1946 TPNG Dept of Forests Sawmill crew Yalu after World War 2 Photo credit Cheryl/Norma Collis. Although unclear, personnel included Ted Collis, Alan and Ken Fraser, Col Pittaway, John Thompson, Eric Dobson, Bill Jenkin, George Barrcroft, Darby Munro. Photo credit Collis Family archives.
Bill Jenkin Forest Ranger to Harvesting and Marketing Officer
Bill Jenkin was born in Sydney. He arrived in PNG in October 1949 after four years serving with BCOF Occupation Force in Japan to the sawmill at Yalu. He joined the TPNG Forestry Administration as a tractor operator/Mechanic until 1951 when he left to serve in Korea. In 1953, he returned to PNG working as a forest ranger to eventually becoming District Forester. Before becoming Harvesting and Marketing Officer in Port Moresby Forests Headquarters. He then studied accounting and in 1968 joined the Transport Department TPNG. In December 1975 he moved to Tasmania, working as an accountant until retirement in 1994.
Robert Eric Dobson was born in Southampton UK and enlisted at Wollongong NSW on 5 August 1940. He was a signalman with ANGAU. He was discharged on 26 Feb 1944.
George Henry Barrcroft was born in Brisbane. He enlisted on 9 April 1941. He was a sapper in 2/3 Forestry Coy. He was discharged on 27th October 1945. After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu via Lae.
Col Pittaway was an NSW VDC man discharged in December 1943 when only 18. After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu via Lae.
Kenneth Roderick Fraser service number 422357enlisted on 23 May 1942 in Adelaide and discharged on 5 October 1945.He was a corporal with RAAF at Air Defence HQ Port Moresby. After WW2, he was at Yalu sawmill and then as a forest ranger.
Alan Munro Fraser service number QX3224 enlisted on 25 Mya 1940 at Maryborough and was discharged on 27 July 1945. He was a private and prisoner of war in Germany. In NG, he was in the 2/15 Infantry Battalion. After WW2 he was at Yalu sawmill and then technical officer Wau, and OIC at Kerevat plantations and then moved to Bulolo plantations.
Douglas Henry Munro service number QX7257; rank Lieutenant. he was born in 1909 at Kyogle NSW. He enlisted at Kelvin Grove Queensland. After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu via Lae before moving to the Regional Office Lae.
Doug and Dulcie Munro. Photo credit Cliff Southwell.
John Thompson 1970. Photo credit Gary Flegg.
John Thompson served with occupational forces in Japan after the war. He was then at Yalu, then in Bulolo as a forest ranger working with Leon Clifford on forest research and then field manager for the Bulolo Forestry College.
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis family archives.
family archives.
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Characters of Yalu. Photo credit Collis family archives.
AIRSTRIP NAZAB – servicing Yalu.
Nadzab Airport in 1977.
The first airfield in the Nadzab area of the Morobe Province’s Markham Valley was established by the Lutheran Mission for use by small planes serving the mission station at Gabmatzung. It was not used very often, and, after the outbreak of the Pacific War, it soon became overgrown with dense kunai grass. It was with the capture of Japanese-occupied Lae in mind that the Allied forces decided to use the Nadzab area as a landing craft for Dakota and other aircraft.
Horrie Niall (later District commissioner Lae) was one of those who helped to build Nadzab back in 1943 into one of the busiest airstrips of World War II. Nadzab was almost in every respect an “international airport” in those days, with loudspeakers calling for passengers to Honolulu, Los Angeles, Australia, and many other faraway places.
In the days that followed Lae was recaptured and the US 5th Air Force headquarters was moved from Port Moresby to Nadzab. Two more strips were prepared plus an emergency landing ground. Dispersal bays were made with connecting roads Australian Construction Squadron built two strips near the entrance to the present-day Nadzab airport for use by RAAF aircraft. The war over, Nadzab fell into disuse, nearly all air movements being made from Lae. In 1962, the main strip at Nadzab was resealed by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Works and lengthened to make it suitable for Mirage fighters. However, it was always maintained by the Australian Department of Civil Aviation as an alternative to Lae in poor weather conditions.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
1946 on Nazab Airport. Photo credit Collis family archives.
LAE 1955 - 1961
Two war-time sawmills at Kerevat and near Lae were taken over by the Administration and operated by the Department to supply sawn timber and to acquire information on local timbers which would be of practical benefit in the development of a local commercial timber industry. In 1960, the Lae sawmill closed because of competition with private business). The sawmill became the Lae markets.
TheirdaughterCherylwas bornin Lae in 1955 and theirson Greg was bornin Lae in 1956.
Ted had to choose transferring to Port Moresby or Bulolo to work for Department of Forestry. Bulolo was his choice as he was put in charge of the nursery at Bulolo.
Lae marketplace 1990
Source PNGAA.
