1960’s FOOT REPORT

1960’s Foot Report

The fifth intervention came in the 1960’s with the United Nations Sir Hugh Foot Report79 of 1962 and subsequent World Bank Economic Report80 of 1965 setting out the framework for agricultural and forestry development. This included a major assessment of PNG’s Forest resources and the need for agricultural development for oil palm clearing large tracts of forested land for the planting of oil palm. The development of this agricultural pursuit also saw PNG enter the global log export trade because the large-scale clearings created an enormous quantity of felled trees, which if not sold were to be burnt.

The establishment of the Bulolo Forestry College in 1962 was the commencement of formal technical training for Papua New Guineans. The first Principal was Joe Havel with Bill Finlayson, followed by Leon Clifford; then Robin Angus and later John Godlee. 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.

Bulolo Forestry College Bulolo. Photo Credit Murray Day Department of Forests 1973.

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

79 Sir Hugh Foot UN Visiting Mission Report to Trusteeship Council May -June 1962 and refer to page 36 80 Refer page 37.

Anderson, Tony Crompton, Rod Hall, Tony Brown, Heiner Streimann, and Peter Eddowes under the first Principal of the school TPNG forester Joe Havel.

Joe Havel with students studying botanical specimens at the PNG Forestry College Bulolo. Photograph 1964 Dept. of Forests Port Moresby.

Pictured. Tony Crompton (standing) & Peter Eddowes (seated) & local field assistants. Training in forest survey work. Lower Montane Forest Bulolo 1963. Photo credit Peter Eddowes.

Professor John Davidson(left) with the first forestry graduates on the day of graduation. From the left Joseph Ben, Diki Kari, Alec Chang (Fiji), Jack Noah and Oscar Mamalai. (Not in the photograph is Samson Gaviro Solomons). UNITECH 1976. Photo Credit Gloria Davidson.

The end of 1976 saw the graduation ceremony for the first students. Two of the original students, Jack Noah and Joseph Ben are deceased81 .

81 Oscar Mamalai personal communication 8 May 2019 Part B page 365-366

Forestry College Bulolo L to R. Norma Collis, Blue Ramsay, Joe Havel, Bill Finlayson, Heinar Streimann. Photo credit Norma/Cheryl Collis 1964/65.

Forestry College Bulolo group photo was taken of the 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.