriculture around 6,500 years ago. It is an excellent example of transformation of agricultural practices over time, from cultivation mounds to draining the wetlands through the digging of ditches with wooden tools. Kuk is one of the few places in the world where archaeological evidence suggests independent agricultural development and changes in agricultural practice over such a long period of time.
Stari Grad Plain (Croatia) on the Adriatic island of Hvar is a cultural landscape that has remained practically intact since it was first colonized by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC. The original agricultural activity of this fertile plain, mainly centring on grapes and olives, has been maintained since Greek times to the present. The site is also a natural reserve. The landscape features ancient stone walls and trims, or small stone shelters, and bears testimony to the ancient geometrical system of land division used by the ancient Greeks, the chora which has remained virtually intact over 24 centuries.
Fortifications of Vauban (France) consists of 13 groups of fortified buildings and sites along the western, northern and eastern borders of France. They represent the finest examples of the work of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), a military engineer of King Louis XIV. The serial property includes towns built from scratch by Vauban, citadels built on plains, urban bastion walls, bastion towers and a residence. There are also mountain forts, sea forts, a mountain battery and two mountain communication structures. This property is inscribed as bearing witness to the peak of classic fortifications, typical of western military architecture. Vauban also played a major role in the history of fortification in Europe and as far away as the American continent, Russia and East Asia.
Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (Germany). The property consists of six housing estates that testify to innovative housing policies from 1910 to 1933, especially during the Weimar Republic, when the city of Berlin was particularly progressive socially, politically and culturally. The property is an outstanding example of the building reform movement that contributed to improving housing and living conditions for people with low incomes through novel approaches to town planning, architecture and garden design. The estates also provide exceptional examples of new urban and architectural typologies, featuring fresh design solutions, as well as technical and aesthetic innovations. Bruno Taut, Martin Wagner and Walter Gropius were among the leading architects of these projects which exercised considerable influence on the development of housing around the world.
Mantua and Sabbioneta, in the Po valley, in the north of Italy, represent two aspects of Renaissance town planning: Mantua shows the renewal and extension of an existing city, while 30 km away, Sabbioneta represents the implementation of the period’s theories about planning the ideal city. Typically, Mantua’s layout is irregular with regular parts showing different stages of its growth since the Roman period and includes many medieval edifices among them an 11th century rotunda and a Baroque theatre. Sabbioneta, created in the second half of the 16th century under the rule of one person, Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna, can be described as a single-period city and has a right angle grid layout. Both cities offer exceptional testimonies to the urban, architectural and artistic realizations of the Renaissance, linked through the visions and actions of the ruling Gonzaga family. The two towns are important for the value of their architecture and for their prominent role in the dissemination of Renaissance culture. The ideals of the Renaissance, fostered by the Gonzaga family, are present in the towns’ morphology and architecture.
San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano (San Marino) covers 55 ha, including Mount Titano and the historic centre of the city which dates back to the foundation of the republic as a city-state in the 13th century. San Marino is inscribed as a testimony to the continuity of a free republic since the Middle Ages. The inscribed city centre includes fortification towers, walls, gates and bastions, as well as a neo-classical basilica of the 19th century, 14th and 16th century convents, and the Palazzo Publico of the 19th century, as well as the 18th century Titano Theatre. The property represents an historical centre still inhabited and preserving all its institutional functions. Thanks to its position on top of Mount Titano, it was not affected by the urban transformations that have occurred from the advent of the industrial era to today.
The Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area (Slovakia) inscribed on the World Heritage List consist of two Roman Catholic, three Protestant and three Greek Orthodox churches built between the 16th and 18th centuries in small, poor villages in an area formerly known as Upland Hungary. The property presents good examples of a rich local tradition of religious architecture, marked by the meeting of Latin and Byzantine cultures. The edifices exhibit some typological variations in their floor plans, interior spaces and external appearance due to their respective religious practices. They bear testimony to the development of major architectural and artistic trends during the period of construction and to their interpretation and adaptation to a specific geographical and cultural context. Interiors are decorated with paintings on the walls and ceilings and other works of art that enrich the cultural significance of the properties.
During the morning session, the Committee also approved the extension of the Mountain Railways of India with the inscription of the Kalka Shimla Railway, a 96km long, single track working rail link built in the mid-19th century to provide a service to the highland town of Shimla.
Contacts in Quebec: Roni Amelan, r.amelan@unesco.org +33(0)674398441
Joana Sullivan, j.sullivan@unesco.org +1 418 262 6529
For photographs: www.unesco.org/en/whc/photos
Video footage: mms://stream.unesco.org/bpi/whc_cult2_070708.wmv
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Friday, July 04, 2008
How PNG can benefit from Blogging
How PNG can benefit from Blogging
In my 20-odd years in journalism, I have written hundreds of stories and taken hundreds of photographs on a vast array of subjects, covering everything from rugby league to politics, from Kavieng to Daru.
Many of these articles were written before the age of computers, in the era of typewriters and fax machines, hence could not be saved.
Only after computers and the Internet came on the scene, in the late 1990’s, could these articles be preserved on floppy disks and CDs.
I couple of years ago, as I was cleaning up my house, I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with this myriad of stories and pictures.
Family and friends, particularly my late wife Hula – my greatest fan – had often encouraged me to compile a book of all that I’d written over the years.
After considering all the possibilities, I decided to set up my own Blog on the Internet, featuring my articles and photographs, and with the express purpose of promoting our beloved country Papua New Guinea.
So, I copied some of what I’d written and photographed over the years on a flash drive, and spent long hours on weekends at Internet cafes posting them on my Blog.
Slowly, but steadily, readership of my Blog grew and I started receiving emails from all over the world.
These came from former PNG residents, tourists who wanted to know more about the country, students doing assignments, academics, researchers, businessmen, writers, book publishers, and many, many more.
Needless to say, I’m proud that my Blog has, in one way or another, served to promote PNG around the world and may have brought in an extra kina or two into our coffers.
At the height of the Taiwan scandal earlier this year, I was surprised to receive an email from a leading TV station in Taipei, wanting to know more about Timothy Bonga and Dr Florian Gubon.
The TV station had apparently found my Blog on the Internet!
A Blog, a shortened form of the term ‘web log’, is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.
"Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a Blog.
Many Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries.
A typical Blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.
The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many Blogs.
Most Blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting) are part of a wider network of social media.
A Blog gives you your own voice on the web.
It's a place to collect and share things that you find interesting— whether it's your political commentary, a personal diary, or links to web sites you want to remember.
Many people use a Blog just to organise their own thoughts, while others command influential, worldwide audiences of thousands.
Professional and amateur journalists use Blogs to publish breaking news, while personal journalers reveal inner thoughts.
Whatever you have to say, Blogging can help you say it.
Blogging is about more than just putting your thoughts on the web.
It's about connecting with and hearing from anyone who reads your work and cares to respond.
With Blogging, you control who can read and write to your Blog — let just a few friends or the entire world see what you have to say!
Blogging let anyone, anywhere, to offer feedback on your posts.
You can choose whether you want to allow comments on a post-by-post basis, and you can delete any comments you don't like.
Access Controls let you decide who can read and who can write to your Blog.
You can use a group Blog with multiple authors as an excellent communication tool for small teams, families and other groups.
