September 2005
Cooper, John (Jack)
Emery, Robert Eustace
(Bob)
Fisk, Joseph (Joe)
Gow, Alan
Green,
Harold Neville
Griffin, Joan
Hunt, Tony
Jackson, Malcolm Peter
Martin, Bob
Smitmanis, Ivars (Ivan)
Juris
Talty, Leonard J. ('Len')
Tierney, John Francis
Back Vale Index
John
(Jack) Cooper (5
May 2005, aged 83 years)
Jack was born in Samarai on 22.2.22 and died on 5.5.05, a
remarkable coincidence of dates. He was one of six children. He
went south in 1940 and worked for a short time in Brisbane
before joining the CMF in October 1941 and subsequently the AIF
in July 1942. After service in Borneo he received his discharge
in May 1946. After some five years working for Qantas, where his
sister Betty also worked, he set off for London where he pursued
an acting career before returning to Australia and eventual
retirement.
Ralph Allan
Index
Robert Eustace (Bob) Emery
(12 August 2004, aged 95 years)
The eldest son of a farm manager and a concert singer in South
Australia, Bob Emery spent his whole life trying to balance his
love of music with his desire to own a farm. He qualified as a
carpenter and he took a Diploma in Agriculture from Roseworthy
College. With these and a Boosey & Hawke euphonium he set out
for Bulolo in 1932. Bob first worked for Bulolo Gold Dredging,
and then managed Carl Jacobsen’s poultry farm at Lae. In 1936 he
took up 150 hectares at Lae, planting 4,000 coconuts.
He started the first dairy farm on the North Coast, challenging
WR Carpenter’s in the food trade. Their meat was frozen and Bob
was killing and dressing fresh beef and pork. But there was a
war. As the first recruit in the NGVR in Lae, Sergeant Bob Emery
found himself and Peter Monfries despatched to Madang to “defend
the ‘drome’”. Two men and one Lewis Gun vs the entire Japanese
invasion force. Discretion was clearly the better part of
valour. From there he took part in ‘Australia’s Dunkirk’, the
little-celebrated evacuation of troops and civilians from New
Britain by small boats. His exploits over the next 6 months led
to the award of the Military Medal. Ambushed by a Japanese
patrol in 1943 he escaped with a bullet in the elbow and no
boots. (The latter is worth noting as his only escape route lay
through a sago swamp.)
Recuperating in Australia he played cornet one night whilst
accompanied on piano by Heather Cameron of Curramulka. They were
married in 1946. By then he had been promoted from NCO to the
Officer Corps. Lt. Emery served out the war with ANGAU, bemusing
the US Marines on Cape Gloucester with his spirited renditions
of Dixieland tunes on his cornet.
Bob and Heather sold the farm to the NG Administration in 1949 -
as the site of the Lae Botanical Gardens. By then two sons had
been born – John and Robert. Their farm in the Lower South East
of South Australia was named NADZAB – where Andrew and Sally
were born. Bob’s enthusiasm for New Guinea never waned. The
long, cold Southern coast winters gave Bob plenty of time for
music and he played in a number of bands. His keen mind and
clear memory became a treasure-trove for historians of New
Guinea. He is survived by his widow, Heather, four children and
five grandchildren.
John Emery
Index
Joseph
(Joe) Fisk (04 May
2005, aged 72 years)
Joe moved to Lae with his employers, Hornibrooks, in 1957. Over
the years he worked in Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Mt Hagen
and Wewak, both with Hornibrooks and Madang Slipways. He was a
carpenter but specialised in bridge building in his early days
in the Territory. An enthusiastic footballer, Joe had the
distinction of representing both New Guinea and Papua in Rugby
League before he gave the game away and became a Rugby League
referee. He was also a staunch member of the Papua New Guinea
Volunteer Rifles and served in all the above areas either as a
Platoon Sergeant or as a Company Sergeant Major.
Joe married Val in Mt Hagen in 1969 and their two children were
born there, Charlie and Cathy. After their return to Australia
in 1973 Joe was active in many volunteer organizations, the Army
Reserve, State Emergency Services, National Servicemen’s
Association, Scouts and the Returned Services League. He was
also instrumental in forming the NGVR/PNGVR ex-members
Association. He retired several years ago but was still active
with his volunteer work as well as being an enthusiastic camper
and fisherman. Because of his enthusiasm for the volunteer work
he undertook he will be missed by a wide variety of people he
knew both in PNG and here in Australia.
Joe is survived by his wife Val, his son Charlie and his
daughter Cathy.
Bob Collins
Index
Alan Gow
(aged 92 years)
Alan was a member of the Coastwatcher’s. He met his wife, Sadie,
in Lae during the war and they married in Australia. After Alan
was discharged from the Coastwatchers he returned to work for
his old firm, ElectroLux Refrigerators, but was not very
settled. Eventually he applied for a job with Public Health and
he and Sadie set off for Goroka where they spent some years.
