Siarua Watched

The Coast

Siarua of Bougainville comes from the warlike Roroana tribe which settled on the coast near Kieta about 1900, after taking part in the local wars. r'EY had come from Mono (or Treasury Islands) in the Solomons, via the Shortlands, and may have come originally from the tribes of sea-rovers based on Roviana on New Georgia.

Siarua was born about 1907, and in 1920 signed on at Kieta as personal servant to W. H. Lucas (late of Burns, Philp) who had just become chairman of the newly formed Expropriation Board at Rabaul. After three years service, Siarua transferred his allegiance to Fred Archer, for whom he has now worked for 36 years, man and boy. For four years he worked with Fred on plantations in the Witu Group, in the Manus Group, Western Islands and Maty Island.

Siarua married a girl named Giwa from the latter place (also called Wuvulu).

In 1927 Fred took over Jame on the west coast of Buka, where Siarua eventually became boss-boy, with about 50 natives working under him. In March, 1942, came serious visits by Japanese forces and most of the Europeans were

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A Brett Milder Profile

either evacuated, or retreated in land with the Coastwatching or ganisation.

Siarua, his wife, Giwa, and their small girl, Eima, decided to go bush with their master and accept the fortunes of war against the Japanese. From this time on, the

enemy arrived in ever increasing numbers, and the position of the Coastwatchers and their followers grew more desperate each month.

During the next 12 months the enemy over-ran the whole island with patrols and Siarua served in scouting activities and camp work with the Coastwatchers, earning the Loyal Service Medal and grate ful praise from Jack Read and Sepik Robbie:—“He was a tower of strength during our hardest days and toughest times”. His wife, Giwa, dressed in jungle-green shirt and shorts, worked on the domestic side of the camp, dispensing food and good cheer.

When the situation became un tenable on Bougainville the whole party was exacuated in successive operations, Siarua and family being taken off the west coast of Bougain ville by the US Submarine Guard fish in July, 1943.

They later returned to Bougain ville to harry the enemy forces, and Siarua became a native scout in ANGAU, serving in Bougainville until the final Japanese surrender.

He then returned to his job as boss-boy on Jame Plantation, and is still with Fred Archer.

A few months ago, Siarua was at Madang to see the opening of the Coastwatchers’ Memorial Light, and at the functions he met both Yauwiga and Simogun, old friends and comrades-in-arms who gave magnificent service to the Allied cause. Siarua, his wife, Giwa, and the girl, Eima, all contributed their share happily to the Memorial Light, and have seen their names in print at times through the literary work of their articulate master, Fred Archer. BRETT HlLDER—with acknowledgments to F. P. Archer.