PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 9B-5B4B2 of 19th August 2021 Eminent TPNG Forester Neil Brightwell

AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975

PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 9B -5B4B2 of 19th August 2021 FOREST MANAGEMENT. Eminent TPNG Forester Neil Brightwell

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Neil Brightwell

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Editor R B McCarthy3 2021.

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Wallace W G 1966 Cutting Pads in the Forest for Bell 47G-3B-1 Helicopter Operations. Government Printer Port Moresby 1966. PNGAF Mag issue # 9B-5B2 of 30/6/21 p 16.

2 Neil Brightwell TPNG Forests 1960-1984.

3 Dick McCarthy District Forester TPNG Forests 1963-1975.

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OVERVIEW AUSTRALIAN TPNG FORESTRY CADETSHIP SCHEME4 1948 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

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Surname

Positions

Edward Charles Gordon Gray (NG) Alexander John Hart (NG) Donald Henry McIntosh (NG6) Kevin Joseph White (Q) Robin Levingston (NSW) Jaroslav Joseph Havel (WA)7 Robin Bilbrough Morwood (NG) Frank Harry Coppock (NG) Elliot Carby Tuckwell (NG) John Godlee (NG)8 Ian Grundy (NG) Eric Hammermaster (Q/NG) Des Harries (NG) Gerry Vickers (NG) Alan Cameron (Q)9 John Smith (NG) Brian O’Hagen (NG) Neil Brightwell (C/NSW/NG) Alan White (NG) Leon Clifford (NSW)10 Evan Shield (NG)

TPNG Cadetship 1948 1946 1946 Qld 1953 1952 1953 1953 1954 1955 1955 1955 1955 1956 1956 1956 1960 1960 1958 1958

AFS 1950/51 1950/51 1950/51 1950/51 1952/53 1953/54 1955/56 1956/57 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59 1959/60 1959/60 1959/60 1960/61 1960/61 1961/62 1961/62

Year grad 1952 1952 1952 1952 1954 1955 1957 1958 1958 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1961 1962 1962 1963 1963

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).

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

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

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

8 John Godlee fourth Principal Bulolo Forestry College. TPNG Forests 1955-1980.

9 Alan Cameron Schlich 1960. TPNG Forests 1956-1970.

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

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John Lake (NG) 1962/63 Ian Currie (NG) 1963/64 John Harrison (NG) Medi vac out Last field 1961 1964/65 Chris Borough (NG) Field year year for 1960 1964/65 Bob Bruce (NG) no field year cadetships.

1961 1964/65 Rex Grattidge (NG) no field year 1961 1964/65 11 John Davidson (NG) 1962 1965/66 Paul Ryan (NG) 1962 1965/66 Rod Holesgrove (NG) 1963 1965/66 Jim Belford (C) 1966 1966/67 Dick McCarthy (NG) 1963 1966/67 Dave Num (C) 1965 1966/67 R G Lyons (NG) 1965 1966/67 Gary Archer (NG) 1966 1967/68 Chris Done (NG) 1966 1967/68 Ken Hart (NG) 1963 1967/68 Ian Whyte (C) 1966 1967/68 Footnotes TPNG - Territory of Papua New Guinea, NG - New Guinea, Q – Queensland, WA – Western Australia, NSW - New South Wales, C – Commonwealth, AFS - Australian Forestry School, BFC - Bulolo Forestry College.

1964 1965 1966 1966 1966 1966 1967 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1968 1969 1969 1969 1969

Australian Antarctic Territory intrigued Neil Brightwell.

Territorial regions of Antarctica. © Australian Antarctic Division. The Australian

Antarctic Territory, which is situated from 60°S latitude to the South Pole and between longitudes 160°E and 45°E, is administered by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities through its Australian Antarctic Division. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in the world and rates as the driest, coldest, and windiest of all continents.

