Blowing your own vuvuzela

Vuvuzelas are all the rage at South Africa's Soccer World Cup.

Of course, it helps to know where all those vuvuzelas come from:

Lisa Faithful née Beaton

Hi

I was a teacher with the International Education Agency on Bougainville Island from 1986 until September 1989, I was Lisa Beaton back then. I have the most wonderful memories of the island and my time at Panguna International Primary and North Solomons International High School. My classroom at NSIHS looked right over Loloho beach and there was many an afternoon when it was very difficult to concentrate on teaching a geography or economics lesson – I can’t imagine how hard it was for the students to concentrate. I would love to hear from some past students or parents of those great kids and see what they are doing now.

Thank you for putting together a wonderful website. I now live in freezing Calgary, Canada, a long way from the hot sunny days and torrential downpours at 2.00 pm that was Arawa. Great memories and wonderful times.

Lisa Faithful
Lisa_Faithful@golder.com

Mike Thorne emailed from Cape Town:

 

Thank you for your web page.

I came there from Western Australia and worked on shovels and drills for a year before going back to the iron ore mines in Western Australia.

I did however end up working and living in PNG for a total of 14 years at Ok Tedi and other construction projects till I left for the last time in 1994.

I ended up living and working in 22 countries, and now live in Cape Town, South Africa.

While in Indonesia did run into the old lost soul from PNG, and one Western Australia, Rod Chandler “The Fox”, but have not seen him for over 20 years now.

The shovels and drill foreman Frank Thomas was killed in a car accident in NSW in the 70’s. It was his first job after leaving PNG; it was very sad as he was so young.

Would I go back? Yes, just to visit as I did in 1983, to work no, have past that, enjoy living in Cape Town too much.

Loved looking at the photos, sorry I don’t have any left of my time on Bougainville, but all the best and thank you for doing what you have done.

I did recognize some of them but not all, there was John from the cricket club and I often wonder what did they all get up to and where are they today.

Have a Blessed Day,
Mike JW Thorne
afterhours@landlords.sa.com

Steve Scott

Hello,

Congrats on a great site.

I discovered your site by accident but it has brought back many memories. I ran in the Hash group for the 4 years and have still got the 400th Anniversary Run book which has many photos, stories, etc. I also have some old photos which I would be happy to share.

My details for the Honour Roll are:-

Steve Scott
Noosa, Sunshine Coast QLD
BCL Accounting 1976-1980
Email steve.scott@bigpond.com

Loloho Power Station

Customs board, impound oil tanker off Rabaul

By PETERSEN TSERAHA and SIMON ERORO

A oil tanker suspected of transporting heavy fuel oil unlawfully siphoned from fuel tanks in Loloho, Bougainville has been impounded.

Customs and PNG Defence Force Navy operations nabbed the tanker 400 nautical miles out of Loloho on Monday in a special operation codenamed Steady.

PNGDF vessel HMAS Seadler intercepted the oil tanker and escorted it to Rabaul where customs officials and police boarded the vessel to investigate before it sails back to Port Moresby.

The tanker’s Asian crew members have been arrested and charged for being in possession of pornographic and other contraband materials.

The Malaysian registered tanker MV UVP Sjorg was in Loloho for almost three weeks loading oil, which was used by the Loloho power station in the 1980’s to power the Panguna mine and the whole of Arawa town.

The vessel was closely monitored by Bougainville police, but it was loading under very tight security provided by armed locals who kept watch on the vessel.

This was the second shipment of crude oil out of Loloho, and there is heated debate over the activities of the tanker between ex-combatants.

PNG Customs Commissioner Gary Juffa said the vessel had been detained in the port of Rabaul while Customs investigate the legality of the shipment. He said a search of the vessel by the team found significant amounts of pornography and other contraband.
“My officers have confirmed that the oil tanker entered Papua New Guinea without reporting its arrival in advance as required under the Customs Act and Maritime Transport laws,” Mr Juffa said.

He alleged that the vessel illegally loaded the siphoned heavy fuel oil without authority and attempted to depart without properly reporting its cargo as required under the Customs Act. Mr Juffa said the Customs officers in Bougainville were believed to have cleared the vessel under duress and it is believed that Customs is contemplating withdrawing its officers to Buka as the officers’ situation on the main island becomes untenable.

He confirmed that the oil tanker was chartered by a Singaporean company under an agreement with a company alleged to be operating in Bougainville. Customs is investigating the matter with police and PNGDF officers. “PNG has laws to protect its citizens and these laws must be followed and respected. Foreign elements have on far too many occasions taken the liberty to ignore our laws,” Mr Juffa said. He warned foreigners to respect PNG’s sovereignty as a nation when travelling into its territory and not whenever they felt like it and operating with little concern for the laws because such behavior could no longer be tolerated.

He said the risk posed by foreign elements that illegally travelled in and out of PNG, especially in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, was becoming unacceptable.

Kevin McDean emailed from China:

Hello Peter

As is noted on your website, I was on Bougainville from mid 1970 till about Octoberr 1977 I think, our paths may have crossed at some point during those life changing days.

Many respectable and less then respectable stories to tell but no room here.

But briefly, was with Mike Blackwell, Tom Kuzman, Ian white and others in the mine engineering office at the Pink Palace then down near the pit workshop from my first day, and gradually progressed doing many things to commissioning the Port facilities and Crusher etc.

I have been sorting out some old things here and found these scanned copies of photos taken pre digital days, thought that if you have a place for them, others may be interested in seeing them.

The quality is not so good so do what you want with them.

I am currently in China and have been in and out of here for the last 5 years, managing a trading etc company. So if you know anyone that wants anything from up here from big bits of machinery to table forks let me know.

Enjoy looking at your website from time to time, but with us all getting older we may tend to do that more frequently trying to remember youth.

Have a good day in Gods country.

Kind regards
Kevin McDean
Telephone: +86 134 399 27922
Email: kmcdean@connaughteng.com
Web: www.connaughteng.com

Steve Craft

It is still an enjoyment to read notes from former B'villians. I was a ComBanker in 1971-72 and saw a lot of raw island life (that is until the International grade Arovo Island) and loved it all.

Steve Craft (Moondance) steve_marilyncraft@hotmail.com

 

Arriving back in Sydney in December 1972

 

Baden Stewart

G'day from Baden Stewart (aka Badman)

This website was passed on, and what a great website it is.

It would be great to catch up with anyone . I was working for BCL in the pit workshop, i arrived in Bougainville in 1970, and left in 1978.

So if anyone would like to drop me a line, you can send it to ajandsel[at]internode.on.net, would love to hear from you.

Cheers

Brian Hamilton

Hi,

I came across your website this morning.

I worked at Panguna for Dumez(Australia) on the construction of the concentrator in 1970. I also spent a couple of months as a storeman with Bechtel Pacific. I lived in Camp 1 during my contract there and will see if I can dig out some old photos. Please add me to the honour roll. Thanks.

Regards,
Brian Hamilton
Projects Manager
RAYBAL BUILDING SERVICES PTY LTD
P O Box 6127, West Gosford NSW 2250
ph. 02 43221212 fax. 0243221213
mob. 0434 100138 e-mail. brian@raybal.com.au

Carl Shurte

Hi my name is Carl Shurte.I worked on Bougainvelle Copper Project from 1969 to 1975 I lived in camp 6 and worked on the wharf. best days in my life. now 65 still would love to go back one day carlshurte@bigpond.com please put me on that Honour roll.

 

Arriving back in Sydney in December 1972