Main street Lae 1960’s.
Source Lae Rotary Club.
BULOLO FOREST NURSERY 1962 -1975
In 1960, when the Lae sawmill closed, Ted chose Bulolo where he was put in charge of the nursery at Bulolo.
In Bulolo Ted was put in charge of the nursery at Bulolo. He was responsible for a million and quarter pine –klinkii and hoop-trees to be planted out in the plantation every year. These trees were logged by the Bulolo Gold Dredging Company (BGDC), now PNG Forest Products.
John Godlee was the officer in charge at Bulolo Forestry, followed by Dick McCarthy.
Romney Matura, who came from Finschhafen was Uncle Ted’s right hand man. (when Ted left, Romney returned home).
Ted had many other duties.
He met all PNG national workers arriving by plane contracted to work on plantation activities. He ensured they all received their rations of rice, bully beef. Kerosene, soap, tobacco, boi biscuits, blanket and mosquito net.
Ted looked after the water supply to the forest station.
He looked after the squash courts at BFC (Ted and Norma were founding members).
Ted’s seed storage shed was severely damaged when the bodies for the army caribou crash were stored there.(ReferPNGAFMag Issue# 9B-5B4D4,MurrayDayTPNGForest mapper24/1/24)
2 March, E. W. (1958) The Seventh British Commonwealth Forestry Conference: Preconference tour of Papua and New Guinea. Empire Forestry Review, vol. 37, no. 1 (91).
Aerial overview Bulolo Nursery 1970’s. Photo credit Collis Family Archives.
Nursery storage sheds and stand out beds.
Photo credit Barry Gray.
Aerial overview Bulolo Nursery 1970’s. Photo credit Collis Family Archives.
Ted’s Role Supervision of Rations being handed out. Photo credit Collis Family Archives.
Ted Collis with “Flame of the Forest” Bulolo. Photo credit Collis family archives.
NURSERY PRACTICE BULOLO3
Early research into Klinkii Pine silviculture was undertaken by Joe Havel which was completed by 1959 and published in 1965.4
This was followed by Alan Cameron and Kevin White’s manual #1 for silvicultural techniques for all plantations species.in 1970.
Silviculture of Pinus in PNG Bulletin # 5 by John Smith 1970 describes silvicultural techniques to grow Pinus species in PNG.
High shade Bulolo nursery tubed Klinkii Pine seedlings Source New Horizons 1973.
3 Havel, J. J. (1957). Seed collection. Pp. 1-4. Nursery technique – Bulolo. Pp. 1-3. Paper prepared for pre-conference tour (August 1957) 7th British Empire Forestry Conference Australia and New Zealand.
4 Havel, J. J. (1965). Plantation establishment of klinki pine (Araucaria hunsteinii) in New Guinea. Commonwealth Forestry Review, 44(3), No. 121: 172-186. (1).
Ref Silvicultural Manual Dept of Forests TPNG 1972
Araucaria spp seed was collected in September-October from selected trees in the natural forest. The seed was stored under refrigeration in Bulolo .
Initially Pinus spp seed was imported.
Nursery Bed preparation, Bed sowings, method of sowing, types of cover, density of sowing, shading, watering, thinning, bed history, nursery returns, weeding,
Seed Sown in October/November each year.
Tubing of seedling stock occurred twelve months later.
Clearing of plantation areas occurred in March to May each year.
The plantation burn occurs between June to August.
Planting would commence in July if good rains received. Planting was to be completed by December each year.
The planting areas are clean tended for the first six months after planting. This is followed by ring tending.
Plantation trees are first pruned to 2 metres when the stand exceeds 5 metres in height.
A follow up prune to 9 metres is carried out when the stand exceeds 10 metres on 75 % of the selected trees.
The first thing occurs at year 8 then at five-year intervals according to defined growth schedules.
Seed collections from remote areas. Collecting klinkii cones and seed from Jimi Valley.
Hoop, Klinki, Eucalypt, Pinus seedlings. Photo credit Ian Whyte 1974.
Planting klinkii seedling. Photo credit Ross Lockyer
Seedlings Mumeng Extension Nursery. Photo credit Ian Whyte 1964.
Bulolo 1960’s. Photo credit Collis family Archives.
Bulolo 1960’s. Photo credit Collis family Archives.
Bulolo River Bridge bugger up. Photo credit Collis family archives
Damaged Hoop Pine thinnings. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Preparation Bulolo plantation establishment area. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Ted’s recreation was playing bowls at the Bulolo Bowling Club.
At weekends Ted would take the family into the forest plantations to explore and at the same time check on the new plantings.
Bulolo Bowling Club. Source PNGFP.
Ted was well respected by all the national workers and the people who lived in Bulolo.
He really loved his time in Bulolo till 1975 when he retired and moved to Bribie Island
Ted worked with Peter Woolcott (lik lik dokka), Jack Hadden, and John Thompson.
archives.
