Graham Shaw emailed these photos from New Zealand:

Hi Peter

Like many of your contributors I found your site a few months ago and have since been busy converting my slides to digital form. I have included a few of them for your site.

My name is Graham Shaw from Taihape, Central North Island, NZ. Along with my good buddy, John Neustroski (died 7.2.2004) we worked in Panguna from August 1970 until April 1971. I was a Foreman Mechanic in Barclay Bros workshop. Never having worked on a large construction site before it was a bit of a culture shock. While there were some negatives it was overall a great experience.

In the New Year I shall write a blog sharing my experiences, the highs and lows.

I have not recognized any names from your honours roll or blogs (could be my memory). Would love to hear from anyone that was up there with me. I am still in touch with Alex Stewart, Queensland but have not come across anyone else I knew.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers,
Graham Shaw
email Coachmantaihape[AT]xtra.co.nz

 

Ken Mills emailed from Mackay:

Landed in Kieta September 1971. Worked as a fitter on haul trucks, then a couple of stints at the Screen house before leaving the Island February 1976. Like many others have commented, the work and lifestyle leave me yearning to see the place again, even knowing that the magic of those years can never be replicated. Names remembered included Lik Lik Lew Higgins, Kiwi Tony Mcdonald, Ted Rogalski, Garry Mills, Badman Stewart and of course John Davo Davison to name a few. Moved on to work for 36 years in underground coal and have settled just south of Mackay. Have browsed this site many times looking for names and people's experiences. One memory was of a crew trip down the coast in an Isuzu manhaul with much liquid refreshment. One person brought to our attention some electric blue butterflies with the statement that one in the hand was worth a lot of dollars and a lot of unsteady hunters evacuated the vehicle seeking the reward. A lot of sore and sorry persons returned to the manhaul with no prize.

Ken Mills

ken.mills7[AT]bigpond.com

Chris Jefferies emailed from Canada:

This photo is of one of my crew at camp 6. His name is/was George Halkett and this was taken up the road from Camp 6 in 1970. I don't see his name in the phone book in Melbourne, so---------------? He was 55 then and one of his best buddies was Al K. Haul, so I would hazard a guess that he has been called away to a better place. I just happened to find the picture on the floor behind a dresser I was moving. Maybe George just wanted to be remembered.

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Tom Neale chose to live alone on Suvarov, one of the remotest atolls in the South Pacific Islands, because life there moves at the sort of pace which you feel God must have had in mind originally when He made the sun to keep us warm and provided the fruits of the earth for the taking. These days you can follow Tom Neale's example by booking into luxurious VILLA MAMANA on tropical Telekivava'u.

Bill Lane emailed from Emerald:

Hi Peter,

Worked for Hastings Deering as a fitter at Itakara and Panguna in 1972 the returned in 1977 with family until 1980 as workshop supervisor with Hastings Deering. Lived in Arawa and worked at Itakara.

Many fond memories of the people and the place, great job you are doing keeping the records going. Hopefully can get put on list and catch up with some old mates.

Many stories of Bougainville days and later at Ok Tedi as I went from Bougainville to Lae to be there with Hastings for construction phase of OTML, 1980 - 84, will send pictures next round.

We live in Emerald, still have diesel in the blood and living the dream working 7 on 7 off at a Rio coal site here at Clermont with a contactor Emeco International Pty Ltd as a Panel supervisor keeping the big yellow dirt taxis going.

Bougainville was such a great place to work and live, the Hastings Deering/ BCL experience certainly set us up for life and we still have some great contacts from that chapter of our lives.

Jim Walker ( Westrac) was my service manager, Doug Bestwick was branch Manager and Ian Brown was parts manager at this time. I still have a list of people who worked for Hastings during this period.

Jim Brophy, Len Hodder, Barry Smith, Hermann Mayer, Jim Embery, Peter Bawden, George Limberg, Alan Shaw, Buka Mick and Tony Grimwood were BCL blokes I had most contact with.

The late Sven Satre, Matt Long, Col Tweedie, Wally Vrbancic, Peter ( Digger) Wilson, Dennis ( Piggy) Pigram, Keith Hunt, Keith Darch and John Gilluley were some of the Hastings workshop guys there.

Our neighbours the Kennedys( Mick and Jenny and the girls) are still in contact with us every Xmas whilst Dennis OFlanagan ex Hastings and BCL keeps me up to speed with Bougainville news.

Kind regards,
Bill and Dale Lane
Wr.ds.lane[AT]bigpond.com.au

Loloho Beach today

Steven Tekwie emailed from PNG:

Hi guys! How's everyone after more than 23 years?

I was a 2nd year(1988-1989) Electrical apprentice n worked at B58 along with afew other boys. My foreman was Lindsay Swonson, n guys,Lindsay was a good person to work n learn with. I'm sure he will still remember me as I was the youngest of the crew at B58.

My hello n thanku to u guys for getin this site up so we can communicate.

