Transfer From Rabaul To Lae

Volcanic Activity Drives New Guinea's Administra tive Headquarters to Other End of Territory

ON Monday, August 24, the Administra tor of New Guinea issued the fol lowing statement in Rabaul; — “The Administration has decided that the recommendations regarding the removal from Rabaul of the Administrative headquarters set out in the Stehn and Griffiths reports should be adopted immediately.

“Arrangements are being made for an advance party to proceed to Lae to select and prepare suitable sites for the erection of temporary accom modation for personnel and offices.

Accommodation for officers required to remain in Rabaul will be provided on sites to be selected outside the caldera and not within an area likely to be affected by the dust deposits from the volcanoes.”

On Monday, September 8, the Minister for External Territories announced:— The Commonwealth Government has decided that the Administrative head quarters of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea shall be transferred from Rabaul to Lae. This decision has been taken in view of the continued activity of Tavurvur volcano. Tavurvur crater has been in almost continuous eruption since June 6, and the dust and fumes spread over the town constitute a serious uanger to health.

As it will take a considerable time to prepare a settlement at Lae to house the Administrative headquarters, such tem porary arrangements will be made as will enable the officers of the Adminis tration to be removed from the Rabaul area at the earliest practicable date, and for this purpose as much use as possible will be made of existing settlements, from which the Departments can function, pending the complete transfer to Lae.

It is reported from Salamaua that, late in August and early in September, Administration officials already were booking all available accommodation in Lae, Salamaua and Wau, as temporary offices and residences for the staff to be moved from Rabaul.

There is no indication of how the heavy cost of transfer (estimated in 1938 at £300,000) is to be met.

The transfer of the Administrative headquarters does not mean the aban donment of Rabaul. There will be always an important commercial and shipping centre on this harbour— although it is quite possible that the actual “centre” will have to be moved from its present location around the harbour to the westwards, away from the volcanoes.

The removal of some hundreds of public servants and their families, how ever, will have a serious economic effect upon the town.

The Stehn report, made soon after the 1937 eruption, recommended the early

removal of the Administrative head quarters to a suitable, non-volcanic dis trict. The Griffiths report, made early in 1938 ’ after exhaustive inquiry, recom mended that the Administrative head quarters be established at Lae.

The matter was complicated by the

then Territories Minister, Mr. W M Hughes. He threw the Griffiths report’ aside, flew to New Guinea, and person ally selected Salamaua as the new capi

tel. By the time the tangle had been straightened out, and the impulsive Mr Hughes shown that Salamaua was im possible, three things had happened: The Rabaul volcanoes had quietened down, and Rabaul had returned to normal; it was calculated that the removal to Lae would cost £300,000; war had broken out, rE volcanoes (Vulcan and Matupi) apparently were dead, and the plan to remove the capital was forgotten until June, 1941. Then Matupi suddenly began belching out masses of dust and ashes, which the prevailing south-easter carried over Rabaul.

Week by week, since then, conditions

have become worse and life in the capi tal is now intolerable. Gardens and trees are being slowly suffocated under an increasing mass of choking dust- and human beings are following suit.

The acute discomfort of the town’s population was added to by the con tinued absence of rain, and the high bitter quality of the south-easter New Guinea, in common with Australia and most lands in the eastern part of the Ocean and the western part of the Pacific, is in the grip of drought.

Members of the public service made strong representations to the Adminis tration. A number of commercial firms completed arrangements to move their staffs a couple of miles to the westward (along the northern shore of the har bour), outside the “dust belt”. The Car penter staff moved out to Toboi, and as much of the Burns, Philp establishment as could be so organised went to Mala guna. Finally, the Administrator an nounced his decision.

Rabaul is on the north-eastern shore of the harbour. Matupi volcano is two or three miles south of Rabaul, on the harbour’s eastern shore. Malaguna and Toboi are on the northern and north west shores, westward of Rabaul. rE Administrator’s announcement appeared clear-cut and definite; but the “Rabaul Times” said it was contingent upon approval being given In Canberra.

Within a week (about September 2) it was known in Sydney that— Non-official opinion in Rabaul was strongly against a move to Lae, and strongly in favour of transferring the capital to Kokopo or Bitapaka (at the south-western entrance to Rabaul harbour).

Opinion in Canberra, unofficially expressed, was that there was no money available for the proposed costly move from Rabaul to Lae.

This indicated possibilities of a clash between the Administration in Rabaul, and bureaucracy in Canberra; for the announcement on August 24 was forth right and mandatory, and admitted of no compromise.

However, the Australian Government, on September 8, decided finally in favour of Lae.

Financial considerations were expected to influence Canberra in favour of Kokopo.

A transfer from Rabaul to Kokopo (some 15 miles away, along a good road) would be easy. Lae is an excellent site for a town especially in relation to the Markham-Bulolo-Ramu hinterland, but it has no harbour. Kokopo has exactly the same disability. Ships can anchor, in safety, off Kokopo, far out. They can anchor off Lae, close in.