Or as a single author, you can create a private online space for collecting news, links, and ideas, to keep to yourself or share with as many readers as you want.
Bloggings let you find people and Blogs that share your interests.
Your profile, where you can list your blogs, your interests, and more, lets people find you (but only if you want to be found).
Whether you're starting your Blog or just think it's time to give your existing Blog a facelift, user-friendly editing tools help you easily design a great-looking page.
A collection of templates will get you started with an attractive site right away without you having to learn any HTML, though you can edit your Blog's HTML code whenever you want.
When you're ready to take the next step, you can further customise templates to create a design that perfectly reflects you and your Blog.
You can easily upload photos on your Blog.
The fastest way to understand Blogging is to try it out, and in less than five minutes, you could be part of the phenomenon that’s transforming web and media to a participatory approach.
As I have mentioned before in this column, several companies and individuals in PNG are profiteering from the ignorance of our little people by charging them huge amounts of money to build a website for their small businesses.
And after being ripped off by these companies, the little people then feel the brunt of paying excessive fees for a domain name, regular rental to the Internet Service Provider (ISP), as well as Internet usage fees to Telikom.
In a small economy, such as that of PNG, small businesses cannot survive with such exorbitant costs.
This should no longer be the case, as it is quick and easy to design a website, such as a Blog, using templates freely available on the Internet, where you do not have to pay for a domain name or ISP rentals.
Your just have to pay for your Internet usage fee at the nearest Internet café if you don’t have Internet access in your office.
In my 20-odd years in journalism, I have written hundreds of stories and taken hundreds of photographs on a vast array of subjects, covering everything from rugby league to politics, from Kavieng to Daru.
Many of these articles were written before the age of computers, in the era of typewriters and fax machines, hence could not be saved.
Only after computers and the Internet came on the scene, in the late 1990’s, could these articles be preserved on floppy disks and CDs.
I couple of years ago, as I was cleaning up my house, I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with this myriad of stories and pictures.
Family and friends, particularly my late wife Hula – my greatest fan – had often encouraged me to compile a book of all that I’d written over the years.
After considering all the possibilities, I decided to set up my own Blog on the Internet, featuring my articles and photographs, and with the express purpose of promoting our beloved country Papua New Guinea.
So, I copied some of what I’d written and photographed over the years on a flash drive, and spent long hours on weekends at Internet cafes posting them on my Blog.
Slowly, but steadily, readership of my Blog grew and I started receiving emails from all over the world.
These came from former PNG residents, tourists who wanted to know more about the country, students doing assignments, academics, researchers, businessmen, writers, book publishers, and many, many more.
Needless to say, I’m proud that my Blog has, in one way or another, served to promote PNG around the world and may have brought in an extra kina or two into our coffers.
At the height of the Taiwan scandal earlier this year, I was surprised to receive an email from a leading TV station in Taipei, wanting to know more about Timothy Bonga and Dr Florian Gubon.
The TV station had apparently found my Blog on the Internet!
A Blog, a shortened form of the term ‘web log’, is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.
"Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a Blog.
Many Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries.
A typical Blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.
The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many Blogs.
Most Blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting) are part of a wider network of social media.
A Blog gives you your own voice on the web.
It's a place to collect and share things that you find interesting— whether it's your political commentary, a personal diary, or links to web sites you want to remember.
Many people use a Blog just to organise their own thoughts, while others command influential, worldwide audiences of thousands.
Professional and amateur journalists use Blogs to publish breaking news, while personal journalers reveal inner thoughts.
Whatever you have to say, Blogging can help you say it.
Blogging is about more than just putting your thoughts on the web.
It's about connecting with and hearing from anyone who reads your work and cares to respond.
With Blogging, you control who can read and write to your Blog — let just a few friends or the entire world see what you have to say!
Blogging let anyone, anywhere, to offer feedback on your posts.
You can choose whether you want to allow comments on a post-by-post basis, and you can delete any comments you don't like.
Access Controls let you decide who can read and who can write to your Blog.
You can use a group Blog with multiple authors as an excellent communication tool for small teams, families and other groups.
Or as a single author, you can create a private online space for collecting news, links, and ideas, to keep to yourself or share with as many readers as you want.
Bloggings let you find people and Blogs that share your interests.
Your profile, where you can list your blogs, your interests, and more, lets people find you (but only if you want to be found).
Whether you're starting your Blog or just think it's time to give your existing Blog a facelift, user-friendly editing tools help you easily design a great-looking page.
A collection of templates will get you started with an attractive site right away without you having to learn any HTML, though you can edit your Blog's HTML code whenever you want.
When you're ready to take the next step, you can further customise templates to create a design that perfectly reflects you and your Blog.
You can easily upload photos on your Blog.
The fastest way to understand Blogging is to try it out, and in less than five minutes, you could be part of the phenomenon that’s transforming web and media to a participatory approach.
As I have mentioned before in this column, several companies and individuals in PNG are profiteering from the ignorance of our little people by charging them huge amounts of money to build a website for their small businesses.
And after being ripped off by these companies, the little people then feel the brunt of paying excessive fees for a domain name, regular rental to the Internet Service Provider (ISP), as well as Internet usage fees to Telikom.
In a small economy, such as that of PNG, small businesses cannot survive with such exorbitant costs.
This should no longer be the case, as it is quick and easy to design a website, such as a Blog, using templates freely available on the Internet, where you do not have to pay for a domain name or ISP rentals.
Your just have to pay for your Internet usage fee at the nearest Internet café if you don’t have Internet access in your office.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
PNG faces massive threat from computer viruses
Young Papua New Guinean computer specialist Panu Kasar, who runs the PC Clinic, advises that it is wise for all computer users to be equipped with the latest anti-virus software and fixes to counterattack this flood of cyber pests flooding our computer networks.
“Computer viruses are dangerous and can cause millions of kina loss in income and profit because of the society’s dependence on computers,” he says.
“Preventing loss is wiser, so be equipped with a reliable anti-virus as soon as possible.
“All computers must have at least anti-virus software installed on the PC configured to scan threats that may infect the computer,” he says.
“Anti-viruses such as Norton, Symantec, AVG, need the Internet for updating because they have live update feature.
“This means that when connected to the Internet a user must activate the automatic update feature for latest updates to be installed.
“Otherwise, download anti-virus definitions from the manufacturer’s site.
“Updating definitions is important because anti-viruses are designed to go weak after a month.
“This is a strategy used by the manufacturers to monitor viruses because once a user connects to the net for monthly updates the manufacturers have access to your PC to record the number of viruses you have detected in your PC.”
A virus is software designed to corrupt system files.
It is made to disrupt or deny basic services the computer would need to use to function.
They act as low level computer processes which make some anti viruses hard to detect as they are seen as normal system processes.
Usually they infect a PC rapidly that you won’t notice.
It may take hours to scan and clean an infected computer but takes a second or two to be infected again once an infected USB drive is inserted.
The transferable nature of viruses has caused government departments millions of dollars due to loss of data by destructive viruses.
Viruses are highly dangerous and can cause computers to crash.
Some viruses are designed even to corrupt and disable anti-virus software installed in the victim’s PC.
Mr Kasar discusses the various threats below:
Spyware
“Spyware is malicious software planted on your computer by marketing companies.
