NG’s Coolest, Healthiest

Town How a Community Spirit is Putting Wau on the Map

WAU, October 10.

WHEN the war came, Wau was a solid little business town, based on the gold production of Edie Creek, Golden Ridges, Koranga, Black Cat, etc., and—less directly—of Bulolo. There were indications of agricultural development.

Coffee was being grown.

The war literally blew Wau off the map. The town, in common with every establishment in the Bulolo valley, was scorch-earthed. Australians, coming in dramatically at the last moment with their 25-pounders, fought a savage battle and smashed the invading Japs in the coffee plantation at the foot of the famous, sloping air-strip.

But now the big gold-mining people are back. The town is partly re-built.

Planes come and go. There are, how ever two notable differences: Higher costs have prevented much of a come back by the small miners; and the use of the Wau-Lae road for heavy transport has greatly reduced the freighting planes.

THE 300 Europeans who live in and around Wau do not see a big or a long future in gold; but—with a virile community spirit I have never seen excelled—they are backing this Upper Bulolo area with everything they’ve got.

They say they are going to make this cool, green beautiful valley, nestling so attractively among the blue mount ains, the health and hill station of New Guinea, and a great producer of Euro pean foodstuffs.

Hospitable to a degree, the Wau citizen likes nothing better than to get you to spend a weekend with him. You walk about in air that is like wine. You sleep comfortably under two good blan kets. You are fed on local-grown potatoes, cabbages, salads, strawberries, milk, eggs, bacon; your room is decorated with glorious English flowers; and then, with deep cunning, the Wau citizen in stils into the mind of every coast dweller the thought that it is easier and much cheaper, and pleasanter, to spend one hour in a plane, to weekend most com fortably in Wau, than twelve hours in order to “recuperate” in the industrial lunatic asylum down South.

A tireless committee headed by Norman White, Alec Malcolm, Joe Bourke, Ossie Ireland and ADO Seale led me along the primrose paths, and sold me Wau. I saw the Golf Club, one Saturday afternoon, raise over £lOO for a swimming pool, and a social club, that same evening, gather £l6O for some other community purpose.

Over £4OO raised in one weekend from only 350 people—which 350 includes about 50 of the prettiest and healthiest kids I have ever seen in the tropics.

THEY were eager to see the big secon dary school established —they said that their hill-and-health station would be built around the school. A few days later, Canberra “canned ’ the school.

On last reports Norman White, with stur dy henchmen and pitiless statistics, was headed for Canberra. These Wau folk will take some stopping. I forsee the day when Wau will be the Nawara Eliya of New Guinea.

Wau. of course, has rivals now. Places like Kainantu, Aiyura, Goroka, on the new Highlands, in climate, beauty and fertility can challenge the Bulolo centres.

But none of them has got a European

community—let alone a community spirit—like Wau. And, anyway, Wau is 100 miles nearer to the sweat-soaked coastal towns, whose people crave for fresh foods and cool nights.—RWß Mrs. G. Kennedy, of Madang, NG, is at present on holiday in Australia. She will be joined later by her husband.

Mr. Albert Jensen, an old resident of Apia, Western Samoa, has received the welcome news that he won £lO,OOO in Tattersall’s sweepstake. This is the highest prize ever won by a resident of the Territory.