Mr Campbell FLEAY
(28 March 2003, aged 79 years)
Campbell first went to PNG as a 19 year old in January 1943 as a member of the
Allied Intelligence Organisation. He served with distinction until the end of
WWII and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for, as he put it, 'doing a
couple of minor jobs'. He then spent a short time in Australia and in August
1946 returned to New Guinea as a patrol officer. He served in Port Moresby,
Rabaul and Kandrian.
In 1963 he transferred to the newly formed Dept. of Labour as a research and
project officer. He never actually worked in that capacity as he immediately
took over as the senior industrial organisations officer which entailed creating
and developing trade unions in PNG (a government policy which at the time did
not endear itself to many people). In 1964 together with John Herbert he visited
every police station and office throughout the country and established the first
Police Union which eventually was second in strength to the Public Service
Association. During the next two years further unions were formed and the basis
of collective worker representation throughout the country was well established.
Following success in this area he switched to industrial relations and for some
years headed up the division. It was during this era that the whole structure of
Industrial Relations took shape. His political nous and perceptive approach to
solving industrial problems stemming from the emerging turbulence of the
changing labour relations scene ensured that when independence arrived,
practical, well-established negotiating and arbitration procedures were in
place.
In 1972 he took over as Secretary for Labour from Doug Parrish and ran the
Department until 1975 when he handed over to Kipling Uiari, the first Papua New
Guinean Secretary. For some years following independence he remained as a senior
adviser in the labour field to the new government and was awarded the PNG
Independence Medal. He then returned to Perth where he remained until he
succumbed to illness. In looking back over his years of service as a kiap he
felt that his greatest achievement was, with the help of the local people, in
building a DC3 airstrip at Kandrian for £10,000.
Campbell is survived by his wife Christina, daughter Helen and son Alan.
John Herbert (Una Voce - June 2003)