“It is designed to monitor your Internet activities, collect your personal information and can even reach sensitive data like your private passwords, emails and credit card details.
“If your PC is infected with Spyware all your keystrokes, visited websites and even conversations can be recorded or monitored by someone who had secretly installed spy software on your PC.
“This person or company can steal your banking data; make Internet access slower, change browser homepage, etc.
“Spyware is usually bundled with software downloads, attached to e-mails, or transmitted through networks.
“That’s why many anti-virus programs define it as legitimate software.
“Once installed, it can be hard to remove, and therefore, your computer will remain infected and your privacy will be at risk for a long time.
“Originally it was designed by advertising and marketing companies to monitor behaviour of internet surfers.
Trojan
“Trojans infections are mainly seen when using the Internet without a reliable firewall.
“Trojans filter through networks rapidly, can cause harm to data and stops access to files.
“Like the traditional Trojan horse story of Greek mythology, they become a resident of the victim’s PC and allow hackers access to your computer.
“They also create or clone more viruses when they reside in your PC.
“When the PC becomes a host to a Trojan it invites more viruses who are attracted to it.”
Worm
“This was originally was used by administrators to find loop holes in the networks.
“They filter through networks rapidly and can also duplicate themselves on removable storage devices.
“Recently, worms have been modified by cyber criminals to act also as viruses and can cause system crashes in large networks.
“A good example is the Brontok worm which has both characteristics of a virus and a worm. “
Mr Kasar said computer viruses had increased rapidly in PNG in recent years due to the increase in computer usage.
“Viruses are now very readily transferable due to certain factors and changes in the ICT environment,” he says.
“Obvious factors include:
The widespread use of USB storage devices - Today the use of USB flash drives, iPods, MP3/MP4 players, external hard drives, mobile phone storage and also digital camera storage devices is widespread. These are portable and can be carried around and used in any computer. It is a precaution to scan all USB portable devices with a reliable virus scanner before using.
The increased use of Internet by the working class - It is an obvious fact that today most of our corporate working class are using the email facilities for communicating. This has also resulted in the spread of computer viruses. Email servers that do not have updated firewalls have become vulnerable to viruses attacks. This is very critical because emails can be sent to many contacts at a single click. Supposing there is a virus attached, unsuspecting victims will be infected upon downloading the infected attachments.
The introduction of Telikom PNG’s VSAT and Broadband Technology - These are state-of-the-part modern day technology that will definitely lift PNG to a higher level in ICT. With the use of this technology precaution must be taken against computer viruses. Users must be prepared to counterattack computer viruses on a larger scale with the use of this technology. In traditional Internet dial-up technology the speed is 56Kb/s while with the VSAT you experience speeds from 1 MB/s up to 2 GB/s range depending on customer preferences. These speeds have enabled PNG to be opened up to high speed data freeways making our networks vulnerable to virus attacks.”
Mr Kasar said latest threats included W32.Rontokbro@mm , W32.PitinB , W32.Fujacks , .SCR , Surabaya , Panduan Islam Virus—ManOblack , Trojanhorse and Downloader.
He said symptoms that showed a user that his computer was infected were:
The Home Page on the Internet browser changing;
CD Drive opens and closes unexpectedly;
Strange behavior is noticed- applications not responding, Explorer blinks or goes off, start menu pops up and goes off continuously;
· Folders in the USB drive are hidden
· Mouse pointer moves without you pointing the mouse;
· Office documents change their extension form, for example, from doc, xls, etc, to exe.
· Strange pop-ups are experienced;
· Computer suddenly logs off and displays a blue screen;
· You log into Windows and it logs off again;
· Your computer suddenly becomes very slow; and
· Your anti-virus cannot start up or is disabled.
The PC Clinic deals with detection, removal and monitoring of computer viruses and also provides anti-virus installations for WAN and LAN Servers.
They can be contacted on email pkasar@mail.com telephone 325 8912, and mobiles 6890616 and 72571939.
Young Papua New Guinean computer specialist Panu Kasar, who runs the PC Clinic, advises that it is wise for all computer users to be equipped with the latest anti-virus software and fixes to counterattack this flood of cyber pests flooding our computer networks.
“Computer viruses are dangerous and can cause millions of kina loss in income and profit because of the society’s dependence on computers,” he says.
“Preventing loss is wiser, so be equipped with a reliable anti-virus as soon as possible.
“All computers must have at least anti-virus software installed on the PC configured to scan threats that may infect the computer,” he says.
“Anti-viruses such as Norton, Symantec, AVG, need the Internet for updating because they have live update feature.
“This means that when connected to the Internet a user must activate the automatic update feature for latest updates to be installed.
“Otherwise, download anti-virus definitions from the manufacturer’s site.
“Updating definitions is important because anti-viruses are designed to go weak after a month.
“This is a strategy used by the manufacturers to monitor viruses because once a user connects to the net for monthly updates the manufacturers have access to your PC to record the number of viruses you have detected in your PC.”
A virus is software designed to corrupt system files.
It is made to disrupt or deny basic services the computer would need to use to function.
They act as low level computer processes which make some anti viruses hard to detect as they are seen as normal system processes.
Usually they infect a PC rapidly that you won’t notice.
It may take hours to scan and clean an infected computer but takes a second or two to be infected again once an infected USB drive is inserted.
The transferable nature of viruses has caused government departments millions of dollars due to loss of data by destructive viruses.
Viruses are highly dangerous and can cause computers to crash.
Some viruses are designed even to corrupt and disable anti-virus software installed in the victim’s PC.
Mr Kasar discusses the various threats below:
Spyware
“Spyware is malicious software planted on your computer by marketing companies.
“It is designed to monitor your Internet activities, collect your personal information and can even reach sensitive data like your private passwords, emails and credit card details.
“If your PC is infected with Spyware all your keystrokes, visited websites and even conversations can be recorded or monitored by someone who had secretly installed spy software on your PC.
“This person or company can steal your banking data; make Internet access slower, change browser homepage, etc.
“Spyware is usually bundled with software downloads, attached to e-mails, or transmitted through networks.
“That’s why many anti-virus programs define it as legitimate software.
“Once installed, it can be hard to remove, and therefore, your computer will remain infected and your privacy will be at risk for a long time.
“Originally it was designed by advertising and marketing companies to monitor behaviour of internet surfers.
Trojan
“Trojans infections are mainly seen when using the Internet without a reliable firewall.
“Trojans filter through networks rapidly, can cause harm to data and stops access to files.
“Like the traditional Trojan horse story of Greek mythology, they become a resident of the victim’s PC and allow hackers access to your computer.
“They also create or clone more viruses when they reside in your PC.
“When the PC becomes a host to a Trojan it invites more viruses who are attracted to it.”
Worm
“This was originally was used by administrators to find loop holes in the networks.
“They filter through networks rapidly and can also duplicate themselves on removable storage devices.
“Recently, worms have been modified by cyber criminals to act also as viruses and can cause system crashes in large networks.
“A good example is the Brontok worm which has both characteristics of a virus and a worm. “
Mr Kasar said computer viruses had increased rapidly in PNG in recent years due to the increase in computer usage.
“Viruses are now very readily transferable due to certain factors and changes in the ICT environment,” he says.
