Principle Contents of HTT Vol. 63:

• President’s Update: official acknowledgement by the Australian Parliament of the Montevideo Maru disaster
• WW2 experiences of Alan Dunwoodie (for continuation)
• PNGVR Unit History: Report by CO 1950-1953 (part of a series)
• Obituary for Mabel Thelma HOLLAND, 1919-2010
• Goroka bivouac 1966: an olfactory assault
• PIR News: PIBs 70th anniversary of its formation from the RPNGC, PIB, NGVR and ANGAU.
• Photo of unique chandelier in the foyer Holiday Inn, Pt Moresby

Click here to download the PDF of HarimTokTok_Vol.63_Aug2010

This is our sixth and last edition for calendar year 2010. Your executive has been busy since the distribution of HTT 64 late September 2010.

After spending over a week  preparing the site for the 9 October Bush Dinner at Barry and Pam Wright’s Jimboomba home , the function had to be cancelled early that day because of the rain; it was too wet and dangerous to allow the caterer’s vehicle on site. This was disappointing to all concerned, particularly for those who did the preparatory, clean up and tidy away work.  I thank  and commiserate with you, for the bush dinner is one function which is anticipated  with  much enthusiasm. May the weather be kinder for the next one, scheduled March 2011.

Our Association’s Annual General Meeting was held at the Wacol Museum on Saturday 16 October . This was preceded by a working bee to prepare the grounds and Museum for the forthcoming Rabaul Centenary Celebrations and a barbeque luncheon. As there were only one nomination per position and these were for the same positions occupied in 2009-10, the Committee remains the same for 2010 -11. Many of the current Committee will probably not renominate in future so members should be mindful for the need of new blood in the not too distant future. Melbourne member Bob Harvey Hall who was on his annual pilgrimage to the Sunshine State attended the AGM. Bob is writing the history of the PNGVR, the draft of which he is planning  to complete early 2011, providing those members who have promised material get it to him in time.

A continuing issue and one I regularly raise is the succession plan for our Military Museum whose existence  is presently so dependent on John Holland, our Curator. We continue to seek, without success, interested people to volunteer ,not just from our Association but from the PNGAA , the Macarthur Museum and the NSAAAQ. This is an urgent and pressing situation, if this valuable community resource is to survive into the future.  Association Friend, John Winterbotham recently gave the Museum an updated electronic and hard copy version of the PNGVR Routine Orders through to 1965. He managed to discover the 1965 RO’s from the Australian Archives in Brisbane. Hopefully he is able to find the remaining RO’s for the Regiment. Well done John and your work is recognised.

Some time ago  member Brian Jones asked if I would speak at his 31 Battalion/ Kennedy Regiment Annual Reunion luncheon at the Red Brick Hotel , Woolloongabba on Friday 22 October. I talked about Rabaul, NGVR and Montevideo Maru to about 20 attendees. They showed their appreciation by presenting  me with the Regiment’s badge on a timber stand ,which is now in the Museum. One of the attendee’s was a retired judge from PNG , Justice Shanahan. He was an interesting person with many humorous stories of his judicial circuits in the Sepik and other out of the way places.

The PNGAA,  Rabaul & Montevideo Maru Society (RAMMS) and our Association combined to hold a Rabaul Centenary Celebration at Wacol Museum  on the 24 October. It turned out to be a most delightful and enjoyable day for  the 300 or so people who attended. An article with photographs may be read on pages 10 and 11 of this newsletter. About $1,600 was made on the day. Curator John Holland with the assistance of PNGAA members Ally Martel from Toowoomba and Andrea Williams from Sydney did a tremendous amount of work to allow this to come to fruition. Thank you and well done John, Ally and Andrea.

Besides the 24 October occasion, John with assistance from a small group of our members has hosted at least 4 groups to the Museum during the past two months. Jessica Harrington has kindly assisted John with the catering arrangements and Pamela Wright continues to provide cakes and biscuits for the visitors. Thank you very much ladies.

In late September through  the good offices of John Holland,  Air Niugini offered two return air tickets from Sydney to Rabaul for a raffle prize which was quickly backed with an offer of a five day , twin accommodation package from the Rabaul Hotel, a total prize worth in excess of $5,000.  Encouraged by such generosity, the three organisations decided to pool their resources and use the prizes as a major fund raiser for the proposed National Montevideo Maru Memorial and the maintenance of the NGVR/PNGVR Military Museum on a 80/20 basis. Arrangements were made and a mail out to over 1,800 addressees, as well as sales at the 24 October Celebration function and Remembrance Day dinners in Sydney and Brisbane managed to raise an extraordinary $ 25,000, of which $20,000 and $5,000 will be used for the Memorial and Museum respectively. Thank you prize sponsors, Air Niugini and the Rabaul Hotel who donated two return airfares from Sydney to Rabaul and five nights twin accommodation in Rabaul respectively, organisers and ticket buyers for your generosity and support.  The raffle was drawn at the PNGAA’s annual Christmas party held at Killara Golf Club on Sunday 28 November. The lucky winner was Ms Margaret Curtis from Melbourne