Magazine Section

Territories Talk-Talk

By "Tolala"

THERE was another stir, late in August, in the Australian oil-prospecting market, when APC reported “a small oil content” in the Hohoro bore, which was down some 2,300 feet.

Mention of boring for oil in NG re minds me of the early days of this kind of exploration over in TNG, when the Mandated Development Co. was putting down its first bore at Matapau, in the old Aitape district, back in 1924. They struck a seepage in No. 1 bore, at 45 ft., and hopes ran high, but it was only a seepage. Other bores put down in this area were not encouraging. The drill was the old hit-and-miss type, and the staff numbered half-a-dozen on the field.

There have been some wonderful changes during the last quarter of a century, both in appliances and staff. It will be a great day, not only for NG but for Aus tralia as well, when that long-sought gusher comes rushing up out of the cas ing. But the speculator should not for get those “seepages”. ♦ * * SEPTEMBER is a historic month for TNG, and, in particular, the 13th.

It was on this day, in 1914, the Australian flag was raised in Rabaul to celebrate the capitulation by the Ger mans; and the Bitapaka Memorial, un veiled by Administrator Tom Griffiths in 1934, still stands to mark the spot where, a couple of days before, Australian soldiers first fell in World War I.

Thirty-one years later (September 13, 1945) Australian troops took possession of Rabaul from the Japanese and con tacted the Europeans who had been im prisoned for over 3J years by the Japs.

In the mission valley at Ramale —not so very far from the same Bitapaka— when Charlie Bates, and his ANGAU rhen came in, he met a number of civilians who had witnessed both cam paigns. * * * WHICH reminds me that within recent months Bishop Scharmach, who was the mainstay in the Ramale Valley during the Jap occupation, cele brated his Silver Jubilee of priesthood, and the Vunapope Mission put on a special “do” in commemoration. Those who had the pleasure of hearing native choirs would be sure of fine har monious entertainment. One of the most pathetic Pidgin-English songs, sung by the Vunapope boys choir, is “Yumi Sori.” ♦ * * THE recent agitation against “horror” films in New Zealand brings to mind the one-time censorship on films in Rabaul. Anything of a sexy nature was definitely tabu, and the re strictions did not only apply to the screenings on “boys’ night,” but to the somewhat garish posters, supplied by the film companies, and displayed on the street hoardings about the town.

In order to preserve decorum, and hav ing due regard to the morals of the more than 5,000 house and work boys about the place, any shapely silken legs were modestly hidden by the simple method of painting black skirts over them, often

with inartistic results. But morality had to be maintained.

The result, too often, was that inside the boys’ houses, the walls were plastered with pin-up girls painted in gorgeous colours—usually culled from ladies’ journals, advertising stockings and lingerie of every description. • ♦ » THE spending of £636,000 has been ap proved for the building of wharves in Papua-New Guinea, so we are told. That sum won’t go very far when divided between Moresby, Madang, Lae and Samarai—to say nothing of Kokopo and Kavieng. At the same time we hear of a breakwater to be constructed at Rapopo, to cost £8 million. And where is that coming from?

The best wharf ever built in TNG was the old NDL wharf at Rabaul, which was started back in 1905, when the Germans realised that Kokopo (or, rather Her bertshohe) was an unsuitable site for the capital of the colony.

The circle is complete, apparently—and back goes administrative headquarters to Kokopo—or, at least, to that district.

Time marches on! * * * LATE last month there arrived., Drum mond Thomson, from Bougainville.

He is about to retire after some 30 years’ arduous work with Buka Planta tions, Ltd., which is one of the few pri vate planting companies to make a suc cess of things. Numa Numa, the head quarters of the company, was started back in the early 1900’s, when Bougain ville was practically terra incognita, and

the natives fairly wild. Hand-picked personnel, with a more or less free hand and ample consideration, has been the secret of plenty of labour and good production, which spelt the company’s success.

Drummond Thom son (who was with the Navy during the War) is settling down in Sydney, but will retain an inter est in the Bougain ville activities. ♦ ♦ * Rice - growing in the Kim berley district of Northern Austra lia is the latest plan in this age of plan ning. What I’m waiting to see is rice again being grown in NG, as it was by the Japs during their erstwhile occupation there, when they were by-passed bv MacArthur. It was hill rice, and made excellent eating. As everyone knows, NG could be self-sup porting where native rations are con cerned, if it would only make up its

mind. And look at the saving in cash and transport! * * * JAPANESE migrants to New Guinea represent another plan in the offing, and it will be interesting to watch the outcome of the conference between Malcolm MacDonald and MacArthur in Tokio this month. Dutch New Guinea has already been re-named Iriana by Dutch settlers, but that doesn’t make it any further from Australia. I suppose it depends to a great extent on what the Australian Waterside Workers have to say, as to whether the Japs will be al lowed to settle there or not! * + ♦ BITS AND PIECES: Chief Judge and Mrs. F. B. Phillips are on leave in Melbourne . Larry Dwyer, Economic Botanist at Moresby, is spend ing some of his leave at Orange . . .

Thomas Nagle, a one-time resident of Ba, Fiji, passed away at his home at Bondi Junction on August 12. He was 77 . . .

Miss Jane Ferrier was married to Nigel Moon at St. Marks, Darling Point, on August 5. They will make their home at Port Moresby . . . Miss Nornie Santos was amongst the debutantes presented to the Governor at the Legacy Ball on August 23. She was a Papuan ward of Legacy.

Canon W. G. Thomas, of the mission of St. Peter and St. Paul, Dogura, New Guinea, has been visiting Perth on work connected with the Australian Board of Missions.