“Obvious factors include:
The widespread use of USB storage devices - Today the use of USB flash drives, iPods, MP3/MP4 players, external hard drives, mobile phone storage and also digital camera storage devices is widespread. These are portable and can be carried around and used in any computer. It is a precaution to scan all USB portable devices with a reliable virus scanner before using.
The increased use of Internet by the working class - It is an obvious fact that today most of our corporate working class are using the email facilities for communicating. This has also resulted in the spread of computer viruses. Email servers that do not have updated firewalls have become vulnerable to viruses attacks. This is very critical because emails can be sent to many contacts at a single click. Supposing there is a virus attached, unsuspecting victims will be infected upon downloading the infected attachments.
The introduction of Telikom PNG’s VSAT and Broadband Technology - These are state-of-the-part modern day technology that will definitely lift PNG to a higher level in ICT. With the use of this technology precaution must be taken against computer viruses. Users must be prepared to counterattack computer viruses on a larger scale with the use of this technology. In traditional Internet dial-up technology the speed is 56Kb/s while with the VSAT you experience speeds from 1 MB/s up to 2 GB/s range depending on customer preferences. These speeds have enabled PNG to be opened up to high speed data freeways making our networks vulnerable to virus attacks.”
Mr Kasar said latest threats included W32.Rontokbro@mm , W32.PitinB , W32.Fujacks , .SCR , Surabaya , Panduan Islam Virus—ManOblack , Trojanhorse and Downloader.
He said symptoms that showed a user that his computer was infected were:
The Home Page on the Internet browser changing;
CD Drive opens and closes unexpectedly;
Strange behavior is noticed- applications not responding, Explorer blinks or goes off, start menu pops up and goes off continuously;
· Folders in the USB drive are hidden
· Mouse pointer moves without you pointing the mouse;
· Office documents change their extension form, for example, from doc, xls, etc, to exe.
· Strange pop-ups are experienced;
· Computer suddenly logs off and displays a blue screen;
· You log into Windows and it logs off again;
· Your computer suddenly becomes very slow; and
· Your anti-virus cannot start up or is disabled.
The PC Clinic deals with detection, removal and monitoring of computer viruses and also provides anti-virus installations for WAN and LAN Servers.
They can be contacted on email pkasar@mail.com telephone 325 8912, and mobiles 6890616 and 72571939.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sky is the limit for Regional Aviation Academy
Amidst the ruins of the once-thriving and famous Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) Training College at Six-Mile, Port Moresby, lies the fast-rising Regional Aviation Academy.
This ramshackle collection of buildings is only a façade, however, because within is the first 100% nationally-owned private school in Papua New Guinea to train licensed aircraft maintenance engineers.
It also offers flight theory lessons for aspiring aviators because it does not have a plane of its own to give practical flying lessons.
Regional Aviation Academy – officially recognised by the National Training Council - began operations in 2001 and offers aircraft maintenance courses and imparts training through lessons where students sit for Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)-prepared examinations.
It uses the Queensland aerospace engineering syllabus.
From humble beginnings, more than 100 students have passed through the Regional Aviation Academy, and are now working all over the aviation industry in PNG as well as overseas.
Two of the most-qualified aircraft engineers in the country, Nick Kuiaha and Simm Kangadab, are at the helm of engineering courses at the academy while academy pioneer and qualified pilot and physics/mathematics instructor John Paui heads flight theory.
Mr Paui recalls that around the 1997-1998 periods, he and another pilot James Yanda saw that there was an urgent need to train PNG pilots.
“We saw a lot of people who wanted to be pilots but there was no training facility, no training school, no avenues around,” he says.
“The Aero Club used to run a flying school but they closed.
“There was also training at the Missionary Aviation Fellowship in Mount Hagen but they were not running theory classes at that time.
“What me and Captain James Yanda decided was to do something to help these unfortunate guys, who had the heart to do something, but there were no training facilities available.
“That was when we decided to start up something that we called National Aviation Training Institute.
“We talked to the guys at CAA and they allowed us to use their classrooms.
“We were teaching private pilot’s theory classes.
“The people from the Department (Civil Aviation) came around, observed our classes, and made recommendations for improvement.
“We needed improvements in course contents at that time.
“At that time, about 80% of the students went through, then the next step was the technical bit, which was real flying.
“We recommended that they go to Mt Hagen and join up with MAF, but by then, MAF were not doing much.
“We couldn’t continue, because there was no point getting students, and there was nothing for them to continue their studies.”
Enter Mr Kuiaha, a dual-licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, former PNG Defence Force Air Transport Squadron aircraft engineer, and lecturer in aircraft engineering at Port Moresby Technical College, amongst others in a distinguished career.
Mr Kangadab, a former PNGDF ATS aircraft engineer colleague of Mr Kuiaha, was a distinguished Air Niugini engineer and trainer before joining Regional Aviation Academy.
“I was retrenched from Airlines PNG in 2000,” Mr Kuiaha remembers.
“That was when I came in and joined them.
“There was a need for Papua New Guineans to train their own people.
“That’s how we came to be.
“We started from humble beginnings and went from strength to strength.
“Having to see our once-proud institutions like CAA College, which was a state-of-the-art school, running down was a real heartbreak and spurred us on to start Regional Aviation Academy.
“We are in our eighth year now and there’s no turning back.
“Over 100 students have passed out and all are employed.
“Two have gone on for further studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute to Technology in Melbourne, Australia.
“We have a former student employed in New Zealand.
“Another one has just returned from Hawaii.
“In Air Niugini we’ve got about 11 former students, while at Airlines PNG we’ve got about 15, HeviLift have got three, MAF have got six, NationAir have got five, National Air Services have got five, Helifix have got two, South West Airlines have got two, so they are scattered all over the aviation industry in the country.
“We are also proud that we are currently training five aircraft engineers from the PNG Defence Force.
“We are also proud that we have female students on board, which shows that there’s no discrimination.”
Mr Kuiaha said Regional Aviation Academy had been the target of a hate campaign, especially among the PNG aircraft engineering and pilot fraternities, but had persisted and the sky was no the limit.
“Critics are basically our own colleagues, who are pilots and engineers,” Mr Kanganab injects.
“They can talk from their comfort zone.
“To be honest, you have to be in there to see the difficulties.
“We (Messrs Kuiaha and Kanganab) are the only two Papua New Guinean instructors in aircraft engineering at the moment.
“We are we getting recycled expatriates in as aircraft engineering trainers at major airlines like Air Niugini?
“Another question we should be asking is that why are we spectators on our own land?”
Mr Kuiaha said there was an urgent need to train aircraft engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers, and other vacations within the civil aviation as there were not enough new people being churned out to meet the rising demand.
Aviation technology was also fast-changing.
“We have approached CAA about these matters, but these approaches have fallen upon deaf ears,” he said.
“”Regional Aviation Academy is a national institution.
“We’ve already secured a piece of land behind the ATS, at None-Mile, and we’re looking at funding to build a state-of-the-art institution.
“Nothing is impossible.
“We have to push on from here.
“Air Niugini has done very well, but why do they bring in foreign instructors to come and train Papua New Guineans?
“Defence Force did the same thing and it failed.
“We (Regional Aviation Academy) have contributed what we can.
“Air Niugini must seriously give us the chance to prove ourselves.
“We’ve done well.
“Why bring in foreigners to run courses when we can do it ourselves.”
