Mr Gordon Phillip (Phill) HARDY (21 February 2003, aged 79 years)

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Phill was born in Port Moresby to Lillian and Herbert Hardy. After a happy childhood in Moresby and Samarai and boarding school in Sydney, he returned to PNG at age 16 and worked for Customs in Port Moresby. In WWII, he joined the ANGAU Army Unit, where his local knowledge and his fluency in Motu and Tok Pisin were much valued. He attained the rank of Captain - one of the youngest in the Australian Army.

Following WWII Phill joined the PNG Administration as a kiap and progressed through the ranks to acting District Commissioner serving in the Central, Western, Milne Bay, New Ireland, Bougainville, Western Highlands and Morobe Districts. He transferred to full-time legal duties in Lae as a District Court Magistrate before returning to Australia in 1977. Retiring for a few years, Phill later returned to the workforce in Australia as a legal searcher for a Sydney law firm, working to the age of 77.
Shortly before his death from cancer, Phill asked us to send his love and thanks to all his friends from the ANGAU Unit, Papua New Guinean friends living in PNG/Australia and many others who had worked in or were associated with PNG from Australia. Phill is survived by his wife Ann, children Bruce, Andrew, Cassandra, Chris and Dale, and nine great grandchildren.

Phill's sons Bruce and Chris (Una Voce - June 2003)