They had the first white twin’s born in PNG after the war. Alan
was a good soldier and a very smart medical man – his sense of
humour will be missed. He is survived by Sadie, their children
and grandchildren.
Mat Foley
Index
Lieutenant
Colonel Harold Neville Green, MBE (Mil), ED
(9 Apr 2005, aged 83 yrs)
Harry was born at Mullumbimby NSW and served with the AIF in the
Middle East and New Guinea from 1940 until 1945. He returned to
Rabaul with the trading firm, Gillespies’ in 1954. He soon
established his own business and remained a well known figure in
commercial and community affairs in the New Guinea Islands, the
Solomons and Vanuatu all his life. He was Boy Scout Commissioner
in Rabaul for 15 years, Chairman NG Islands Winston Churchill
Trust for six years and prominent in Planters’ Association,
Anglican Church and Ex Servicemen’s affairs. For many years,
from 1958, he was Company Commander of B Company, PNGVR, and in
1970 was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Regiment. Harry was
President of the Brisbane based NGVR and PNGVR Ex-members
Association for 16 years, from its inception in 1989 until his
death. He is survived by his four children, Penelope, Nicola,
Roger and Joshua.
Harry West
Index
Joan Griffin
(23 July 2005)
Married Barrie Griffin, Patrol Officer, and lived in Mt Hagen
and Port Moresby. Barry predeceased Joan by twelve years. Joan
is survived by three children, Frances, Ben, Cassandra and seven
grandchildren.
Graham Hardy
Index
A D (Tony)
Hunt (18 June 2005, aged 85 years)
Tony Hunt was born in England. He served in The Royal Air Force
in WWII and could always be recognised by his traditional
handle-bar moustache. After the war he entered The Royal
Agricultural College, Cirencester, Gloucestershire and gained
the MRAC Diploma in Agriculture. In 1949 he went to Trinidad,
West Indies, and completed the One Year Course at the Imperial
College of Tropical Agriculture. In 1960 he travelled to
Australia and was recruited by the Dept of Agriculture, Stock
and Fisheries. He was posted to OKAPA in the Eastern Highlands.
In 1963 he was transferred to TUFI in Northern Province, where
he remained for three years. From 1966 to 1974 he was at
POPONDETTA working on general extension which included aspects
of the giant Commonwealth Development Corporation Oil Palm
Scheme. Married to Gwen, a teacher at the Popondetta Education
Dept Primary ‘A’ School, they retired to the Buderim district of
SE Queensland in 1974.
Tony, always a character, had his favourite Trinidad Tijuana
Brass happy music played for his funeral service with all
friends who were present smiling, foot tapping and thinking –
this was Tony. He is survived by Gwen, their two children Tim
and Josephine, and three grandchildren.
Doug Franklin
Index
Malcolm Peter Jackson, (28 June 2005,
aged 58 years)
Malcolm was born in WA. He graduated from Graylands Teachers
College in 1966 and spent four years with the WA Education
Department. After marrying Cheryl in 1970 he accepted a contract
to teach in PNG and always called these the best days of his
life. His first posting, in 1971, was to Madang A School. Later
that year he was posted to Karkar High School. In 1973 he moved
to Alotau as head of the English department, then in 1974 to
Dregerhafen High School as Deputy Principal where he became a
very popular member of the Finschafen Club. While there he
bought and sailed a Hobiecat, snorkelled the reefs, collected
shells and went deep sea fishing.
In 1975 Malcolm and Cheryl returned to Perth. Malcolm’s career
continued in education where, in 2002, he became Principal of
Southern Cross District High School. As well as teaching Mal
managed to earn a University degree, produce (along with Cheryl)
four children, serve as an executive in the School Teachers
Union, become active in the Australian Labour Party, serve two
terms as a councillor and actively support junior sport in the
community including his daughter’s netball and his son’s
football teams. Mal maintained a keen interest in PNG affairs,
past and present. Malcolm is survived by his wife, Cheryl,
children Edrissa, Alicia, Naomi and Jordan, mother Rachel and
brothers Rodger and Raymond. P Dwyer
Index
Bob Martin
(30 July 2005)
An image of Bob Martin will remain with many of his airline and
business friends for many years to come. It will be one of a
crowded corner office at Air Niugini’s headquarters at Jacksons
Airport in Port Moresby, a foolscap pad rapidly filling with the
scrawl of the day’s chores, the incessant ringing of the
telephone, as favors are asked of him or meetings arranged and
any new crisis being dealt with--- the latter always being met
with an air of calm efficiency.