Amidst the ruins of the once-thriving and famous Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) Training College at Six-Mile, Port Moresby, lies the fast-rising Regional Aviation Academy.
This ramshackle collection of buildings is only a façade, however, because within is the first 100% nationally-owned private school in Papua New Guinea to train licensed aircraft maintenance engineers.
It also offers flight theory lessons for aspiring aviators because it does not have a plane of its own to give practical flying lessons.
Regional Aviation Academy – officially recognised by the National Training Council - began operations in 2001 and offers aircraft maintenance courses and imparts training through lessons where students sit for Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)-prepared examinations.
It uses the Queensland aerospace engineering syllabus.
From humble beginnings, more than 100 students have passed through the Regional Aviation Academy, and are now working all over the aviation industry in PNG as well as overseas.
Two of the most-qualified aircraft engineers in the country, Nick Kuiaha and Simm Kangadab, are at the helm of engineering courses at the academy while academy pioneer and qualified pilot and physics/mathematics instructor John Paui heads flight theory.
Mr Paui recalls that around the 1997-1998 periods, he and another pilot James Yanda saw that there was an urgent need to train PNG pilots.
“We saw a lot of people who wanted to be pilots but there was no training facility, no training school, no avenues around,” he says.
“The Aero Club used to run a flying school but they closed.
“There was also training at the Missionary Aviation Fellowship in Mount Hagen but they were not running theory classes at that time.
“What me and Captain James Yanda decided was to do something to help these unfortunate guys, who had the heart to do something, but there were no training facilities available.
“That was when we decided to start up something that we called National Aviation Training Institute.
“We talked to the guys at CAA and they allowed us to use their classrooms.
“We were teaching private pilot’s theory classes.
“The people from the Department (Civil Aviation) came around, observed our classes, and made recommendations for improvement.
“We needed improvements in course contents at that time.
“At that time, about 80% of the students went through, then the next step was the technical bit, which was real flying.
“We recommended that they go to Mt Hagen and join up with MAF, but by then, MAF were not doing much.
“We couldn’t continue, because there was no point getting students, and there was nothing for them to continue their studies.”
Enter Mr Kuiaha, a dual-licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, former PNG Defence Force Air Transport Squadron aircraft engineer, and lecturer in aircraft engineering at Port Moresby Technical College, amongst others in a distinguished career.
Mr Kangadab, a former PNGDF ATS aircraft engineer colleague of Mr Kuiaha, was a distinguished Air Niugini engineer and trainer before joining Regional Aviation Academy.
“I was retrenched from Airlines PNG in 2000,” Mr Kuiaha remembers.
“That was when I came in and joined them.
“There was a need for Papua New Guineans to train their own people.
“That’s how we came to be.
“We started from humble beginnings and went from strength to strength.
“Having to see our once-proud institutions like CAA College, which was a state-of-the-art school, running down was a real heartbreak and spurred us on to start Regional Aviation Academy.
“We are in our eighth year now and there’s no turning back.
“Over 100 students have passed out and all are employed.
“Two have gone on for further studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute to Technology in Melbourne, Australia.
“We have a former student employed in New Zealand.
“Another one has just returned from Hawaii.
“In Air Niugini we’ve got about 11 former students, while at Airlines PNG we’ve got about 15, HeviLift have got three, MAF have got six, NationAir have got five, National Air Services have got five, Helifix have got two, South West Airlines have got two, so they are scattered all over the aviation industry in the country.
“We are also proud that we are currently training five aircraft engineers from the PNG Defence Force.
“We are also proud that we have female students on board, which shows that there’s no discrimination.”
Mr Kuiaha said Regional Aviation Academy had been the target of a hate campaign, especially among the PNG aircraft engineering and pilot fraternities, but had persisted and the sky was no the limit.
“Critics are basically our own colleagues, who are pilots and engineers,” Mr Kanganab injects.
“They can talk from their comfort zone.
“To be honest, you have to be in there to see the difficulties.
“We (Messrs Kuiaha and Kanganab) are the only two Papua New Guinean instructors in aircraft engineering at the moment.
“We are we getting recycled expatriates in as aircraft engineering trainers at major airlines like Air Niugini?
“Another question we should be asking is that why are we spectators on our own land?”
Mr Kuiaha said there was an urgent need to train aircraft engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers, and other vacations within the civil aviation as there were not enough new people being churned out to meet the rising demand.
Aviation technology was also fast-changing.
“We have approached CAA about these matters, but these approaches have fallen upon deaf ears,” he said.
“”Regional Aviation Academy is a national institution.
“We’ve already secured a piece of land behind the ATS, at None-Mile, and we’re looking at funding to build a state-of-the-art institution.
“Nothing is impossible.
“We have to push on from here.
“Air Niugini has done very well, but why do they bring in foreign instructors to come and train Papua New Guineans?
“Defence Force did the same thing and it failed.
“We (Regional Aviation Academy) have contributed what we can.
“Air Niugini must seriously give us the chance to prove ourselves.
“We’ve done well.
“Why bring in foreigners to run courses when we can do it ourselves.”
Monday, June 16, 2008
Apple Introduces the New iPhone 3G - Twice as Fast at Half the Price
The world and Papua New Guinea, be braced, for the latest and most technologically-advanced mobile phone yet.
Apple on Monday last week (June 9) introduced the new iPhone 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.
Papua New Guinea, however, may have to wait for a long time yet to benefit from this latest technological gadget given that we do not have the infrastructure such as wireless networking in place.
The new iPhone 3G makes it possible for simultaneous voice and data communications, so you can surf the Internet, find your exact location in the world, and check your email – all while on the phone.
In the US the new iPhone 3G is priced at a stunning $199 for the 8GB model, and just $299 for the 16GB model.
iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countries—Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US—on July 11.
“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in a press release posted on the company’s website.
“iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year.”
iPhone 3G gives users ever faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world.
iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds.
The new iPhone 3G also makes it easier to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications, so with iPhone 3G you can browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while you are on a call.
iPhone 3G includes the new iPhone 2.0 software with both the iPhone SDK and key enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide over-the-air push email, contact and calendar syncing as well as remote wipe and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to corporate networks.
The iPhone SDK allows developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch user interface, animation technology, accelerometer and GPS technology on the world’s most-advanced mobile platform.
iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
The App Store on iPhone works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so you can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly.
Some applications are even free and the App Store notifies you when application updates are available.
The App Store will be available in 62 countries at launch.
Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your Mac or PC.
iPhone 3G delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.
iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod touch, Macs and PCs.
With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices.
With iPhone, you can even snap a photo and post it directly to a MobileMe Gallery to share with friends and family.
iPhone 3G will be available in the US on July 11 for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model and $299 (US) for the 16GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail stores and requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers.
iPhone 2.0 software will be available on July 11 as a free software update via iTunes 7.7 or later for all iPhone customers.
For further information about iPhone 3G pricing and availability in the US and internationally, visit www.apple.com/iphone .
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications.
Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
The world and Papua New Guinea, be braced, for the latest and most technologically-advanced mobile phone yet.
Apple on Monday last week (June 9) introduced the new iPhone 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.
Papua New Guinea, however, may have to wait for a long time yet to benefit from this latest technological gadget given that we do not have the infrastructure such as wireless networking in place.
