Highland villages

Mendi in the Southern Highlands was reached down a dirt road from Mt Hagen in 1974. It was not a fast trip! One had to be careful of locals walking on the road and you certainly stopped to let pigs and dogs get off the road before driving on. There is only one road in and we know of someone who bowled over a dog and found a tree lying across the road on the way back. Compensation had to be paid before the tree was removed.

Southern Highland longhouses at Mendi.

Olibus, Minj in the Western Highlands.

Olibus

An extremely tidy and well laid out village.

Bridge near Mendi, Southern Highlands

Lae, War Cemetery and orchids

Following are slides I took on a trip down to Lae from Mt Hagen in 1974.

 Lae 

The harbour in 1974 is still being developed whilst the airport at the top of the photo is little more than a sealed airstrip with a rather basic terminal.

Lae market

Main entrance to the Lae War memorial Cemetery.

The cenotaph

I am not sure if the orchids below are part of the cemetery or in a separate adjacent garden. These orchids were in an immaculately kept as were the cemetery grounds.

Nebilyer Pig Compensation.

Through contacts at Mt Hagen High School we had the opportunity to go out into the bush in the Nebilyer area to a compensation ceremony.

The upper Nebilyer River

Writing this nearly 45 years after the event some details are rather sketchy. However, thanks to my writing brief details on the 35 mm slides at the time I can give a reasonable account of what this was all about.

Pay back was, and probably still is, part of the culture in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

The two tribes that appear in these photos are the Ulga and Uga Buga tribes. One of was at war with the Coolga tribe. The Coolgas were numerically superior and were at war with either the Ulgas or the Uga Bugas. Unfortunately, I don’t know which. Let’s say it was the Ulgas for the purpose of the story behind this compensation.

As the Ulgas were at a numerical disadvantage they got their friends in the Uga Bugas to join the line in a fight with the Coolgas. One of the Uga Bugas was killed and so to make amends the Ulgas had to pay (back) compensation to the Uga Bugas.

Uga Bugas arriving

Ulgas arriving

The local kiap, an Australian, organised transport in a convoy of heavily armed police with machine guns and other weapons (shot guns and tear gas) for us to go through the bush to where compensation was to be handed over. With the kiap, Mark Rosen from Mt Hagen High School, myself and my wife, there were four Europeans among about ten thousand locals that day.

We did not feel threatened of unwelcome.

Compensation arriving.

Part of the compensation were dozens of butchered pig carcasses lined up in the hot sun. Cowie shells from the coast as well as some large shells were included. Also I spotted a live cus cus, a rather strong marsupial which was part off the deal. Cus cus skins are prized and part of their bilas.

Cus cus tied up. 

In 1974 I didn't know much about photography. As a result I was was on the wrong side on terms of the light and couldn't do much about it lightening it up.

Part of the compensation (very fatty pigs) lined up for inspection.
(Police vehicles in the background)

After all the compensation was lined up, a considerable amount of time was involved in inspection and discussion before acceptance. We didn't get to see this.

Around 3 pm we were suddenly bundled up in a police vehicle and removed in a hurry. Thousands of Coolgas were coming and a full scale fight broke out half an hour later. It was not the place to be with arrows flying and axes being wielded!

Tambul

Start here for my introductory blog about our experiences in PNG. This will guide you through all my PNG blogs.

In the Western Highland is palace called Tambul. We went there to another sing-sing. What it was about I have no idea .

However the photos make investing viewing of a unique culture from over 40 years ago.

The road to Tambul from Mt Hagen winds up out of the Waghi Valley.

We are at high altitude here.

We were the only Europeans here this day, just 3 of us. At no stage did we feel unwelcome.

Gambling was the attraction here.

The wigmen.

The caption on my slide for the above slide says in Pisin "cookin pig long pit".

Mumu pit or 'cookin pig long pit.'

At the end of the day I still remember the man carefully packing away his bilas. He proudly showed me what he was doing and allowed me to take his photograph. (Of course in 1974, I only had slide film and was sparing in the number of photos taken on any one trip.)

Packing up bilas.

Madang

Start here for my introductory blog about our experiences in PNG.

As mentioned in my previous blog a return visit, this time at leisure to Madang occurred in the school holidays. 

Islands from the plane on the way in.

Madang was my idea of a tropical paradise with lots of islands, a big harbour and plenty to see but on a small scale and not developed in 1974 as a tourist resort. Madang harbour is big enough to accomodate large ships as per the previous blog.

Small islet at Madang.

Madang market.

Gail, not in the photo here, still has the basket on the right which she bought at the market.

Dominating the seaside, not far from the harbour entrance is the Coast watchers memorial.

Coast watchers memorial.

From from what I had read before going to PNG and what I can remember at the time this memorial is to the 27, mainly Australian volunteers stayed behind when Japan invaded in WW2. 13 did not survive.

The original coast watchers were planters in the islands producing copra and other things. They provided advanced warning of ships and planes heading down The Slot towards Guadalcanal. They were supplied with radios, food and other equipment usually by American submarines. The battle for Guadalcanal in 1942 was bitter and costly but ultimately the Japanese retreated. The coast watchers saved the day.

We stayed at Madang Hotel which overlooked the harbour entrance.

The following two photos speak louder than words. Needless to say, what and idyllic site. 

Madang Hotel pool. The waiter delivered drinks to the pool edge.

The restaurant. We were warned not to sit under the palms
- falling coconuts can kill.

Cruising around the harbour was the best way to see Madang at its best.

A visit to Siar Island was a must to do. From memory it had been preserved as an attraction with plane wrecks from WW2 still amongst the trees and numerous rusting hulks of small barges which the Japanese used extensively in the islands.

Siar Island

Siar Island

WW2 war relics.

Madang Harbour village

Within walking distance of the hotel was this beach. A coral reef a few metres from the  shore was an added attraction. I did not get a photo of the warning sign at the beach saying crocodiles have been seen here occasionally. The lure of the clear warm waters and the snorkelling on the reef was too good to worry about puk puks (crocodiles).

Teachers Beach

Teachers Beach

After a restful holiday it was back to Mt Hagen to find that tribal fighting had broken out and that there were 6 riots squads of police camped on the school grounds. The Australian Airforce (RAAF) had flown in 100 brand new yellow Toyota Landcruisers which were neatly lined up when we arrived back home.

(The PNG Police Force had a number of riot squads - around 50 strong, around the country with one based in Mt Hagen. At least another 5 squads were flown in a short notice.)

This outbreak was to have big implications for the boys and one of the teachers at the school.

In another blog I will outline a pig compensation ceremony we went to which will help explain the culture behind this unrest.

My next blog is of a sing sing we went to in Tambul, WHD.