PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE #9B-5B4H1 of 31st July 2021. Eminent TPNG Forester Eric Hammermaster.

AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975

PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 9B -5B4H1 of 31st July 2021 FOREST MANAGEMENT. Eminent TPNG Forester Eric Hammermaster

Gogol Survey Boss Boys 1963 L to R Norm Endacott, Johnny Lowien, David “dokka” Reid, Eric Hammermaster1, Jim Cavanaugh, Evan Shield.

Photo credit Mary Jenkin.

Gogol Survey 1963 Evan Shield, John Lowien, Eric Hammermaster, Bill Jenkin, Norm Endacott, Kevin White.

Photo credit Mary Jenkin.

Eric Hammermaster buying kai Fulleborn-Awul Survey 1964.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

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Editor R B McCarthy2 2021.

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Eric Hammermaster TPNG Forests 1957 - 1979 Dick McCarthy District Forester TPNG Forests 1963-1975.

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OVERVIEW Eric Hammermaster was a member of the 1955 TPNG Forest cadetship class (after jumping ship from a Queensland forestry cadetship to a TPNG cadetship in 1957) together with Ian Grundy, Des Harries and Gerry Vickers. They all graduated in 1960.

AUSTRALIAN TPNG FORESTRY CADETSHIP SCHEME3 1946 to 1963 After the Second World War, a cadetship scheme was undertaken by the Australian Department of Territories to train Australian Forest Scientists to ensure sufficient professional staff for the purposes of creating a functional Forest Department for TPNG. The TPNG Forestry cadetship was five years university study including a field year in TPNG.

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Surname

Positions

TPNG Cadetship 1948 1946 1946 Qld

Edward Charles Gordon Gray (NG) Alexander John Hart (NG) Donald Henry McIntosh (NG5) Kevin Joseph White (Q) Robin Levingston (NSW) Jaroslav Joseph Havel (WA)6 Robin Bilbrough Morwood (NG) Frank Harry Coppock (NG) Elliot Carby Tuckwell (NG) John Godlee (NG)7 Ian Grundy (NG) Eric Hammermaster (Q/NG) Des Harries (NG) Gerry Vickers (NG) 3

AFS 1950/51 1950/51 1950/51 1950/51

Year graduation 1952 1952 1952 1952

1953 1952

1952/53 1953/54 1955/56

1954 1955 1957

1953 1953 1954 1955 1957 1955 1955

1956/57 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59

1958 1958 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960

The appointments of Australian TPNG Forestry Cadets were summarized in LT Carron’s book in 2000 titled “A brief history of the Australian Forestry School (AFS)”.

4 Cadet Forest Officer pamphlet courtesy Des Harries TPNG Forests 1955-1976.

5 Don McIntosh Third Director of Forests PNG TPNG Forests 1946-1973.

6 Joe Havel First Principal Bulolo Forestry College TPNG Forests 1953-1965.

7 John Godlee Fourth Principal Bulolo Forestry College TPNG Forests 1955-1980.

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Alan Cameron (Q)8 1956 1959/60 1961 John Smith (NG) 1956 1959/60 1961 Brian O’Hagen 1956 1959/60 1961 Neil Brightwell (NSW) 1960 1960/61 1962 Alan White (NG) 1960 1960/61 1962 9 Leon Clifford (NSW) 1958 1961/62 1963 Evan Shield (NG) 1958 1961/62 1963 John Lake (NG) 1962/63 1964 Ian Currie (NG) 1963/64 1965 John Harrison (NG) Last field 1961 1964/65 1966 Chris Borough (NG) year for 1960 1964/65 1966 Bob Bruce (NG) cadets 1961 1964/65 1966 Rex Grattidge (NG) 1961 1964/65 1966 10 John Davidson (NG) 1962 1965/66 1967 Paul Ryan (NG) 1962 1965/66 1967 Rod Holesgrove (NG) 1963 1965/66 1967 Jim Belford (C) 1966 1966/67 1968 Dick McCarthy (NG) 1963 1966/67 1968 Dave Num (C) 1965 1966/67 1968 R G Lyons (NG) 1965 1966/67 1968 Gary Archer (NG) 1966 1967/68 1969 Chris Done (NG) 1966 1967/68 1969 Ken Hart (NG) 1963 1967/68 1969 Ian Whyte (C) 1966 1967/68 1969 Footnotes TPNG - Territory of Papua New Guinea, NG - New Guinea, Q – Queensland, WA – Western Australia, NSW - New South Wale, C – Commonwealth, AFS - Australian Forestry School, BFC - Bulolo Forestry College.