The new iPhone 3G makes it possible for simultaneous voice and data communications, so you can surf the Internet, find your exact location in the world, and check your email – all while on the phone.
In the US the new iPhone 3G is priced at a stunning $199 for the 8GB model, and just $299 for the 16GB model.
iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countries—Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US—on July 11.
“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in a press release posted on the company’s website.
“iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year.”
iPhone 3G gives users ever faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world.
iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds.
The new iPhone 3G also makes it easier to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications, so with iPhone 3G you can browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while you are on a call.
iPhone 3G includes the new iPhone 2.0 software with both the iPhone SDK and key enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide over-the-air push email, contact and calendar syncing as well as remote wipe and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to corporate networks.
The iPhone SDK allows developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch user interface, animation technology, accelerometer and GPS technology on the world’s most-advanced mobile platform.
iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
The App Store on iPhone works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so you can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly.
Some applications are even free and the App Store notifies you when application updates are available.
The App Store will be available in 62 countries at launch.
Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your Mac or PC.
iPhone 3G delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.
iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod touch, Macs and PCs.
With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices.
With iPhone, you can even snap a photo and post it directly to a MobileMe Gallery to share with friends and family.
iPhone 3G will be available in the US on July 11 for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model and $299 (US) for the 16GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail stores and requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers.
iPhone 2.0 software will be available on July 11 as a free software update via iTunes 7.7 or later for all iPhone customers.
For further information about iPhone 3G pricing and availability in the US and internationally, visit www.apple.com/iphone .
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications.
Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
McDonald’s Corner and Owers’ Corner
McDonald’s Corner and Owers’ Corner, further in from Sogeri, have always been a favorite place for many residents of Port Moresby.
They are famously known as the beginning of the Kokoda Trail and are visited by thousands of tourists, mainly Australians, every year.
Enjoying a cold beer after a hard couple of days on the Kokoda Trail has always been part of the routine for these trekkers.
Enjoying a family picnic at Owers’ Corner under the blue sky, white clouds, majestic mountains and lush, green environment is a moment to treasure.
McDonald’s and Owers’ Corners, for many years, have been a means of escaping from the sweltering heat and scorched landscape of Port Moresby.
While Moresby is dry as a bone for over six months of the year, these places, invariably, are moist and green and the mountain air cooler.
The mountains, foothills, forests, savannah woodland, rivers and streams have long captured the imagination of many.
It goes without saying that when one goes to McDonald’s and Owers’ corners, one returns to the city very much relaxed, and reinvigorated.
They are very much among the many jewels in PNG’s crown.
McDonald’s Corner
The beginning of the Kokoda Track
In July and August 1942 McDonald's Corner was recognised as the beginning of the Kokoda Track and there is now a memorial at the site as well as a sign announcing the beginning of the "Kokoda Trail".
Nearby was the village of Ilolo, and it was here in July 1942 that officers of the Australian and New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU), such as Lieutenant Herbert Kienzle and his medical officer, the elderly Captain Geoffrey Vernon, brought together the groups of native carriers who were needed to support the Australian advance into the mountains.
Ilolo is reached by a road that leaves Port Moresby and winds its way 40km up a steep hill, past the Rouna Falls and onto the high plateau which includes the Itiki Valley and the Sogeri River.
This area provides a slightly cooler climate and in 1942 was considered suitable for training of the units about to cross the mountains.
Later it became a retraining and rest area for units that had fought on the Track.
It was also the site of a number of military hospitals.
From Ilolo, Lieutenant Kienzle set out with his carriers to establish a series of staging camps along the Kokoda Track to support the troops of the 39th and later the 53rd Battalions.
Staging camps were established at approximately 16km intervals, which meant that the troops would take about eight days to cross the mountains to Kokoda.
Many of the troops who fought on the Kokoda Track have clear memories of Ilolo, and McDonald's Corner - a short distance beyond where they disembarked from their trucks before beginning the march.
The first unit over the mountains, B Company 39th Battalion, under Captain Sam Templeton, left Ilolo on July 7, 1942.
C Company of the Battalion began the trek on July 23.
The first company of the 53rd Battalion left Ilolo on August 11 and the first elements of the 2/14th Battalion began moving on 16 August.
Later an effort was made to push the road beyond Ilolo and a jeep track was constructed to Owers' Corner, but still the troops disembarked at McDonald's Corner.
The first company of the 2/33rd Battalion departed McDonald's Corner on September 10. Eventually, as the track was improved, more troops could be carried forward to Owers' Corner and thus McDonald's Corner lost some of its importance.
It is still regarded, however, as the beginning of the Kokoda Track.
Beyond Ilolo, the first staging camp at the end of a day's journey, was the village of Uberi.
Owers’ Corner
The end of the Jeep Track
Late in August 1942, Lieutenant Noel Owers, with a small survey party, was looking for an alternative route forward of Ilolo by which the troops on the Kokoda Track might more easily be supplied.
The jeep track only ever reached as far as the point which became known as Owers' Corner, and then gave way to a foot track which wound down a steep slope towards Uberi.
During the month of September 1942, two 25 pounder field guns of the 14th Australian Field Regiment were brought forward to Owers' Corner, where they were manhandled into firing positions.
This was the only allied Field Artillery used during the Kokoda Track campaign to support the out gunned and greatly out numbered Infantry.
This action assisted in halting the Japanese advance just 48km from Port Moresby; so began the Japanese retreat.
The terrain was almost impassable for Infantry let alone Artillery.
A third 25 pounder field gun was dismantled and manhandled to Peg 66 beyond Uberi.
The Regiment was assisted in reaching their firing position by a Platoon of the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion.
However, by then the Japanese had withdrawn beyond the range of the gun.
Following the action at Owers' Corner from to September 22-28, 1942, the Commander Royal Artillery 7th Division, Brigadier L.S. Barker despatched the following:
"The ejection of the enemy from Ioribaiwa Ridge indicates a turning point in the battle for Port Moresby. The success of our forces was due in no small part to the action of 53rd Field Battery, 14th Field Regiment in bringing fire to bear on the enemy position which they had every reason to consider was safe from artillery fire.
“The manner in which difficulties were overcome in bringing guns into action at Owers' Corner and later in taking guns forward to Uberi is another example of the aptness of the gunner motto, "UBIQUE".
“The accuracy of the fire brought down at extreme range indicates that the personnel who served the guns are maintaining that standard of efficiency which is recognised as inherent in gunner units.
“Special mention must be made of the early reconnaissance of the area and the accurate observation of fire by the Troop Commander, Captain J.P. Cullen who has been mention in despatches.
“The action of the unit in taking a gun to pieces to manhandle it up and down he steep hillsides of Uberi indicates that the Militia soldier is fully alive to the resourcefulness expected from gunners. The task of getting this gun forward was facilitated by the good work of 5 Platoon 2/1st Pioneer Battalion who improved and prepared the track.
“The CRA desires to congratulate the officers and men who took part in the actual action, on their fine achievement and that he feels confident of the good work which will be carried out in future by the 14th Field Regiment and wishes them every success in the campaign ahead.”
All units which participated in the Owen Stanley Campaign between McDonald's Corner and Kokoda, passed through Owers' Corner.