Bulolo Bowling Club. Photo credit Collis Family
BULOLO CNGT PLYMILL
Plymill Bulolo
Peeling Klinkii log
Photo credit Collis family archives.
Plymill Bulolo.
Photo credit Collis family archives.
Stacking veneer and core sheets
Photo credit Collis Family Archives.
BULOLO GOLD DREDGING
Gold dredge Bulolo. Photo credit Collis family archives.
archives.
Sunken (bagarapim or Kapset)) Gold dredge. Photo credit Collis family
NORMA COLLIS
NORMA COLLIS
Norma married Ted Collis in 1954 in Forbes NSW whilst Ted was on six months leave from TPNG. Norma then travelled as a bride to TPNG.
She lived at Yalu until 1950 when Ted moved to Lae to work in the Lae Government sawmill.
In 1962 when the Lae sawmill closed and became the Lae market, Ted, Norma, and family moved to Bulolo where Ted became the TPNG Forests Nursery manager.
Norma Collis Bulolo Forestry College. Photo credit Collis family archives.
In 1964, Norma commenced work at the Bulolo Forestry College under Joe Havel. She was the first clerical assistant to Joe Havel and worked for the college for 9 years. The students came from Laos, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa as well as PNG students with grade 10 education.
Background to the Bulolo Forestry School 5
In early 1961, the Australian Government made a nationwide recruiting drive (in Australia) to interview and enlist six (6) potential Assistant Forest Rangers, as part of ten (10) students, to be the first intake for the Bulolo Forestry College. The new recruits included Bruce Anderson, Tony Crompton, Rod Hall, Tony Brown, Heiner Streimann, and Peter Eddowes. However, as the Forestry College Buildings had not been started, at this time, the BFS did not start up until 1962. The first Principal of the school was Joe Havel, a very dedicated forester to the task ahead. The students were all housed together, into one (old) wooden building opposite the old forestry office. A classroom was established inside the forestry office
building. Four other personnel were recruited locally (from PNG) however, the latter four personnel, did not stay on to complete the course that ended in 1963.
Temporary BFC Building Bulolo Forest Station 1962. Photo credit John/Ian Smith.
The establishment of the Bulolo Forestry College in 1962 was the commencement of formal technical training for Papua New Guineans. Initially, it began with a two-year certificate course and the three-year diploma course was added in 1967 (the first graduates started their field work in 1970). The first Principal was Joe Havel with Bill Finlayson, followed by Leon Clifford, then Robin Angus and later John Godlee.
Joe Havel’s first training was the upgrading of local timber assessment crews in identification of trees and taking measurements in assessment surveys, which was done in Pidgin English.
The second, more substantial training in 1962/63 was the intake of forest rangers from Australia, whose training was much more substantial. The classroom was Joe’s office in Bulolo. He developed teaching material as he went, often giving lectures which, he had prepared the evening before. Two of the rangers were subsequently assigned to Joe to help in the subjects in which they excelled, namely Arthur Ramsay (Blue) in survey and assessment and Heiner Streimann in botany. He was also assigned a Scottish forester Bill Finlayson, with experience in East Africa as his deputy.
Joe Havel’s botanical assistant was Aubeta Kairo. He was an excellent field botanist who provided Joe Havel with botanical specimens he needed for the textbook and for the school herbarium.
Bulolo Forestry College Herbarium Class Lecturer Aubeta Kairo a long-term staff member. Photo Credit J Clifford.
Joe Havel arranged for other members of the Forestry Department to present lectures in the various fields of Forestry, including forest surveys, aerial photography and interpretation, mensuration and silviculture, botany, timber utilisation and timber identification etc. The part-time lecturers included Kevin White, Alan Cameron, Eric Hammermaster, Greg McDonald, Phil Ainsworth, Alan Ross, and John Womersley.
Joe Havel with students studying botanical specimens at the PNG Forestry College Bulolo
Photograph 1964 Dept. of Forests Port Moresby
End of 1964 Photo Forestry College staff housed in temporary quarters near Bulolo Forestry Station Office including Albert. Front row L to R: Norma Collis, Arthur "Blue" Ramsay, Joe Havel, Bill Finlayson and Heinar Streimann. Photo credit Collis Family Archives.
The College was opened by the Minister for Teritories, The Hon. C.E.Barnes MP on the 3rd of August 1965. It was then known as the Papua and New Guinea Forestry School Bulolo.
Hon C.E Barnes Minister for Territories 1963-1972
Official Opening Bulolo Forestry College Sept 1965.
Photo credit John/Ian Smith.
Mosaic Bulolo Forestry College Activities. Photo Credit Janelle Clifford
Norma organising another MUMU (feast). Photo credit Collis Family Archives.
Forestry College Bulolo. Photo credit Collis family archives.
