Garry Snow emailed:

Hi my name is Garry Snow. After discovering your web I was wondering if you have any photos of that era 1968-71 (Ian Sarge Williams was my boss.) Did 2 years at Panguna and took many photos especially my 21st birthday party was at the camp. There were many people at the party and remember driving down to Kieta next day. Not very pleasant with many stops. Have not looked at these agfa slides for 44years. Still in storage and will get them out if you have any interest. Just remembered my other boss John Langdon..Worked for CRA.
Regards Garry Snow
email garryandserena[AT]bigpond.com

Mark L Frankling emailed from France

I had some very good memories of Bougainville It was sad to see all my favourate places, such as the Davara Hotel / Arovo Resort / the Kieta wharf lay to ruins...

My "Dad" Roger Frankling was the Assistant Manager at Rabaul Stevedores - Kieta (1981-1989). He was especially good friends with Vic Fisher "The Captain" of the "Lae Chief" Ship - Bob Strong / Peter & Lin Mares The Legendary Bob Strong who was the manager of Toboroi plantation near Aropa Airport was also the transport manager at Rabaul Stevevedores...( My Dad sadly passed away on the Isle of Wight UK 2001.)

Mark's father Roger E. Franklin

My favourate moment of my Dad was when he lost his Rolex watch when diving of Arovo/Pok pok island to the bottom of the very deep ocean. Ahhhhhg - You should of seen his face!! (After all those years that "dive watch" should still keep good timing!!!)

My Brother Jeff & I went to Loloho Correspondence School & Toniva in 1982 before being shipped off to Boarding School St Peter's Boarding school in New Zealand 1983.

MARK FRANKLING TONIVA/KIETA BOUGAINVILLE(1981-1989)

E-Mail: mlfrankling@free.fr

P.S. HI WANTOKS!!

I am looking for old photos/post-cards/Memories... of Bougainville in the 1980'S You "oldies" & Kids are all welcomed.

LUK'IM YU!!!

P.P.S. see also here.

Bob Corbett emailed from Newcastle, Australia

Julie was just browsing the web and chanced upon this website. Glad to read Alan's update of 2005. We have very fond memories of our time on Bougainville in the mid-late 80s and especially the renditions of the BCL Blues. Alan, if you see this website again, we'd love to hear from you and would love a CD of the most memorable song from those days and Condom if you have it.

We have been living on Lake Macquarie (Newcastle) for 10 years, after moving from Orange, NSW where we spent 11.5 years. Ted and Coral Tame recently moved to Lake Macquarie. They keep in touch with a few of the oldies from KSCC.

We still own Uriava. A few years ago we caught up with Dr Hamish Foster and the owner of Bintaro whilst out sailing.

E-Mail: bcorbett@amci.com.au

Lindsay Riddick emailed:

Hello,

I am not one of those in Bougainville in the 1970s – 80s. I arrived in Arawa in 2010 on a volunteer assignment. One of my “extra” personal challenges is researching the history of Tunuru Mission, I plan to publish a small book late in 2012 detailing this story.

I understand the present church was built in 1987-88 and that a significant part of the construction was done by mine workers who were on strike/locked out for 2-3 months. I would dearly like to hear from anybody involved with that construction.

Similarly I would like to hear from anybody with memories of Tunuru church and mission activities over the mining period.

A final request to Urs Christen. You have a great photo of Tunuru from the air on page 10 of this site. I would like to use this in the book, please contact me regarding possible use.

Lindsay Riddick
haus.stori@gmail.com

Iain MacPherson emailed from Western Australia:

Hi,
I worked for Buin Earthmoving 1976 t0 1979.
I would love to on the list and include my e-mail.

Regards

Iain MacPherson
80 Beenyup Rd
Byford W.A. 6122
Ph 9525 1668
Mob 0412 165 069
iainmac[AT]iinet.net.au

Sean Byrne emailed from the Gold Coast:

Hi there,

Really liked coming across your site. I was there twice during the building of the mine. First time for Brambles and second time for Johns and Waygood. I think it would be around 1971 ish. My location is now Gold Coast, Queensland

Thanks,
Sean Byrne
asia2468[AT]hotmail.com

Merv Nightingale emailed from Londonderry in N.S.W.:

Merv Nightingale, my boss on the Bougainville Island contract with the Camp Catering Services Group almost forty years ago, sent me this message:

"Oh I thought that I better let you know that I have been working my way through your various blogs and am both amazed and impressed by your ability to produce such items. I must admit to also being very impressed with your obvious computer skills and your excellent command of the English language. If all else fails you would have no trouble in switching to journalism such is your ability ... I was fascinated by the blog on the Islands, but still have not come accross the old camp office. Brings back a lot of memories, but looking at the areas and the people, I am glad that things turned out the way that they did as I think that it would have proven to be a disaster had we all stayed. Hope all are well down there, and while I think of it, you look well in your photos and obviously the area agrees with you. Best wishes, Merv Nightingale"

Thank you, Merv, but of course you were always most flattering of my abilities, as testified by the glowing reference you gave me when I left Bougainville to take up the position of Financial Controller in Camp Catering Services' head office in Sydney. This reference, together with some fifty other similarly glowing ones, is now slowly yellowing around the edges and fading away just as I am.