Life before PNG Eric was born in 1936 and spent his early years in Rockhampton. Life was interrupted by World War 2. Australia considered that the Japanese advance towards it could be resisted and held at the Brisbane Line. As a result, children were temporarily moved south from Rockhampton in 1942. Eric was fortunate to be sent to farming relatives in the Fassifern Valley (Boonah) for one year.

Following the Battle of the Coral Sea and the ascendency of the allied forces in 1943, Eric resumed life back home with the parents until 1950. In 1950, Eric moved south to secondary school at Toowoomba Grammar School which was also the Alma Mater of PNG Forestry notables Jim McAdam and Robin Morwood. This was followed by a spell of 3 years at the University of Queensland. (Most people only needed 2 years, but Eric joined the TPNG Forestry cadet club of 3 years).

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Alan Cameron Schlich 1960 TPNG Forests 1956-1970.

Leon Clifford Second Principal Bulolo Forestry College TPNG Forests 1958-1975.

10 John Davidson Schlich Medal 1966; First Forestry Professor UNITECH TPNG Forests 1962-1980.

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Life during PNG Eric’s exposure to PNG Forestry started with his TPNG forest cadet field year in 1957.

After clutching his Degree and Diploma in 1960, he was shunted off to Bougainville (Tonolei Harbour and Numa Numa) to assess the forestry resources there, ably assisted by Senior Forest Ranger Mike Kazakoff11. Eric believes it was one of the last long-term ground surveys undertaken. They used aerial photography to guide their way as some hundred randomly chosen plots were located and assessed in the various forest types. In addition, landowner boundaries were marked on a map for later timber rights purchase action.

Eric’s principal duties initially in the 1960s was the setting up and organizing the initial Bulolo/Wau Forest Working Plan. This was later finalised by Evan Shield12.

Then came Eric’s major task. He was made the key co-ordinator of helicopter application to forest assessment in PNG. Major surveys then undertaken included timber areas as Vanimo, Empress Augusta Bay, Open Bay, Wanigela, West New Britain, Middle Ramu, Bulolo Wau, Ioma, Sagarai Gadaisu, Cape Rodney, Tonolei Harbour etc.

Up until 1963 forest surveys were ground based but to complete the comprehensive coverage of PNG’s forest resources to meet the Commonwealth Government’s timeframe, helicopter transport was introduced in 1964 to take over most of the support tasks and to position field parties on site. For initial crew leaders, they used the six-expatriate trained Bulolo Forest school graduate forest assistants until more PNG officers could be trained at BFC. Over 3.6 million hectares were assessed in the six years 1964 to 1969 when helicopter techniques of inventory were introduced. This was documented13 by Don McIntosh and Eric Hammermaster in 1968.

Gogol Survey 1963 Evan Shield, John Lowien, Eric Hammermaster14, Bill Jenkin, Norm Endacott, Kevin White.

Photo credit Mary Jenkin.

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Mike Kazakoff Senior Forest Ranger TPNG Forests 1950’s to 1973.

Evan Shield TPNG Forests 1958-1971.

13 McIntosh DH and Hammermaster ET 1968 Forest Resource Assessment using Helicopter Transport 9th Commonwealth Forestry Conference 1968.

Don McIntosh TPNG Forests 1946-1973. Eric Hammermaster TPNG Forests 1957-1979.

14 Eric Hammermaster TPNG Forests 1957 - 1979 12

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Survey Boss Boys 1963 L to R Norm Endacott, Johnny Lowien, David “dokka” Reid, Eric Hammermaster, Jim Cavanaugh, Evan Shield, Peter Eddowes, Pilot Hurrell, Don McIntosh, Bill Jenkin, unknown, unknown, Kevin White, unknown.

15Gogol

Photo credit Mary Jenkin.

The very first ‘chopper’ as used in forest survey work.

Gogol forest resource.

Madang.

1963.

Photo credit Peter Eddowes.

