|
ASHWORTH, Evelyn Jean (March 2014) - No details available Fr Timothy N BRIEN (6 February 2014) (Revised) Tim Brien came to Daru in the mid sixties as a lay teacher employed by the Montford Catholic Mission’s order of nuns. They were French Canadian: he was Australian. After leaving PNG, he joined the Blessed Sacrament Congregation in England and trained for the priesthood at their house of studies at Leicester. Ordained in the mid 1970s, he left the order and became a diocesan priest in the Diocese of Wrexham in North Wales. As a Catholic layman in PNG, resident on an island of expatriate individualists, Tim was one of Daru’s most colourful characters. He was an entertaining conversationalist and bon viveur. He was also a man of strong principle. He did not always see eye to eye with the episcopal leader of his own diocese in the Western Province. As an ex-Anglican, he made no secret of his opposition to the ordination of women priests. In Britain, he took in people in trouble or in disgrace and gave them bed and board. An individualist with a kind heart. David Wetherell
Grahame arrived in New Guinea in 1963 as a cadet patrol officer and was posted to Matupit village, New Britain, and subsequently Kukipi in the Papuan Gulf District. fter completing an Economics degree at The University of Queensland, he was appointed Development Officer with the Department of Trade & Industry, Port Moresby, and provided a constant stream of ideas for low-cost profitable businesses for Papuans. He was later promoted to Head of Research & Information in the new House of Assembly. The new political parties were just forming and the Pangu Party with Michael Somare was the most prominent. To be involved with the new parliament at that time was the highlight of Grahame’s career. After Independence in 1975, he settled on a farm in northern NSW. He was invited back to Port Moresby in 1978 to design and set up a national lottery system based on “scratchies”—then unknown in Australia—for the Provincial Governments. It was an instant success. As well as growing beef cattle, Grahame set up his own accountancy practice in the Murwillumbah district and with his wife, Susanne, raised their family of two sons there. An avid reader, he was interested in history and languages and had a wide-ranging general knowledge. He enjoyed playing chess and bridge, was a keen golfer and enjoyed skiing on family holidays. Later he took up croquet. He is truly missed by his family and many friends. Peter Cahill
Ann passed away after being injured in a fall—on the disturbed footpath—outside her Chermside house. She was born in Sydney, the eldest of eight children, and married Art Teacher Malcolm, in Benalla, Victoria. As brave young adventurers, they left to a distant and unknown PNG. Arriving in Rabaul in 1954, they were posted to Vunamami with baby John and adapted to a Tolai village lifestyle. Malcolm worked as a Vocational Centre instructor. Three more children were born in the Gazelle: Robert, Helen and Jamie. Malcolm became Senior Lecturer in Art/Craft, for the “E” Course at Rabaul’s Malaguna Teachers College. Ann worked at the Rabaul Pharmacy, where she was a well-known and trusted member of the community. They moved to Port Moresby in 1965. Ann and Malcolm worked at the Port Moresby Teachers College. Malcolm became Deputy Principal. Anne and Betty Schubert were the College typing pool. Both were efficient, helpful, and organised. This pre-Independence period was characterised by less than sufficient Government resources. Anne’s happy efficiency made her a valued member of staff. On return to Brisbane, Anne worked for Coopers and Lybrand, until she retired. Anne and Malcolm were one of many Government officers who gave generously to the creation of a nation. Ann is survived by her three children, Robert, Helen and Jamie. Courier-Mail, 13 June 2014
Barry was the PNGAA Treasurer in 2010. He passed away at Royal North Shore Hospital, succumbingto cancer firstly oesophagus and then pancreatic: both deadly forms of the disease; chemotherapy worked for a while but in the end was insufficient. I first met Barry when he took over from me at Komo Patrol Post in early 1963. Komo was restricted Territory then: now it lands large cargo jets; what fifty years and oil discovery can achieve. We remained friends for over fifty years and were continually in touch. Barry married Joy who was a nursing sister at the MOM SHD Tari in 1968. They had two children, Basil and Tara, and there are a considerable number of grandchildren; all live in close proximity at Cremorne in Sydney where Barry and Joy had their dwelling. Before electing to come to PNG on the February 1958 course, Barry applied for pilot training in the Naval Fleet Air arm—they only take the best—passing all exams; in the end he optioned for PNG. On leaving PNG from Kimbe in 1977, Barry and Joy opened a motel on the NSW-Victorian border Ned Kelly country; after this they purchased another motel at Nambour. Eventually Barry settled for buying and selling property and receiving income from rentals. He always seemed to be in front. They eventually settled in Cremorne. Barry completed the ASOPA course in 1960 with companions such as Mal Lang, Col Sanderson (both have already 'crossed the Jordan') plus that great gentleman Bob Fayle, and Jack Matter, who later went to the Sydney bar and was the best man at Mal's marriage to Kay. I think they all had in 1960 a memorable time!! Barry and I, and later our families, stayed in touch for more than fifty years; he was highly intelligent; a brilliant raconteur and a good friend. I will miss him. Warren Read
Ken was born in 1920 and grew up in idealic Kavieng, New Ireland, where his father was District Officer. Later, in early post Pacific War years, Bert was PNG's Director of District Services and Native Affairs. Ken had a close association with the Coote family of Rabaul and was a classmate of lifelong friend Dion Coote at Shore School, Sydney. As war loomed Ken found his first employment as an assistance purser on the Burns Philp passenger ships servicing the New Guinea ports from Sydney. He served with the AIF in the Middle East before being posted to ANGAU in New Guinea. At war’s end, he joined the Provisional Administration and, while on an ASOPA course in Sydney in 1948, married Joan, daughter of the renowned pioneer planter Vic Pennyfather of the famous Tokua Plantation, Kokopo. Anne (Lees) Garrett, David Marsh and Harry West were members of the bridal party. In the early 1950s, Ken and Joan took over Takaka Plantation, adjacent to Tokua and after 15 years moved on to Sydney as their three children grew up. Next step was to Kiparing, Redlands Bay, Queensland, for a long retirement. Ken is survived by Joan, his children, Peter, Bronwyn and Ken, and their families. Harry West
With his wife Jean, he attended all three of our Islands Memories meetings in the Chermside Library in early 2008. Hugh's parents had settled on Rossel Island in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea and that was where Hugh and his brother Ron grew up, learning those wonderful qualities of being young men of the islands, both on the land and the sea. Subsequently they took their wives to Rossel as well, and many years later they all retired in Brisbane. Jim Burton No further details at this stage:
|