I guess there's a lot of men who were boys back then and now are employed.
Iam not so lucky as I had lost all my belongings during the crisis.

Guys,if there's anyone out there who can help in locating my friends,please don't hesitate to contact me.

Bougainville was the most Beautiful place at that time and I will never forget my experience and the beautiful people I worked with there.

CHEERS n See u guys soon!

Steven Tekwie, Vanimo ,Sandaun PNG

stevehaii[AT]digicelpacific.blackberry.com

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Take one part sun-soaked, palm-lined beach, add hammock stretched between two palm trees, dash of ice-cold beer, and a pinch of gentle tradewinds, and finish with a twist of tropical sunset. It's easy to lose track of time in the land where time begins. Welcome to the South Sea Island Paradise of VILLA MAMANA on the island of Telekivava'u! The peace and tranquility of Ha'apai (in a South Pacific travel poster setting) is an experience not to be missed! If relaxing was an Olympic Games event, this is where you'd come to train! These are the islands where the famous mutiny on the Bounty occurred (could you blame them?), the Port-au-Prince was ransacked, and where Captain James Cook who found Ha'apai to be the perfect place for rest and relaxation and made long stopovers at Nomuka in 1774 and 1777 and Lifuka in 1783, dubbed Tonga "The Friendly Islands." The low coral islands lined by coconut palms along colourful lagoons and reefs, offer miles of deserted white sandy beaches where you can explore and linger as long as you like. Towering volcanoes can be found here too. In all there are 60 small islands in the Ha'apai Group, 17 of which are inhabited, and all are uniquely special. The traditional lifestyle of the locals is supported by fishing, agriculture and handicrafts. The friendliest people you can meet are here in Ha'apai. Caesar is to have said, "Let me have men about me that are fat". Well, he would have loved Tonga because the people of Tonga, by and large, are fat. They are proud to be fat. They want to stay fat. If they aren't fat enough by Tongan standards, they want to get fatter. Perhaps that's why "Fakalahi Me'akai" which means "Grow more food", is inscribed on every Tongan coin. And "The Complete Book of Running" would never make the bestseller list in Tonga. The only joggers here are foreigners while bulky Tongans sit in the shade and follow them with uncomprehending stares.

Peter Tilyard emailed from Western Australia:

While at a mine in WA this week I met Denis Rout whose father Allan was on Bougainville in the construction days. There was some sort of civil disturbance and he went missing in the bush for a few months ending up at a mission. Denis was only five at the time but never got the full story about this.If anyone can tell me (and hence Denis) anything about this please let me have your email address and I will contact you directly. I was on Bougainville 1974-87. Many thanks.

Peter Tilyard

peter.tilyard[AT]mmg.com

Ian Paterson emailed from Bilinga in Queensland:

Mate, I could not drag myself away from your web site the other night - you put so much thought and work into it and deserve the praise you received from all around the world. Bougainville did leave an indelible impact on everyone.

Pulled the pin in 1974, a month before self-government. Not sure you were there when a strike progressed to a riot at Panguna. The Pacific Island Regiment came in and peace was restored (Chimbus bashed the shit out of the troublemakers). It took a week for things to return to normal. During the process of determining who would be flown off the Island, all the natives were transported on cattle trucks to Barclay's compounds in Arawa.

I stayed until my 4 years were up and ended up working for public accountants in Sydney. Struth [sic] was it a culture shock coming back! Worked in George Street, Martin Place. Stuck it out for 18 months then bought a caravan to travel around this wide brown land.

On my sojourn I applied for an accounting role in Darwin working for the pearl cultivating mob (had some bad press recently about diver drowning). They checked out my background, referees etc. and after waiting some two weeks I decided to move on. They were disappointed when I told them I was withdrawing my application - I wasn't. I really could live and work anywhere for a while, however after a month or so realised Darwin was not for me. Would loved to have worked in Karratha - you can literally smell the money splashing around the place (in Perth was offered a role with the Electoral Commission at Karratha). Port Headland - stayed a few days and moved on. Reminiscent of Newcastle some 40 years ago. Had a great time in Kalgoorlie and Boulder - stayed at backpackers working as labourer for a few weeks.

To be honest I have not met many former Bougainville people other than Don Brewer and Brian Reid by chance many years ago - we happened to be at the same restaurant one evening on the Sunshine Coast.

I recognised many names - one bloke, Roy Goldsworthy (Goldfinger) you have a number of photos of, married an Italian bird at Panguna (we went to the wedding - memorable) she could not speak English. Roy would get quite irritable when people tried to speak to her in broken English with a smattering of pidgin. Any idea where he is? Roy said he would never go back to NZ because all his family looked down their noses at her because she was a wog.

Another photo of Debbie Wilson - her brother Garry (a bonzer bloke) and I worked together for some time. He left BCL to become a QANTAS steward. We visited him in Sydney after we went pinis and a couple of years later received a card from Debbie saying he has died.

Ian