BSI Virtually Without Wharf

Facilities Kukum Blows Away in a Gale

From Our Own Correspondent HONIARA, March 5.

KUKUM WHARF, where overseas ship ping discharged cargo for all Pro tectorate areas except the Russell Islands, was completely destroyed by heavy seas in a northwesterly gale on February 24. Kukum is about one mile from Honiara.

The wharf has also been used for load ing all overseas shipping, with the ex ception of some copra loaded at the Fairymead Sugar Company’s wharf at Yandina.

Kukum was the last of the American built wartime wharves to remain opera tive. Originally it consisted of three “legs,” two at right angles to the shore and one parallel, forming three sides of a rectangle. The most easterly section, which had fallen into disrepair, was pulled down some time ago, and its tim bers used to repair the remaining two sections. These had recently been further strengthened and some of the decking renewed.

But it has been evident for a long time that Kukum Wharf was in a dang erous state in spite of these temporary repairs. Much of the timber was rotten and many of the piles had loosened. Both private producers and Government have been watching it with apprehension.

Mr. Kenyon Bell, the Crown Agents’

Slipway Consultant and Engineer, visited the Solomons towards the end of 1950 to advise on the type and situation of new accommodation for overseas ship ping and his final recommendations are

awaited. Gizo wharf and harbour are not yet ready for peacetime use by over seas ships. The wartime wharfs at Tulagi have decayed and what remains of them is unsafe for handling heavy cargo.

Yandina Wharf, while it could be used for loading greater concentrations of copra, is unsuitable as the main Protec torate overseas wharf.

Overseeas cargo now being unloaded at Honiara, shipping anchoring off East Point Cruz, which provides some shelter.

Kukum Wharf blew away on a Satur day and, on the following Wednesday, the Muliama arrived from Sydney and the Lautoka from Vanikoro. Inward and outward cargo was handled with the assistance of local shipping of suitable tonnage to unload at the smallcraft wharf near Point Cruz.

Editorial Note

When the BSI share of Britain’s plague of Post-war Planners got to work in the Solomon Islands, and decided to shift the Group’s heeadquarters from Tulagi (where there is a first-class sheltered port) to Honiara (where there is little more than an open coast-line) it was pointed out by experienced people that a serious error was being made.

Practically all BSI traffic moves on the water, and much of it in small vessels.

It is essential that the main centre shall have, above all things, sheltered berths for big and little ships, in all weathers.

No matter what i& done with Honiara, as a port, it is liable to be put out of action by a stiff north-wester; and in that region there is a regular north-west season.

But the post-war type of unfledged Planner rarely listens to the old hands.

He is quite sure that his combination of academic equipment and Socialist theor ies can cope with all situations. He wanted Honiara, on the unsheltered coast of Guadalcanal, so that he might have plenty of land available for training

natives in agriculture—which, of course, is more important than European com merce. So Tulagi was abandoned; and Honiara was built; and now someone is going to *be asked to provide some enormous sum for the building of port facilities at Honiara.

The shipping hold-up is maddening.

But the old hands have at least the satisfaction of saying “I told you so.”

Mr. Tex Archer, of Kumbug Plantation, north of Madang, NG, was in Sydney on holiday in February and March. He bought his plantation about two years ago and has spent most of the time since clearing it of secondary growth. It is now in working order and he took a holi day to mark the occasion.