AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975
PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 9B-5B4G6 of 17th Jan 2024 FOREST MANAGEMENT.
Eminent TPNG Forest Forester/Educator Peter Graves 1970-1974
Editor Dick McCarthy1
1973-1975
1 District Forester BuloloPeter, after working for the New Zealand Forest Service from 1954-1969, fellow Kiwi and PNG identity Jim Riley (Peter was best man at Jim’s wedding) was responsible for Peter joining the Department of Forests in 1970
Peter’s posting was to Mt Hagen where he was responsible for the forest extension program in the Wahgi valley with eucalypt seedlings from Kagamuga Nursery. The objective was to make villagers self-reliant in their wood supply - house poles and firewood. Each village received 24 seedlings to plant and care for. In 1971, Peter had additional responsibilities for harvesting and marketing inspections of dip diffusion process and compliance in Eastern, Western and Southern Highlands with follow up extension activities in other areas.
Forester Gary Archer (7/7/21) recalls Peter’s work promoting forest extension among the villages. They scripted a radio show where two local characters called Nogi and Anis discussed forest extension. This show was quite popular - when Gary went out later as a follow-up to Peter's work the people Gary met all knew about Nogi and Anis, and they were quite enthusiastic to have more forest extension visits from Peter and Co.
In 1973, Peter transferred to the Bulolo Forestry College as a lecturer on the forest certificate course, teaching 26 students from PNG and South Pacific countries in tropical forest related aspects of silviculture, mensuration, logging, fire control, prevention, and suppression, roading, survey etc. Bob Johns did Botany lectures. Peter enjoyed, in true kiwi fashion the interaction with staff and students and members of the local Bulolo community including soccer, table tennis and cricket matches.
In late 1974 Peter, Barbara, and family with the prized Falcon 500 station wagon (it stayed with the family for a further ten years) returned to New Zealand to work with Fletchers New Zealand.
Peter passed away in 2021 and is survived by Barbara and family.