Varied Background

The Man With The Varied Background

Fred Palmer Archer of Bou gainville, often referred to as “F.P.A.” is a very articulate identity of the islands with a

well-developed flair for writing.

HIS background is a complex of journalism, shipping, cattle raising in Western Queensland and a generation of coconut grow ing in New Guinea.

The first Archers arrived in Tas mania in 1827, and were cousins of the Norwegian family whose Cohn Archer built the Fram in 1893 for Nansen’s Polar explorations. Fred s mother was Laura Maud O’Ferrall, sister of the poet and writer Ernest, and an author herself. Fred’s father, Tom, helped pioneer the Barcoo in 1872 with cattle overlanded from Victoria, many years later returning to Melbourne where Fred was born at an undisclosed date. .

Fred spent his boyhood on the Warrego in Queensland, then went to school in Melbourne, worked in a sharebroker’s office there, and went back to the bush. He was droving on the stockroutes from the Northern Territory and Gulf of Carpentaria where he formed last / ng w frl n e i ld fve?s with Bill Harney (now of .

Rock) and Henry G. Lamond, both famous writers. ..

Fred enlisted at Hughenden Qld snent 3 1 years in the First AIF, and then three more years in the bush hpfore hearing the call of the coco -osieHheeaarri?edeH h e ea arri?ed in New Guinea as a plantation overseer in 1922 tor

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the Expro. Board, and ran planta tions in the Admiralty group, Logan, Pelleluhn, Wuvulu and the Witu group.

During this time he became at tached to atolls and their denizens in their lonely way of life. In 1927 he bought Jame Island plantation, off the west coast of Buka, and has been there ever since, apart from an interval of Japanese occupation.

A Coastwatcher

In 1939, Fred was appointed a civilian Coastwatcher, and in that capacity sent the message reporting to Jack Read, at Bonis, the arrival of a Jap cruiser force at Kessa. 10 miles from Jame, in 1942.

After the Jap occupation of Buka Passage he retired into the in terior of Bougainville with Jack Read’s party, and was evacuated a year later by submarine from the east coast. From Australia, Fred then returned to Guadalcanal to serve with the BSIP Forces in the Solomons campaign, and finally reached Bougainville with the Alt.

During the reconnaissance an d occupation of Nissan (Green Is.) he was attached to New Zealand’s 3rd Division. , At the end of the war Fred was with Native Scouts at 23rd Infantry Brigade. AIF Headquarters, and saw the surrender of Commander Taka hashi’s force at Buka Passage.

After the departure of the enemy, Fred was employed on the first post-war patrols of Buka and the off-lying islands to rehabilitate the natives back into village life ana work. Then came some leave in Australia and Fred took his dis charge in Rabaul before returning to Jame to get his plantation back

into production.

In addition to writing, both on Island life and early station me

icensland, Fred has been active e Planters’ Association and in jrganisation of the Bougain- Jompany which was formed to ie much needed shipping ser to Bougainville, d Archer met author James »ner at Guadalcanal during the and again in Rabaul after the vhen Fred threatened to write ik on the islands, ag a bachelor, Fred can’t be I into anything rash, but 10 have gone by, and Jim iner and the rest of the literary are still wai t i n g.— Brett