The rocky landmass of Antarctica is seven million square kilometres with a coastline stretching 7500 kilometres. However, an offshore ice shelf extending well beyond the land mass results in the accessible coastline varying from season to season. In the summer months, the ice shelf and continent total 14 million square kilometres in area with a diameter of 4500 kilometres. In winter, the freezing of the surrounding seas effectively doubles the size to more than 30 million square kilometres or almost four times the size of the Australian Mainland.

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

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NEIL’S STORY Life before PNG In 1958 following five years (1953-57) of secondary education at Parramatta State High School, Neil successfully completed the English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Geography courses to matriculation standard. Now he needed to seek employment which might afford him opportunities for travel in the wider world. He applied for, was offered, and accepted a Commonwealth Forestry Scholarship (CFS) enabling him to commence studies in Botany, Geology, Physics, Chemistry and Agricultural Chemistry at University of Sydney (USYD).

The scholarship imposed a bond requiring him to work in a forestry position for at least five years following graduation as well as working in appropriate forestry positions during the university vacations. These short postings found him clear felling regrowth stands by axe and two-man crosscut saw prior to plantation establishment in the Tumut area; undertaking numerous field activities in several areas of NSW including assessing leech ridden flooded gum plots; low pruning of an Araucaria plantation in the Casino area; and plant nursery work at Uriarra ACT. In 1960 Neil through his CFS undertook his third and fourth year of forestry studies with a change of locale to the Australian Forestry School (AFS) Canberra ACT. This involved studying a far greater range of subjects more oriented toward the profession of Forestry including, Silviculture, Dendrology (eucalypts and conifers), Pedology, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Plant Nursery Practice, Mensuration, Land surveying, Mapping, Statistics, Experimental design, Fire Management, Utilization, Wood Technology, Forest Policy, Law and Administration.

In 1961 whilst Neil was still at the AFS Canberra with some smooth talking by fellow students Alan White12 and Evan Shield13, Neil negotiated a change from a CFS to a Territory of Papua New Guinea (TPNG) scholarship. Neil was now committed to working in TPNG for a period of six years following graduation.

Life during PNG In 1962, Neil commenced employment with the Department of Forests (DOF) Port Moresby.

The induction briefing included an outline of the structure of the department into four operational divisions; Management, Silviculture, Utilization and Botany; and three regional divisions; Papua, New Guinea Mainland (NGM) and New Guinea Islands (NGI).

Neil was first posted to Wau plantation (Silviculture, NGM) as temporary relief for Des Harries who was proceeding on leave.

The Wau-Bulolo area was first accessed by gold prospectors in the 1920s, by walking over the mountains from a narrow peninsula of land called Salamaua about 40 kilometres south of the township of Lae and the mouth of the Markham River in a generally southwest direction along what became known as the Black Cat Track. The great success of these prospectors led over the following decade to the establishment of airfields at Wau (1927), Bulolo (1930) and Lae (1930) and the importation of aircraft to undertake an airlift of all the equipment and 12 13

Alan White TPNG Forests 1956-1976.

Evan Shield TPNG Forests 1958-1971.

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machinery (including large dredges) to set up the two vibrant small townships, the mining industry workshops and supporting enterprises including sawmills.

The establishment of a sawmilling industry by the mid-1930s to process the lower montane hardwood forest as well as the emergent Hoop and Kinki pine stands for local use contributed to the developing infrastructure. The early 1943 takeover of Lae by Japanese forces from Rabaul and their subsequent aborted attempts to march on Wau witnessed the evacuation of most personnel until the end of hostilities in 1945. It was only in the post-war era that road access was established from Wau, Bulolo and Mumeng to the Port of Lae. The road follows the basically northerly course of the Bulolo river from Wau to its confluence with the Markham River thence eastward to Lae.

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Map Bulolo Wau Forest Area Dept of Forests 1968.

