Dave Pullen

Of Papua

By S. G. Middleton, Commis* sioner of Native Affairs in Western Australia.

THE untimely death, at Derby, on March 3, of Mr. D. L. Pullen, Dis trict Officer of Native Affairs in the Kimberleys District, removed from earthly ken a man who was respected and widely esteemed by all who knew lim, white and black alike.

“Dave” was a man of many parts. I irst met him in 1927, in Port Moresby, vhen he was an Assistant Resident Magistrate in the Papuan Administration, fie was then only a young man, but had ilready experienced active service in France as a signaller with the A.I.F.

Jpon demobilisation he went back to his )re-war job in Sydney. But he was rest ess, and he gladly accepted an oppor unity to go on exchange duty to New juinea in 1924. He was then in the Commonwealth service, but it was not ong before the romantic and adventur es life of the Papuan Patrol Officer ippealed so strongly that he resigned and oined the small but resolute band of men vho were subsequently to be made famous ly Lewis Lett’s book “Knights Errant of J apua.”

Promotion came rapidly. He had re oarkable literary talent and his reports rom the field were highly regarded by ds chief and mentor, Sir Hubert Murray, LC.M.G., then Lt.-Governor of Papua.

Being a sensitive and imaginative man, nd loving the country and its people as ie did, Pullen soon established himself s a Field Officer par excellence, an up ight, conscientious and reliable officer, nd a good friend to all.

This was never more clearly exempli fied than on the occasion when, through no fault of his, tragedy overtook one of his patrols in the Owen Stanley Ranges.

The small party—consisting of Pullen, his second in charge (the late Jack Hides, then a Cadet Patrol Officer), half a dozen police and a couple of dozen mountain native porters—left their camp at Mondo on the next stage of the journey to Ononghe. The mountain track over which they had to travel crossed a lofty moun tain (Mt. Tafa, 7,500 ft.), necessitating a climb from Mondo of some 4,000 ft. to the summit, then a sharp descent to the Ononghe Mission. Normally, although it is quite cool on the sunniest day at that altitude in the mountains, the -trip is one that is lightly regarded by patrol ling officers and itinerating mountain missionaries, and as Dave swung along at the head of his patrol he little sus pected that tragedy was dogging him.

In accordance with established practice, Hides was bringing up the rear, and it was his duty to take care of the police and carriers and keep them from strag ling or “getting into mischief.”

Dave, whose physical fitness had caused him to outstrip tht remainder of the party, arrived at the Tafa Rest House, situated near the summit of the moun tain, and—also in accordance with estab lished practice—he proceeded to make fires so that a comforting billy of tea could be brewed for the two white officers and a satisfying kerosene tinful of rice cooked for the natives.

Then one of those sudden, monsoonal storms, accompanied by a high, pierc ingly cold wind, broke over the mountain, darkening the sky until day turned al most to night and transformed a cosy, cheerful camp into a sodden, wind-swept misery.

Pullen commenced to worry and his worry turned to alarm when, just as he was about to return down the track to pick up the patrol, Hides arrived at the

camp with a couple of police and a mere handful of shivering carriers at his heels.

Pullen immediately set off to look for the remainder of the party, after instructing Hides to follow with tea, Bovril and hot rice.

Gradually, a pitiful sight unfolded itself. Carriers, their loads abandoned, came staggering along in small groups, assisted by the manful Royal Papuan Constabulary police boys. Then he found a carrier lying dead on the road. Pullen

hurried on and came upon another. Eight had succumbed to cold and exposure.

But the mountain people are accustomed to cold; and, when hunting, are often caught in similar tropic storms. What was wrong? It could be understood that they may, under the circumstances of the day, be temporarily discomfited, but that they should die so suddenly was not, and never since has been, completely understood.

Pere Dubuy, of the Ononghe Mission, told me years later that he was sure the

boys were in the early stages of measles; at the time—a disease which, though] practically harmless to whites, represents; sudden death in the vast majority ofl cases to natives.

A very anti-Murray prospector namedl Keogh happened to be in the district; when the tragedy occurred, and he went; out of his way to despatch lengthy radiot reports to the Federal Government and aj Sydney newspaper. Certain sections of] the public, with typical uninformed! vehemence, demanded an immediate in quiry and the punishment of those re sponsible for the “crime.”

Dave Pullen “took the rap”; and in the subsequent inquiry held by the Legis lative Council, he did not by one word! or act make an attempt to implicate Hides—although we, the Patrol Officers of Papua, knew that there was justifica tion for his doing so. No man can lead his troops and bring up the rear at the same time.

Pullen, though not subjected to de motion or other disciplinary action by the Council, told his story and then ten dered his resignation. Years later, he again joined the Papuan Administration as a District Labour Officer, which position he held at the time of his WA appointment; IN the Kimberleys, Dave Pullen found the going tough and rugged, but he stuck manfully to his task and diec in harness. A tribute to what he achievec in such a short time —he was appointee in March, 1949 —is set out in a letter re ceived by Mrs. Pullen from one of the best-known and most prominent pastoral ists in the West Kimberleys who, I fee: sure, will not object to extracts being quoted here. He wrote: “Though it may never be publicly re cognised, you know and I know that tin plans for improving the conditions of thi natives were Dave’s. Against much oppoi sition he put them into effect —sorm. opposition came from me, for I though] many of his ideas were before their tirm —but in only 12 months he has built s monument to himself in Kimberley—not a monument of brick and mortar—but s monument in the lives and happiness ot a people whose lot has been infinitel;. bettered by his own unaided efforts.

“The natives have never been so happy and their future never so bright as it ha» been made by him.

“Much remains to be done for themt mistakes may be made by those whi follow him; but the foundations for theii future well-being were well and trull laid by Dave alone. In his work he lives and he did not live in vain.”

Vale, Dave Pullen. Good soldier, goo< citizen, good mate. I mourn your passim and Western Australia, though she mai not realise it yet, is the poorer for you. loss.