Bob, who collapsed and died suddenly while climbing Mt Wilhelm
will be sorely missed not only for the dedication to his task as
a senior executive of the national airline but also for the one
thing that marked him above all else:
He was a bloody good bloke.
Bob first arrived in PNG in 1966 working for TAA and later began
his first stint with Air Niugini, working in Rabaul, Panguna and
Lae and as the airline’s Marketing Manager in Port Moresby
between 1981 and 1984 before moving to Talair as Regional
Manager. Moving back to Australia in the mid-80s he continued to
work in the aviation and tourism industries until the call of
PNG brought him back to Air Niugini in 1999. As General Manager
Marketing he was a key member of the airline’s Executive
Committee and instrumental in achieving much to further Papua
New Guinea’s tourism industry.
Beyond his work environment Bob had a deep affection for PNG and
would take every opportunity to venture into the more
challenging PNG hinterland. I well remember his excitement as he
prepared for walking the Kokoda Track for the first time,
proudly spreading across the floor of his Port Moresby home the
weighty contents of the backpack he was using in his walks to
prepare him for the task. He showed the same enthusiasm in his
emails to me about the impending assault on Mt Wilhelm,
enthusiasm heightened by the fact that he was again to walk in
the company of his two sons. Sadly, his journey was not
completed. He leaves a wife Elaine , and two sons Ben and Tim.
They’ll miss him , and so will we. And so will PNG.
Jim Eames
Index
Ivars (Ivan) Juris
Smitmanis (15 December 2004, aged 64
years)
In 1944, when Ivars was four, his family left their homeland of
Latvia and spent the next four years in a displaced persons camp
in Germany. They immigrated to Australia in 1948 where they
eventually settled in Monto, QLD.
Ivars was appointed in February 1961 and served nine years in
the Madang District serving on most station and as Officer in
Charge of Aiome in 1964 and then Simbai Patrol Posts in 1965
1966. The latter part of Ivars’ service was spent in Madang
headquarters from where he did a considerable amount of
patrolling and was the first census taker. After leave in 1970
Ivan was posted to the West Sepik where he served at Green River
and other stations in the District. Ivars’ touch at Green River
turned an isolated post into somewhat of a friendly centre with
regular visitors and some enjoyable social functions. Ivan was
promoted to District Officer in 1971. Ivan left PNG from the
West Sepik District in early 1976 after fifteen years service.
After PNG Independence Ivars went to Adelaide where his sister
Anita lived. He met Kay and together they opened a deli. In 1976
he joined the Federal Police and was posted to Darwin where they
lived until 1995 when they moved to Gin Gin, QLD. Kay died
suddenly on the 9th October 2004, shortly before Ivars. I
remember his love of the English language, his sense of humour,
his pride in his garden and his love of my mother and her
children. He didn’t say much but when he did it was worth
listening to. He may not have been famous but to me he was
special, as he put ‘the big cheese’.
Jenny Fairnington and Warren Read
Index
Leonard
J. ('Len') Talty
(27 July 2005, aged 76 years)
Len commenced service in PNG with DDA in 1966 as a staff clerk.
Later on he moved to the Works Department and then back to the
now retitled Department of the Prime Minister as District Clerk
in Wewak. He saw service in Port Moresby, Kimbe and Wewak. After
about 15 years he returned to Australia and gained his Bachelor
of Arts majoring in History. He later retired to his beloved
Coolum on the Sunshine Coast where he had been a surfer in his
youth.
Ray Watson
Index
John
Francis Tierney (10
May 2005, aged 66 years)
John was born in 1938 and lived his childhood in Moonee Ponds,
Victoria. After leaving school John was employed by the
Commonwealth Bank and the Department of Customs and Exercise in
Melbourne. In 1957, aged 19 years, John was appointed Cadet
Patrol Officer and after attending the induction course at ASOPA
and the Public Service Training Institute at Konedobu he was
posted to Ambunti. In 1958 he was re-posted to the May River
Patrol Post. In 1959 John attended the Patrol Officers Course at
ASOPA. In 1960 he married Margaret in Melbourne. After their
honeymoon, John took his new bride to Telefomin where he was
promoted Patrol Officer. While at Telefomin David and Derek were
born in 1960 and 1961 respectively. In 1962 John was transferred
to Nuku and this was followed by postings to Lumi (1963), Kokoda
(1964) and Popondetta (late 1964). Philip was born in 1965. In
1967 John and family were posted to Tufi. John attended the
Advanced Local Government Course at ASOPA 1969. In 1970 John was
posted to Buka and while there Lisa was born (1972). John was
transferred to Arawa in 1974 where he held the position of
Deputy District Commissioner. In 1975, John and family left PNG.
The remainder of John’s working life was spent working in Local
Government at Springvale and Frankston Councils.
Dr David Tierney
Index