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Personal Communication Eric Hammermaster 11/3/21. Gogol trial survey Nov to Dec 1963. Based at Utu Catholic Mission Station. Unknowns would include helicopter mechanic of Helicopter Utilities, soils staff of DASF as Paul Aland and DIES. One of the PNG forestry assistants was Gallope Mato who trained under Jim Cavanaugh post-war.

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Crew change-over 1963.

Photo Credit Ken Granger.

Vanimo Survey 1970.

Photo credit Ian Whyte.

The next phase in Eric’s TPNG forest officer work was as Regional Forest Officer Papua, and then Regional Forest Officer New Guinea Islands based in Rabaul.

On Self-Government and Independence in PNG, Eric’s role became advisory only. Eric retired from the Dept of Forests in 1979.

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McIntosh DH and Hammermaster ET 1968 Forest Resource Assessment using Helicopter Transport 9th Commonwealth Forestry Conference 1968.

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Ioma Kumusi Survey Crew. Left with hat Eric Hammermaster (OIC). On helicopter from left to right: Gary Flegg, John Davidson, Bill Wallace (helicopter pilot, ex Royal Air Force bomber pilot and ex U K Suez operations in 1956). Chris Borough17 joined the survey for part of the time but was not present when photo taken. John Davidson18 reported that the above photograph was taken by Ken Granger Camp Commandant in May 1967.

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Chris Borough TPNG Forests 1960-1971.

Personal communication John Davidson 1 May 2021 TPNG Forests 1962-1980.

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Eric’s stories during PNG Times 19

Eric’s Wedding Present20 DRAM BILONG PIPIA. Prior to Eric getting married in 1965, he advised his esteemed drinking colleagues gun wool presser Ken Granger and cadet forester Dick McCarthy that he required a new rubbish bin before getting married.

Each week along Boroko Drive lovely rubbish bins were positioned on pedestals ready for collection.

Easy, just drive up, collect a bin early in the morning and drop at Eric’s house.

The expedition heads off in Eric’s VW. Back seat driver Dick McCarthy and Navigator Ken Granger21 recall being engaged in an attempted garbage tin theft with Hammer in 1964 just before he went South to get married. The bin targeted was a bin up on a stand outside the donga that Kev White shared with Chris Brown.

The expedition drove up close in Eric’s VW Beetle and Ken Granger grabbed hold of the bin handle as Hammer accelerated away. Almost tore his arm off as the bloody thing was full. As the VW took off, Boroko Drive became strewn with rubbish. Finally, an empty bin was discovered which Ken held onto until the expedition returned to Eric’s donga with its booty.

Friday Afternoon Drinks22. KONE CLUB. Kev White and Keith Cullen (back to camera) “in conference” at the Kone Club, 1968.

Photo Credit Ken Granger.

Ken Granger first met Eric at Keravat in 1964 when he and John Lowien were on their way to Bougainville to do a recce for the Empress Augusta Bay survey. Eric led the Empress Augusta Bay survey in 1964, the first helicopter supported survey that Ken was on. Eric had to cope with an unreliable chopper, the interference of the Catholic Church stirring up the locals in the Siwai. Eric was a good manager and leader.

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Cartoon from Bob Brown’s Grass Roots Guide to PNG Pidgin South Pacific Post.

Personal communication Dick McCarthy 31 July 2021 TPNG Forests 1963-1975.

21 Personal communication Ken Granger 29th July 2021.TPNG Forests 1963-1971.

22 Personal communication Ken Granger 29th July 2021. TPNG Forests 1963-1971.

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Ken was transferred across to Moresby after that survey. Ken got to spend quite a bit of time with Hammer both in the office and the Kone Club. We had established a Friday afternoon tradition of beers at the club.

Hammer went South late in 1964 to get married in 1965. His best man was Mike Kazakoff23.

On his return with his new bride Mary, he insisted on continuing with the Friday afternoon beers on the first night after they had returned from their honeymoon. Ken was dragged along to their place that afternoon so that Hammer could register that some things did not change.

At their 50th wedding anniversary Ken presented Mary with a tin of Pecks Devilled Ham Paste and a bottle of gherkin spread – this was the meal that she fed them (on toast) on her first night in Moresby.

