Hi and Good Morning UK time.
I came across your website a few months ago after trying to re-establish and contact some Kiwi friends whom I meet but lost contact with, when working on Bougainville for Hornibrook construction from 1969 to 1971.
I have many good memories and photos of the very early days on the island as one of the few Poms on the island at that time, including our old office on the water's edge complete with a giant swordfish caught for supper hanging from the balcony rail. All in the days before Bechtel officially arrived portside. We all worked for a great guy called John Carpenter whose son was tragically killed after I left. Would you be interested in my recollections/memories plus pictures? I would be more than happy to share them with all your site members. And maybe it will help me reconnect with those missing friends.
With Kind regards
Dave Hartley
vonnydave[AT]hotmail.co.uk
[Reply from Webmaster: Go ahead, Dave, any photos and memories are always highly appreciated. You must have been at Loloho and Camp 6 at about the same time I was there. You guys had an office right on the water's edge and your office staff used to take a dip into the water straight out of the backdoor. Your accountant was a Filipino who later did time at Berrima Jail near Port Moresby when he was found out to have done the 'salami trick', slicing chunks of dollars off employees' tax deductions on their Group Certificates and adding the total to his own, thus getting himself a huge tax refund. I think he got too greedy and the Tax Commissioner became a bit suspicious when his certificate showed tax deductions close to his total gross pay ☺ Here's a little flashback for you: Happiness is a red plastic chair ]