Forestry College Bulolo group photo 1966 of staff and students. L to R Norma Collis; Olga Woolcott; Heiner Streimann; Arthur Ramsay; Leon Clifford; Evan Shield; Gerry Cullen; Vivienne Shield; Pat Cattanach. Photo Credit Janelle Clifford 1966.
Overseas Bulolo Forestry College Students Graduation Day 30th Nov.1970. L-R, Salias Peter, Walter Treviranus, Robin Taurereko, Villiamu Brown.
6 Ramsay A (Blue) Forest Surveying Volume 2 Papua and New Guinea Forestry School Dept of Forests 1966.
7 Havel J 1970 reprinted 1975 Training Manual for the Forestry College Volume 3 Forest Botany-; Part 2 Botanical Taxonomy.
8 Havel J 1970 Training Manual for the forestry College Volume 3 Forest Botany Part 1 Terminology
Bulolo Forestry College Staff Sept 1970.
Rear: Gary Flegg (cartography), Kaueke Maritaape (office), Heiner Streimann, Jim Riley, John Thompson, Ken Harris (cartography), Phil Pope, Gerry Cullen, Herman Kloeti, Chris Burrow.
Front: Kathy Thompson (typist), Leon Clifford, Robin Angus (Principal), Val Thompson (library), Norma Collis (office), Andy Gillison.
Photo Credit Garry Flegg. 1970.
Bulolo Forestry College 1972.
L-R. Marcel, John Thompson, Steve Denison, Patrick, Eduardo de la Barra, Murray Day, Rick Stokes, Patsy Gillison, Robin Angus, May Bayley, Gena Kevau, Tom Watson, Norma Collis, Gary Archer, Marianne Horak, Ken Harris, Gary Flegg, Bob Johns, Andy Gillison.
Photo Credit DIES
Norma loved working at the Bulolo Forestry College office for over ten years, alongside great colleagues as Joe Havel, Leon Clifford, Andy Gillison, Olga Woolcott, Mavis Bayley, and Val Thompson. Her activities were varied from overseeing clerical activities, doing the pays, collecting the funds form the bank, She ordered all the College requirements. She would often travel to Lae with a driver to collect the good, especially for the College mess. Norma recalls being trapped by a landslide at Mumeng on the way to Lae to collect supplies. She and the driver had to climb over the landslide to continue onto Lae to collect supplies. On the way back the landslide had been cleared.
Bulolo Forestry College Bulolo. Photo Credit Murray Day Dept of Forests 1973.
9 Johns R J 1976 Training Manual for the Forestry College Forest Trees Volume 8 Part 6 ANGIOSPERMAE
10 White AE, McCarthy R B, Archer G, Num D 1973. Training Manual for the BFC Vol 7. Forest Assessment & working plans.
Source Phil Pope.
In 1974, Norma moved to the forest station as pay officer under District Forester Dick McCarthy.
In December 1975 Norma and Ted retired to Bribie Island in Queensland.
ACRONYMS
ACT Australian Capital Territory
AFS Australian Forestry School
AFPNG Association of Foresters of PNG
AIF Australian Infantry Forces
AMF Australian Military Forces
ANBG Australian National Botanical Gardens
ANGAU Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit
ANU Australian National University
APMF Australian Paper Manufacturers Forestry Pty Ltd
APPM Australia Paper and Pulp Manufacturers
ASOPA Australian School of Pacific Administration
BCOF British Commonwealth Occupational Force 1945-52
BFC Bulolo Forestry College
BGD Bulolo Gold Dredging Company
BUC Bulolo University College
C Commonwealth
cm Centimetre
CALM Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management
CFA Commonwealth Forestry Association
CNGT Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Bulolo
CRE Commander Royal Engineers
CRE CRE is a term inherited by RAE from RE and is the term for the Commanding Officer of a RAE unit which is headed by a Lt Col. Although the officer is called the CRE the name is also used for the name of his unit. E.g. CRE Aust Forestry Group or 1(NG Forests).
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
CHAH Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria
DEPT Department
DIES Dept of Information and extension Services.
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
F &TB Forest and Timber Bureau Canberra
FPRC Forest Products Research Centre Hohola
Forkol Bulolo Forestry College
ha Hectare
IFA Institute of Foresters of Australia
L of N League of Nations
m3 cubic metre
MM Military Medal
NAA National Archives Australia
NB New Britain
no. Number
NG New Guinea
NGF New Guinea Forces (relates to plant collection of Lae Herbarium)
NGIB New Guinea Infantry Battalion
NZ New Zealand
NSW New South Wales
PIB Papuan Infantry Battalion
PIR Pacific Islands Regiment
PNG Papua New Guinea
PNGAA
Papua New Guinea Australia Association
PNGAF Papua New Guinea Australian Foresters Magazine Series
