75thANNIVERSARY OF THE KOKODA CAMPAIGN
Don Graham and Greg Ivey
This year the Association has placed a high priority on the 75th Anniversary of the Kokoda Campaign; raising awareness about the role of the PIB in that Campaign; and respecting our war veterans.
Services took place on the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth. The last service for 2017 will be at the AWM on 2nd November.
President Don wishes to thank all Members who attended those Kokoda Services. Our Association is very fortunate to have such a dedicated Committee spread throughout Australia so that we could participate in so many events to honour our deceased servicemen who served in PNG.
We are gradually making other Associations aware of the contribution of the PIB to the Kokoda Campaign. Please keep up this awareness/education work at every opportunity.
MELBOURNE KOKODA ANNIVERSARY SERVICE
Our Association banner with President Don and Vice President Greg assisted by Melbourne School Cadets
PRESIDENT DON’S REPORT
It was a most positive and moving Service and very well supported by the Governor of Victoria, General Campbell (Chief of Army), and Presidents of all the relevant Military Associations throughout Australia.
At the official and formal luncheon conducted at the RACV Club, Melbourne, our former Governor-General and Patron, Major-General Michael Jeffrey gave a splendid address to those fortunate enough to attend.
By coincidence, I was seated with an old contemporary LtCol Bronx Honner, whose father was the highly respected CO of the 39th Battalion during the Kokoda Campaign in 1942. We had not seen each other since I took over his company locality at Nui Dat, SVN in February 1969 – 48 years ago! What an appropriate occasion for a reunion!
With Lt Col Bronx Honner, son of Lt Col Ralph Honner DSO, MC, CO of the famous 39th Bn during the Kokoda Campaign 1942, at the RACV Official Lunch
President Don and Barbara with former Governor General and Mrs. Marlena Jeffery. Don and Michael served together in PNG 1966-68.
President Don and Barbara with Chief of Army Lt Gen Angus Campbell whose father served with Don as a former PIR officer.
Association Members with our banner after the commemoration.
Prsident Don and Barbara at the Association informal luncheon at Chloe’s Restaurant at Young and Jackson’s Hotel in Melbourne
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL ROLL OF HONOUR
Association members may be interested to know that Servicemen who lost their lives in PNG on duty are now commemorated on the Roll of Honour. AWM policy now allows non-combat deaths to be honoured in this way.
Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial
(Photo supplied by Graeme Johnson – note the names of two Chalkies, Chris Donnan and John Martin, near the top)
BOOKS OF INTEREST TO MEMBERS
Greg would like members to be aware of several books on Papua New Guinea:
The first is a landmark book entitled, ‘Guarding the Periphery” and deals with the involvement of the Australian Army in PNG since World War 2. The author, Dr Tristan Moss who is a researcher at the AWM, has interviewed quite a large number of members for this book and you may well be interested in seeing how your contributions have been used in the book. The launch of this book is at the Australian National University on Wednesday, 25 October and the public is welcome to attend. The book is available now in major bookstores.
The second piece of writing is by the former ABC journalist in PNG, Sean Dorney. It is called, ‘The Embarrassed Colonialist’ – a provocative title if ever there was one!!
Sean Dorney:The Embarrassed Colonialist, Penguin Books, Australia, 2016. Lowy Institute Paper. ISBN 9780143573951. Softcover, 139 pages, RRP $9.99
Greg has prepared a review of this small book:
Dorney provides a necessarily-limited account of pre-Independence history with the focus mainly on funding by Colonial powers. Nevertheless, an opportunity was lost in that account to examine the nature of Australia’s Colonial power over PNG. This book’s title would lead the reader to expect a discussion, however brief, on Colonialism – Australian Style. Here, the Lowy consultants could have played a valuable role in the book.
In surveying PNG’s challenges and strengths, Dorney returns briefly to some issues mentioned in his earlier books: the role of the PNGDF, the distinctive style of democracy, the relationship with Indonesia, economic mismanagement and provincial tensions. But there are also current topics discussed with Dorney’s characteristic insight, such as the asylum seekers on Manus Island.
The extracts from Dorney’s interviews in PNG provide information and immediacy about the thinking of key players, mainly the politicians. In Australia, Dorney offers frequent assessments of current politicians’ understanding of PNG whereas one message from this book is that PNG’s future partnerships will depend on non-government agencies. Comments by Lowy Institute consultants intrude into Dorney’s text but we need to remember that the Lowy Institute commissioned the book.
The author offers practical suggestions towards the new Australia-PNG partnership. One education suggestion on “online teaching resources” for Australian students is very relevant while another on PNG university salaries appears retrograde. Elsewhere, in suggesting strategies to improve the quality of public service leadership, Dorney appears to have overlooked the experience of the Administrative College at Waigani in the 1960s.
This timely booklet seems to suggest that international and domestic politics have shaped Australia’s relationship with PNG. If one studies the archival records, it appears that Australian, and later PNG, politicians have advanced or hindered this relationship for 100 years. As Dorney advises, it is time to change. The way forward, he implies, is to engage in well-informed and genuinely-respectful partnerships between Australia and our nearest and dearest neighbour.
G.J. Ivey
Editor: Ian Ogston (ozoggies2@gmail.com)