The post war period saw a gradual decline in gold mining activities and an increase in forest industry activities including the establishment of a plywood mill (1957). The realisation that the emergent Hoop and Klinkii pine trees would be unable to regenerate naturally in the dense mixed species montane hardwood understorey, led to the decision to establish plantations of the two softwood species to maintain the timber industry indefinitely.

Land was purchased from the traditional owners in about 1948 in both Wau and Bulolo and the establishment of the necessary infrastructure commenced to achieve around 700 acres per year of new plantings. Seed collection from natural stands was undertaken by a specialised climbing group and with the germination and tubing (potting) of seedlings being undertaken in plant nurseries at both venues. Numerous groups of thirty indentured labourers recruited on two-year contracts from the eastern and southern highlands districts were utilised in the silvicultural tasks of; clear felling of designated annual coupes with slopes of less than thirty degrees; burning of the debris at a suitable dry time; planting of nursery raised seedlings at 14

Dept of Forests Map of Bulolo Wau Forest Area 1968

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set spacings in the field; weeding and grass reduction to protect the crop trees; low pruning and thinning of more mature stands.

The forestry establishment at Wau comprised, an office, storeroom, and nursery area with accommodation for an officer-in-charge, married quarters for a dozen key personnel and barrack accommodation (30 men per hut) for some 300 indentured labourers.

Whilst in Wau Neil was involved in supervising the layout and early set up of the McAdam National Park, which was largely overseen by the Division of Botany, Lae personality Andre Millar.

McAdam National Park in the 1960’s.

Photo credit Dept of Forests.

Finally, under the tutelage of Eric Hammermaster, Neil was involved in both Wau and Bulolo in ground proofing road access surveys for upcoming plantation coupes.

In 1963 Neil was transferred from the Morobe District to Keravat in East New Britain, initially again on plantation management (species, Teak -Tectona grandis, Kamarere – Eucalyptus deglupta, Balsa – Ochroma pyramidale) under Des Harries who was replacing John Godlee.

Neil produced a short five(?) year plan projecting future plantation and timber stand improvement (TSI) coupes for the expanding Keravat area. This plan caused some distress to the Silviculture group in Port Moresby, but Neil had no doubt that the folks on-site in the ensuing years adjusted the plan as needs must.

Neil was involved in a surprisingly effective burning (lowland rainforest areas are often difficult to ignite) of the following year’s plantation coupe, without endangering too much of 6

the surrounding environment or too many lives. Neil, along with two young Tolai gentlemen undertook a boundary establishment survey and a light timber assessment survey of the KuluDagi timber area to the west of Cape Hoskins in the central north of New Britain Island.

Neil participated for a short period in an assessment survey of the Toneloi area of south-eastern Bougainville. Neil was very impressed by the huge Terminalia brassii trees and the often chest deep swamps in which they grew.

The environment often required them to swim between the trees and the constant wet was particularly devastating to the feet of all concerned, in some cases requiring medical attention.

Itam with a girth stick measuring T. brassii Mom Hill swamp, September 1964.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

Terminalia brassii forest canopy near Mom Hill.

Photo credit Ken Granger. 1964.

In 1964, Neil was posted to Wewak in the Sepik District. The primary objective of the DOF in the Sepik District, beside finding large exploitable timber industry development areas for the whole of the country, was plant nursery extension work that required the raising of seedlings of decorative plants as well as forest trees, in established nurseries and distributing those seedlings to out stations (Maprik, Angoram, Lumi, Aitape, Ambunti, Telefomin) and villages for the provision of both firewood and general amenity. The plant nursery for Wewak was established in the extraordinarily impressive and smoothly run Wewak 7

Correctional Institution and the seedlings were distributed throughout the district by single engine Dornier aircraft. Neil could never figure out how these aircraft got off the ground, as the single propellor seemed to rotate “oh so casually” that you could apparently watch and count each rotation. But fly they did!

