Hello Peter
I have just found your wonderful site, and after reading all the names in the letters and seeing the pictures, so many great memories have come flooding back of my time on Bougainville.
My Dad, Wally Smith, started there with Bechtel-WKE in 1970, in Light Vehicles, both in Panguna and Loloho, and transferred to BCL in 1972 in the Pit Workshop. In October of 1972 my Mum, Kit, and I went there originally for 6 months, and that turned into seven years. Our first house was at Caroona Creek, then Married Hill, and in late '76 we moved down to Arawa. Mum and I left in November '79 and Dad finally said goodbye to the Island in January 1980. After a chance meeting at a local shopping centre with one of his Bougainville bosses, Bill Welsh, he was offered and accepted a job at Mt. Gunson Mine, just south of Woomera. He worked there two and a half years until he decided to go to Ok Tedi with Bechtel-MKI where he stayed until Bechtel handed the keys over to Western Mining. After that, Dad basically retired back home in Adelaide, but still lived life to the fullest. Sadly, Mum passed away in December 1988 and Dad passed away in November 2002
I know that the time we spent on Bougainville were the greatest years of our lives. I would love to hear from anyone who remembers us and would like to drop me a line.
I find it amazing how everybody that spent time there, no matter how long or short their stay was, we all left the Island with the same virus........I think I'll call it "Bougainvilleitis".
Regards and best wishes to all
Grant Smith
wsmi1170@bigpond.net.au
