Notes from the Northern Territory: Jim Toner

December 2010

Northern Territory politicians like to extol multiculturalism and when Greece won the European soccer championship the Chief Minister invited happy Hellenes for a celebration. There are many Greeks in Darwin and every one and his thirsty uncle turned up to empty the Parliamentary cellars. Having learned from that when, for the first time in 35 years, the NT Government held a PNG Independence Day function attendance was by invitation only. The dress requirement was Territory Rig, halfway between Formal and Informal, requiring a long sleeved shirt and tie. After so many years my brain had quite forgotten how to knot a tie but after a great struggle I arrived at Parliament House only to find that 90% of wantoks had said "Maski" and come open-necked. Sarcastic remarks such as "On yer way to the Papua Club, Jim?" were my lot. Central District ladies and children in eye catching bilas turned on colourful dancing and everyone including the Chief Minister departed in high good humour.

Two nights later the Australia-PNG Social Group held its usual Independence bash at the Cypriot Club.

Graham Watts, a junior kiap from 1969-1971, was at the earlier celebration. After service at Popondetta and in the Sepik he turned to private enterprise working for Coconut Products Ltd, Burns Philp Plantation Division, New Guinea Plantations and then at Panguna and Ok Tedi until going finish in 1988. Now a resident of Darwin, Graham has a consultancy in vehicle technology particularly for taxis and hire cars.

Lisa Hilli has lived in Brisbane since she was two years old but her mother, Cathy, is from Malaguna No. 4 outside Rabaul. The pair have been on tour with a cooking show and in Darwin demonstrated Tolai practices. "Ai gir" is a traditional dish of coconut milk and vegetables but Cathy adds chicken to suit Aussies. And instead of being cooked in banana leaves on hot stones the ladies find no problem with using aluminium foil in an electric oven.

Turning to page 3 of the NT News to examine, as one does, the usual large photo of a nubile blonde dressed in a teeny weeny polka dot bikini I was taken aback to find it replaced by a photo of a smiling Harry Coehn wielding a golf club. The former PNG chalkie, now 74, had just beaten his age with a round of 73 in the Darwin Club championship. A rare occurrence which included sinking one from 57 m with a sand wedge. Form like that will take him to Port Macquarie in November for the national Veterans championships.

In an earlier issue I mentioned the museum at Goroka named after J.K. McCarthy but a somewhat less well-known kiap has been similarly honoured. At Simbai there is the Kata Haus museum named after Gavin Carter. The former patrol officer now lives in the Coffs Harbour area but has been back to assist villagers to grow coffee as a cottage industry. He found it curious that they had no comprehension of the connection between what they grew and sent away and the Nescafe they purchased in glass jars at the trade store.

Talking of kiaps and Goroka, Rick Giddings was stationed there in 1972 when his daughter Lara was born. That little girl has now become Deputy Premier of Tasmania. Glass ceiling ? Nogat moa.