Mary’s First Survey24 Hammer next led the Fulleborn – Awul survey in New Britain and Mary accompanied him. At Fulleborn they stayed with the plantation manager Brad Wilson and at Awul Mary stayed with the nuns at the mission. She was one of the first victims of sea sickness on our run across Wide Bay in a very bad storm.

Eric Hammermaster buying kai Fulleborn-Awul Survey 1964.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

Mary Hammermaster cutting Dave Sawyer’s hair. FullebornAwul Survey 1964.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

Child Minding25 After Ken was married to Judy, they socialised with the Hammers quite a bit. When Ken was away on survey, they would make sure that Judy was OK and when Hammer was away Grangers would do the same for Mary. Having babies around the same time contributed to a strong bonding.

Other Work Activities.

The only other survey Ken was on that was led by Hammer was the Ioma survey in 1967, though Ken did provide logistic support to the Wanigela survey in 1965 that Eric led.

That was the one where the camera crew filmed the survey for the promotional film Tree Business.

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Mike Kazakoff Senior Forest Ranger TPNG Forests 1950’s to 1973.

Personal communication Ken Granger 29th July 2021. TPNG Forests 1963-1971.

25 Personal communication Ken Granger 29th July 2021. TPNG Forests 1963-1971.

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EXTRACT FROM PNGAF MAG # 9B-5B4G1 Eminent Forester Ken Granger of 22 July 2021 page 34.

The Wanigela survey was again led by Eric Hammermaster, with Gerd Streihler as the draftsman. They were accompanied by a film crew from the Commonwealth Film Unit to shoot the activities on survey for a film released as Tree Business. From all reports it was not a very happy camp because they were based at the Wanigela Guest House and the food they were served was predominantly frozen Wedgewood meat pies. The film crew finally rebelled, and “gaffer” taped a whole lot of frozen pies across the ceiling of the dining room.

The film was a fairly faithful representation of survey work and life though it was a bit odd to hear Eric, Chris Brown and Gerd’s voices dubbed by actors though at least they did try to get Gerd’s German accent.

After Independence Ken visited them in Rabaul where Hammer was the RFO. He was having quite a bit of trouble from Julius Chan over illegal logging on New Ireland at the time. They had established themselves in a strong Rabaul expatriate community.

Life after PNG26 On self-Government and Independence, Eric’s role became advisory only. He retired from the Department of Forests PNG in 1979. The Hammermasters left PNG in the early 1980s and worked for FAO firstly in Bangladesh.

Eris was offered and accepted a position with FAO in Bangladesh, on a village forest resource assessment for two and a half years. This involved sampling products from holders, of subsistence gardens, fruit trees etc. It was a vastly different situation to the natural high forest of PNG. In 1981, Eric relocated to Liberia West Africa on a Forest Resources Project for the World Bank. He worked with a local team of air photo interpreters using side looking airborne radar photography. In 1982 Eric was moved to the Senior Forest Adviser over-sighting Capital Works, houses and new Forest Office Complex and Headquarters in Monrovia. Eric left Liberia in1985. While in West Africa, (Ken Granger recalls) Hammer became quite ill with a gut infection and was medevac’d out to London where he underwent surgery – part of his bowel was replaced by Teflon.

The Hammermasters returned to Australia late in the 80s and settled in Brisbane. Eric undertook private forest consulting projects including: • Malaysia——Air photo interpretation of remnant forest areas and the “Orang Asli” (original population of Malay Peninsular).

• AusAID projects in the Solomon Islands from 1989 to 1992.

• Vanuatu Air photo Interpretation Project.

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Personal communication Ken Granger 29th July 2021. TPNG Forests 1963-1971.

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Eric was a major contributor to the PNGRIS – AusAID Project National Forest Inventory Land Use and Natural Resources which was led by CSIRO. A major work was 1995 Forest Resources and Vegetation Mapping E T Hammermaster and J C Saunders CSIRO/PNGRIS 1995 reflecting the progress made in mapping PNG vegetation since the 1970’s with the advent of the computer era and associated digitisation. .

Eric and Mary moved to Terranora in the late 90s where they still live.

Hammer27 was a very professional person with a somewhat sardonic sense of humour and a fondness for whiskey and making his own home brew.

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Personal communication Ken Granger 29th July 2021. TPNG Forests 1963-1971.

