Mr Justin Mark FALLON (21 March 2003, aged 62 years)

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Mark was a didiman, farmer, businessman and sportsman. Born on a dairy farm in Western Victoria he died and was buried on his 11,000 acre property 'Wonga' in the Riverina. Soon after graduating from Ag. College, Mark joined Dept. of Agriculture, Stock & Fisheries in Mt Hagen in 1963. He proved to be an outstanding extension officer. Before he left the government and with the blessing of Tom Ellis and Bill Conroy, and using hundreds of labourers, Mark drained 7,000 acres of Wahgi Valley peat swamps for resettlement.

Mark's agricultural ventures continued despite his deep involvement in heavy earthmoving machinery and construction work. On leaving the government in 1969 he produced some 5,000 tonnes of sweet potato and bred and sold 4,500 head of cattle. In 1980 he bought a 2,400 acre sheep and wheat property in NSW. This was sold in 1985. 'Wonga' was bought in 2001.

In the early 1970s Mark and Jim Wellwood formed Pangia Constructions which, apart from hiring plant to government and construction companies, was involved in civil engineering work in PNG and further afield, eg. Fiji. In 1976 Mark and Jim chose nine of their local employees and Pangia became a wholly owned National Company - Mark maintained involvement in its management. It was estimated that Pangia had an annual turnover of $50 million. Mark was also General Manager in 1986-87 for joint ventures with Ipilil-Porgera and Dillingham Corp. In 1995 Mark helped his four sons set up Dekenai Constructions in PNG which they now maintain.

Mark excelled in football. His love of horse racing started in PNG and culminated in his part ownership of the winner of the Brisbane Cup in 1995 and 1997. He became involved in blue water sailing as part of the PNG team in the Sydney-Hobart and Southern Cross Cup in the early '80s. Later he purchased a 50 ft catamaran and with his sons as crew sailed in the Hamilton Island Series as well as cruising to Vanuatu and Fiji.

Over the last four years, despite being weakened with cancer, Mark continued upgrading Wonga station. As his wife Sherri said, 'Mark believed there was nothing he could not achieve if he put his mind to it'.

Mark is survived by his wife Sherri, and sons Luke, Matthew, James and Timothy.
 

Mick Belfield (Una Voce - June 2003)