Later as the counter offensive was under way, on October 3, Generals MacArthur, Blamey, Herring and Kenney accompanied by the Minister for the Army, Mr F.M.Forde, visited Owers' Corner as the 16th Brigade began their move towards the objective, Kokoda.
General MacArthur told Brigadier J.E. Lloyd the commander, "Lloyd, by some act of God, your Brigade has been chosen for this job. The eyes of the Western world are upon you. I have every confidence in you and your men, good luck, don't stop."
McDonald’s Corner and Owers’ Corner, further in from Sogeri, have always been a favorite place for many residents of Port Moresby.
They are famously known as the beginning of the Kokoda Trail and are visited by thousands of tourists, mainly Australians, every year.
Enjoying a cold beer after a hard couple of days on the Kokoda Trail has always been part of the routine for these trekkers.
Enjoying a family picnic at Owers’ Corner under the blue sky, white clouds, majestic mountains and lush, green environment is a moment to treasure.
McDonald’s and Owers’ Corners, for many years, have been a means of escaping from the sweltering heat and scorched landscape of Port Moresby.
While Moresby is dry as a bone for over six months of the year, these places, invariably, are moist and green and the mountain air cooler.
The mountains, foothills, forests, savannah woodland, rivers and streams have long captured the imagination of many.
It goes without saying that when one goes to McDonald’s and Owers’ corners, one returns to the city very much relaxed, and reinvigorated.
They are very much among the many jewels in PNG’s crown.
McDonald’s Corner
The beginning of the Kokoda Track
In July and August 1942 McDonald's Corner was recognised as the beginning of the Kokoda Track and there is now a memorial at the site as well as a sign announcing the beginning of the "Kokoda Trail".
Nearby was the village of Ilolo, and it was here in July 1942 that officers of the Australian and New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU), such as Lieutenant Herbert Kienzle and his medical officer, the elderly Captain Geoffrey Vernon, brought together the groups of native carriers who were needed to support the Australian advance into the mountains.
Ilolo is reached by a road that leaves Port Moresby and winds its way 40km up a steep hill, past the Rouna Falls and onto the high plateau which includes the Itiki Valley and the Sogeri River.
This area provides a slightly cooler climate and in 1942 was considered suitable for training of the units about to cross the mountains.
Later it became a retraining and rest area for units that had fought on the Track.
It was also the site of a number of military hospitals.
From Ilolo, Lieutenant Kienzle set out with his carriers to establish a series of staging camps along the Kokoda Track to support the troops of the 39th and later the 53rd Battalions.
Staging camps were established at approximately 16km intervals, which meant that the troops would take about eight days to cross the mountains to Kokoda.
Many of the troops who fought on the Kokoda Track have clear memories of Ilolo, and McDonald's Corner - a short distance beyond where they disembarked from their trucks before beginning the march.
The first unit over the mountains, B Company 39th Battalion, under Captain Sam Templeton, left Ilolo on July 7, 1942.
C Company of the Battalion began the trek on July 23.
The first company of the 53rd Battalion left Ilolo on August 11 and the first elements of the 2/14th Battalion began moving on 16 August.
Later an effort was made to push the road beyond Ilolo and a jeep track was constructed to Owers' Corner, but still the troops disembarked at McDonald's Corner.
The first company of the 2/33rd Battalion departed McDonald's Corner on September 10. Eventually, as the track was improved, more troops could be carried forward to Owers' Corner and thus McDonald's Corner lost some of its importance.
It is still regarded, however, as the beginning of the Kokoda Track.
Beyond Ilolo, the first staging camp at the end of a day's journey, was the village of Uberi.
Owers’ Corner
The end of the Jeep Track
Late in August 1942, Lieutenant Noel Owers, with a small survey party, was looking for an alternative route forward of Ilolo by which the troops on the Kokoda Track might more easily be supplied.
The jeep track only ever reached as far as the point which became known as Owers' Corner, and then gave way to a foot track which wound down a steep slope towards Uberi.
During the month of September 1942, two 25 pounder field guns of the 14th Australian Field Regiment were brought forward to Owers' Corner, where they were manhandled into firing positions.
This was the only allied Field Artillery used during the Kokoda Track campaign to support the out gunned and greatly out numbered Infantry.
This action assisted in halting the Japanese advance just 48km from Port Moresby; so began the Japanese retreat.
The terrain was almost impassable for Infantry let alone Artillery.
A third 25 pounder field gun was dismantled and manhandled to Peg 66 beyond Uberi.
The Regiment was assisted in reaching their firing position by a Platoon of the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion.
However, by then the Japanese had withdrawn beyond the range of the gun.
Following the action at Owers' Corner from to September 22-28, 1942, the Commander Royal Artillery 7th Division, Brigadier L.S. Barker despatched the following:
"The ejection of the enemy from Ioribaiwa Ridge indicates a turning point in the battle for Port Moresby. The success of our forces was due in no small part to the action of 53rd Field Battery, 14th Field Regiment in bringing fire to bear on the enemy position which they had every reason to consider was safe from artillery fire.
“The manner in which difficulties were overcome in bringing guns into action at Owers' Corner and later in taking guns forward to Uberi is another example of the aptness of the gunner motto, "UBIQUE".
“The accuracy of the fire brought down at extreme range indicates that the personnel who served the guns are maintaining that standard of efficiency which is recognised as inherent in gunner units.
“Special mention must be made of the early reconnaissance of the area and the accurate observation of fire by the Troop Commander, Captain J.P. Cullen who has been mention in despatches.
“The action of the unit in taking a gun to pieces to manhandle it up and down he steep hillsides of Uberi indicates that the Militia soldier is fully alive to the resourcefulness expected from gunners. The task of getting this gun forward was facilitated by the good work of 5 Platoon 2/1st Pioneer Battalion who improved and prepared the track.
“The CRA desires to congratulate the officers and men who took part in the actual action, on their fine achievement and that he feels confident of the good work which will be carried out in future by the 14th Field Regiment and wishes them every success in the campaign ahead.”
All units which participated in the Owen Stanley Campaign between McDonald's Corner and Kokoda, passed through Owers' Corner.
Later as the counter offensive was under way, on October 3, Generals MacArthur, Blamey, Herring and Kenney accompanied by the Minister for the Army, Mr F.M.Forde, visited Owers' Corner as the 16th Brigade began their move towards the objective, Kokoda.
General MacArthur told Brigadier J.E. Lloyd the commander, "Lloyd, by some act of God, your Brigade has been chosen for this job. The eyes of the Western world are upon you. I have every confidence in you and your men, good luck, don't stop."
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Bomana never fails to move you
Blue sky
green rolling hills stretch
to tranquil mountains.
white clouds in a wide blue sky
So quiet
so peaceful
above the young sleepers
resting beneath each white stone
With each new dawn
their rising suns greet the rising sun
as the days march to eternity
But they will march no more
no more to toil along the muddy track
no more to wonder where their trail will end
it ended here
Thousands
sleeping peacefully
under that clear blue sky
there in their earth beds
beneath each white stone
as I walk the graves
and wonder why
- Anonymous
“I visited Bomana War Cemetery, not far from the start of the Kokoda Track, in Papua New Guinea in 1973 when I was 21,” wrote the author of the above poem.
“The peace of the setting and the enormous number of white crosses shocked me with the contrast.
“It was here that I began to grasp the sacrifice made by those who give their lives for their country.”