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Bibliography

NAME YEAR OF BIRTH DATE JOINED FORESTRY PNG WHAT WAS YOUR OCCUPATION WHAT LOCALITIES DID YOU WORK IN WHAT DATE DID YOU LEAVE PNG LIFE AFTER PNG

DID YOU RECEIVE A PNG FORESTRY CADETSHIP IF SO WHEN DATE OF GRADUATION RECALL ANY PNG FORESTS PERSONNEL.

Eric Hammermaster 1936 1956 as a forestry cadet Forest Officer Throughout PNG. Domiciled in Bulolo; Port Moresby and Rabaul 1979 FAO 1979-1986 Forest consulting between 1986 and 2000 with several trips back to PNG Yes 1957-1959 1960 Alan Cameron; Rick Stokes; Gerry Vickers; Evan Shield; Peter Connell.

Ken Hart deceased; Bob Dixon deceased; David Dun deceased; Alan Ross deceased; Robin Levingston deceased; Don McIntosh deceased.

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ACRONYMS ACT ACIAR ACLMP AEC AFS AFPNG AIF AMF ANBG ANGAU ANU APMF APPM ASIO ASOPA AusAID BA BCOF “Beer Time” BFC BGD BUC C cm CALM

Australian Capital Territory Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research AusAid funded World Bank Land Mobilisation program.

Administrators Executive Committee Australian Forestry School Association of Foresters of PNG Australian Infantry Forces Australian Military Forces Australian National Botanical Gardens Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit Australian National University Australian Paper Manufacturers Forestry Pty Ltd Australia Paper and Pulp Manufacturers Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Australian School of Pacific Administration Australian Aid Agency basal area British Commonwealth Occupational Force 1945-52 Any time.

Bulolo Forestry College Bulolo Gold Dredging Company Bulolo University College Commonwealth Centimetre 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 DASF Dept of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries DBH/ dbh Diameter at breast height DEPT Department DPI Department of Primary Industry DOF Department of Forests e.g.

For example Etc et cetera (more of the same) FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation F &TB Forest and Timber Bureau Canberra FIM Forest Information System FPRC Forest Products Research Centre Hohola FRG Forest Red Gum FRI Forest Research Institute Lae 17

Forkol GAB Gbhob Gubab GIS ha IBRD IFA IFY ITTO JICA L of N LRRS m3 MM NAA NARI NB NFCAP no.

NG NGF NGIB NGO NGVR NZ NSW NTSC OISCA P or p PIB PIR PNG PNGAA PNGAF PNGFA PNGFIA PNGRIS PNGUT POM Q QF RAE RPC RRA SFM SP UK UN

Bulolo Forestry College Girth above buttress Girth breast height over bark Girth under bark above buttress Geographic Information Systems Hectare International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Institute of Foresters of Australia International Year of the Forest International Tropical Timber Organization Japanese International Cooperation Agency League of Nations Land Resource Soils Survey (branch of CSIRO) cubic metre Military Medal National Archives Australia National Agriculture Research Institute New Britain PNG National Forestry and Conservation Action Plan Number New Guinea New Guinea Forces (relates to plant collection of Lae Herbarium) New Guinea Infantry Battalion Non-Government Organisation New Guinea Volunteer Rifles New Zealand New South Wales National Tree Seed Centre PNG Bulolo Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International Japan. page Papuan Infantry Battalion Pacific Islands Regiment Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Australia Association Papua New Guinea Australian Foresters Magazine Series Papua New Guinea Forest Authority PNG Forest Industries Association Papua New Guinea Resource Information System PNG University of Technology Port Moresby Queensland Queensland Forestry Royal Australian Engineers/Australian Army Royal Papuan Constabulary Rapid Resource Appraisal Sustainable Forest Management South Pacific United Kingdom United Nations 18

Unasylva UNE UNEP UNI UNITECH UNRE UPNG UQ US USA TPNG TUBL TA TA TRP Vol VSF WA WB

Journal of FAO of UN University of New England Armidale NSW United Nations Environment Program University University of Technology Lae PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment University of Papua New Guinea University of Queensland United States United States of America Territory of Papua and New Guinea Territory United Brewery Ltd Timber Area Timber Authority Timber Rights Purchase volume Victorian School of Forestry Western Australia World Bank

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