Click on image to enlarge

 

And here's a photo of the old office, Merv:

 

Colin Burns snail-mailed from Belowra:

"Gut de Masta Peter,

Mi laik sekan yu - nem bilong mi Masta Col Burns, mi bin wok long Bougainville namel 1969 - 1972 ...", and he continues to write in Pidgin English for a whole page.

I am sure Col would like to hear from other ex-Bougies but he's not an easy man to contact as he lives in dinosaur-country far away from an internet connection.

You can write to him at

Colin Burns
"Buckenjandra"
Belowra
via Nerrigundah NSW 2545

or phone him on (02) 44779306.

I guess you could also visit him but let me warn you: Nerrigundah is in a remote location. We went there several years ago and I wrote this webpage about it.

If you're not from the South Coast of New South Wales (and even if you are), you'd probably never heard of Nerrigundah, let alone Belowra which is another 35 km beyond Nerrigundah and even farther out in the sticks.

John Standen emailed from Brisbane:

Hello Peter

I did know you but you may not have known me, John Standen or better known as (Blossom), I would like to go on the Honour Roll, if possible.

I arrived on Bougainville in August 1971 as a Plant Fitter, first stop Loloho Dongas, and sat in that old red chair, started in B10 and worked all over the place or wherever needed or tolerated, got married while there to (Sniff) had children, they went to school in Arrawa, left in 1989.

Everything happened so fast, they were the best years, I do have many photos, and there are some of yours that I would like to acquire also, it was only the other night I was looking at that copper coin that we got on the start of production, I was wondering how many people still have them?

We are now living in Brisbane north.

Cheers and Beers
Blossom
standen.mob[AT]bigpond.com

Deanne Holmes emailed from the USA:

I stumbled across your website this evening and even noticed my dad had posted, Paul Holmes,

We lived in both Arawa and Panguna during our 3.5 years there, 1978 - 1981.

My sister and I both attended Bovo Primary School and also International School in Panguna My brother attended Boarding school in brisbane and i also did our 3rd year there St Peter's Lutheran College.

I remember one of my teachers well, Mr Hayden, who took us on a billeted trip to highlands in New Guinea.

I also remember the Brophy's, Kastener's, Groom's and Grant's. They were all in Panguna during our time there, I'm positive there are many other people I'd remember if i saw their names. My Mum, Jan Holmes worked a lot with the social club in Panguna and also at tech College, She use to cut peoples hair (a lot of the single guys with no wives etc)and also draw family's portraits etc for people..Tragically, she passed away in 2007, Dad is still going strong, still in the industry and lives in central NSW.

Arovo Island was magical, I have never forgotten the color of the ocean there, it was so beautiful, also all the treks into jungle looking for orchards with our parents, and playing in the Bovo river and swimming.. I miss so many things about Bougainville, Hot Bread Anyone? I still think it was the best bread on earth :)

The earth tremors, and playing in the rain, I saw star wars for the first time there at the Panguna Social Club, and ate my first ever star wars icy pop there too, haha how strange to remember such things,

The people were friendly, and going to Loloho beach for holidays, spending a week in the cabins, it was so fantastic, a real paradise.

I also miss Fred (affectionately we called him uncle) and also Blue and Marty who managed/owned plantations and I have the best memories of going up there and spending time game fishing, relaxing and enjoying the plantation lifestyles, the houses were immaculate and amazing, and I've never forgotten the first trip up there in our suzuki 4wd.. We owned 3 dogs while there, Bastie who passed away before we left, Boxer who was the best watch dog ever and Natasha a golden cocker, who had puppies thanks to Fog (another golden cocker) from down the street in Panguna. I think the Horns owned him.

Its been a long time, but i will always hold dear and treasured memories of Bougainville, and i am very blessed to have been one of the children who got to spend some of their childhood growing up in paradise.

Thanks for the website it brought back a lot of great memories, I live in the USA now so it also gave me a chance to share some of those memories and my childhood with my newer and extended family here.

Deanne L Holmes
dayleigh2011[AT]yahoo.com