Bomana War Cemetery, just outside of Port Moresby, respects and honors those who made the supreme sacrifice for their people.
It also serves as a reminder that war kills, not just a few, but many hundreds of thousands, and on both sides.
Bomana – like other war cemeteries in Papua New Guinea – offers an opportunity to create goodwill amongst all the living so that the same tragedies may not be repeated.
It creates strong feelings of sacredness, tranquility, spaciousness, peace and beauty, and is immaculately maintained by devoted staff.
Bomana is not far from the start of the Kokoda Trail.
The peace of the setting and the enormous number of white crosses shocks you with the contrast.
It is here that you begin to grasp the sacrifice made by those who gave their lives for their country.
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery lies approximately 19km north of Port Moresby on the road to Nine-Mile, and is approached from the main road by a short side road called Pilgrims Way.
After the Japanese landed at Lae and Salamaua in March 1942, Port Moresby became their chief objective.
They decided to attack by sea, and assembled an amphibious expedition for the purpose, which set out early in May, but they were intercepted and heavily defeated by American air and naval forces in the Coral Sea, and what remained of the Japanese expedition returned to Rabaul.
After this defeat they decided to advance on Port Moresby overland and the attack was launched from Buna and Gona in September 1942.
Early in 1942, and almost without resistance, the Japanese established a considerable force and developed a useful base on Bougainville, the largest and most northerly of the Solomon Islands.
This they held until Americans and Australians began offensive operations towards the end of 1943, when Bougainville was the only one of these islands remaining in Japanese hands.
By August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered, most of the island had been recovered.
Those who died in the fighting in Papua and Bougainville are buried at Bomana War Cemetery, their graves brought in by the Australian Army Graves Service from burial grounds in the areas where the fighting had taken place.
The unidentified soldiers of the United Kingdom forces were all from the Royal Artillery, captured by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore; they died in captivity and were buried on the island of Bailale in the Solomons.
These men were later re-buried in a temporary war cemetery at Torokina on Bougainville Island before being transferred to their permanent resting place at Port Moresby.
The cemetery contains 3,819 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 702 of them unidentified.
The Port Moresby Memorial stands behind the cemetery and commemorates almost 750 men of the Australian Army (including Papua and New Guinea local forces), the Australian Merchant Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force who lost their lives in the operations in Papua and who have no known graves.
Men of the Royal Australian Navy who died in the south-west Pacific region, and have no known grave but the sea, are commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial in England, along with many of their comrades of the Royal Navy and of other Commonwealth Naval Forces.
Bougainville casualties who have no known graves are commemorated on a memorial at Suva, Fiji
A driveway lined with shady trees, flowering shrubs and lawns leads from the main gate to the car park where there is an overall view of the cemetery.
Among these are 438 unidentified soldiers of the United Kingdom Forces captured at the fall of Singapore, who died in captivity in the Solomons.
At the far end lies the Remembrance Stone of richly – grained pink sandstone.
Slightly to the right, on a knoll stretching its arms over all the graves, stands the Cross of Sacrifice.
The Memorial is higher up to the right on top of the hill dominating everything.
A rotunda of cylindrical pillars encloses a circle of square columns.
Their inside faces bear bronze panels engraved with over 800 names of men who lost their lives in operations in Papua and who have no known graves.
Blue sky
green rolling hills stretch
to tranquil mountains.
white clouds in a wide blue sky
So quiet
so peaceful
above the young sleepers
resting beneath each white stone
With each new dawn
their rising suns greet the rising sun
as the days march to eternity
But they will march no more
no more to toil along the muddy track
no more to wonder where their trail will end
it ended here
Thousands
sleeping peacefully
under that clear blue sky
there in their earth beds
beneath each white stone
as I walk the graves
and wonder why
- Anonymous
“I visited Bomana War Cemetery, not far from the start of the Kokoda Track, in Papua New Guinea in 1973 when I was 21,” wrote the author of the above poem.
“The peace of the setting and the enormous number of white crosses shocked me with the contrast.
“It was here that I began to grasp the sacrifice made by those who give their lives for their country.”
Bomana War Cemetery, just outside of Port Moresby, respects and honors those who made the supreme sacrifice for their people.
It also serves as a reminder that war kills, not just a few, but many hundreds of thousands, and on both sides.
Bomana – like other war cemeteries in Papua New Guinea – offers an opportunity to create goodwill amongst all the living so that the same tragedies may not be repeated.
It creates strong feelings of sacredness, tranquility, spaciousness, peace and beauty, and is immaculately maintained by devoted staff.
Bomana is not far from the start of the Kokoda Trail.
The peace of the setting and the enormous number of white crosses shocks you with the contrast.
It is here that you begin to grasp the sacrifice made by those who gave their lives for their country.
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery lies approximately 19km north of Port Moresby on the road to Nine-Mile, and is approached from the main road by a short side road called Pilgrims Way.
After the Japanese landed at Lae and Salamaua in March 1942, Port Moresby became their chief objective.
They decided to attack by sea, and assembled an amphibious expedition for the purpose, which set out early in May, but they were intercepted and heavily defeated by American air and naval forces in the Coral Sea, and what remained of the Japanese expedition returned to Rabaul.
After this defeat they decided to advance on Port Moresby overland and the attack was launched from Buna and Gona in September 1942.
Early in 1942, and almost without resistance, the Japanese established a considerable force and developed a useful base on Bougainville, the largest and most northerly of the Solomon Islands.
This they held until Americans and Australians began offensive operations towards the end of 1943, when Bougainville was the only one of these islands remaining in Japanese hands.
By August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered, most of the island had been recovered.
Those who died in the fighting in Papua and Bougainville are buried at Bomana War Cemetery, their graves brought in by the Australian Army Graves Service from burial grounds in the areas where the fighting had taken place.
The unidentified soldiers of the United Kingdom forces were all from the Royal Artillery, captured by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore; they died in captivity and were buried on the island of Bailale in the Solomons.
These men were later re-buried in a temporary war cemetery at Torokina on Bougainville Island before being transferred to their permanent resting place at Port Moresby.
The cemetery contains 3,819 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 702 of them unidentified.
The Port Moresby Memorial stands behind the cemetery and commemorates almost 750 men of the Australian Army (including Papua and New Guinea local forces), the Australian Merchant Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force who lost their lives in the operations in Papua and who have no known graves.
Men of the Royal Australian Navy who died in the south-west Pacific region, and have no known grave but the sea, are commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial in England, along with many of their comrades of the Royal Navy and of other Commonwealth Naval Forces.
Bougainville casualties who have no known graves are commemorated on a memorial at Suva, Fiji
A driveway lined with shady trees, flowering shrubs and lawns leads from the main gate to the car park where there is an overall view of the cemetery.
Among these are 438 unidentified soldiers of the United Kingdom Forces captured at the fall of Singapore, who died in captivity in the Solomons.
At the far end lies the Remembrance Stone of richly – grained pink sandstone.
Slightly to the right, on a knoll stretching its arms over all the graves, stands the Cross of Sacrifice.
The Memorial is higher up to the right on top of the hill dominating everything.
A rotunda of cylindrical pillars encloses a circle of square columns.
Their inside faces bear bronze panels engraved with over 800 names of men who lost their lives in operations in Papua and who have no known graves.
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