A short sojourn to Vanimo to participate in the major timber assessment survey conducted by Don McIntosh was a washout for Neil because he was laid low on arrival, and for the duration, by dysentery courtesy of the murky waters of the Pual River.

In 1965 Neil was posted to Lae in the Morobe District but was immediately conscripted to the south coast New Britain timber assessment survey orchestrated by Eric Hammermaster.

The main camp was set up at the Fulleborn Harbour planation (coconuts and cows). The personnel comprised eight to ten four-man field teams, one or two botanists, one helicopter pilot together with engineer (both usually rotated out every four weeks), the Officer-in Charge, Eric Hammermaster, and a draftsman (air photo interpreter) Ken Granger.

Fulleborn base camp, February 1965.

Tempest speedboat at Fulleborn, 1965.

Uvol base camp, March 1965.

Chris Brown (right) at Uvol, March 1965.

Curious locals at Uvol, March 1965.

Photo credits Ken Granger.

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Emergent Agathis in forest near Fulleborn 1965.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

The basic procedure was: • Set up a base camp (tents, victuals store, cook house, a mess, office, radio communications, latrines) preferably near already established infrastructure to wit, an agricultural plantation (usually Coconuts and Cacao), a government patrol post or a religious mission.

• Reconnoitre by helicopter using maps and aerial photographs to find suitable landing sites, mainly on riverbanks and in forest clearings, for the helicopter to later deposit (and yet later retrieve) a four-man field team.

• Return to base camp to prepare concise written instructions with diagrams and maps for each field team leader on how to proceed when dropped into that particular landing pad.

Assessment lines were normally 160 chains (3.2km) long on a specified compass bearing with a one chain (20 metre) radius circular plot established at 5 chain (100 metre) intervals.

Each landing pad could afford the opportunity to sample along several compass bearings chosen by the draftsman to sample identifiable forest types and where possible running against the topography.

A schedule was then drawn up to indicate to the pilot: •

• • •

the sequence and likely duration of flights for the following day including an indication as to which field teams were to be dropped at which sites, and those sites from which teams were scheduled to be retrieved.

Check that the weather was conducive to safe operations.

Check that permitted pilot flying hours (per day, per week, per month) are not likely to be exceeded.

Check (with the flight engineer) that helicopter engine flying hours are not exceeded, or if an engine replacement was due, to ensure timely provision for those changes to be made.

Collect, check, and safely store all field books, maps, and field instructions.

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Following the completion of the Fulleborn and Ania-Kapiura assessments on the south coast, the team moved to the north coast initially at Bialla plantation and then east to the Ulamona mission to assess the Tiauru-Pandi area with Neil as the Officer-in-charge and Ken Granger continuing as draftsman. From Ulamona they then transhipped to Matanakunai plantation to assess the Open Bay forests.

The Bialla office and pad, 1965.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

Whilst at Bialla, with the energy and enthusiasm of Ken Granger, a landing pad was felled by chainsaw and axe to allow access to the mid-montane forest of Castanopsis and Nothofagus species on the 5000+ ft high Nakanai plateau. An interesting and informative diversion.

Clearing the Nakanai Plateau pad, April 1965. Photo credit Ken Granger.

Another interesting diversion was the discovery of a crocodile nest full of eggs and then tiny crocodiles with extraordinarily sharp teeth near the base at Matanakunai.

Matanakunai pukpuk, June 1965.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

The Matanakunai base, because of the relatively low-lying topography between Open Bay and Wide Bay, proved to be an extraordinarily windy place. Strong south-easterly trade winds (May to November) blew for the duration of our stay.

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Matanakunai Plantation, June 1965.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

The constant windy conditions and the fact that most of the team had been away from their home bases for the best part of five months had a quite dampening effect on camp morale and most of the field personnel were well pleased to be returning to their normal postings.

They were for the most part fortunate in the maintenance of morale of the group in so far as their field team leaders were able to mitigate the tensions normally arising from the long-term restrictions arising from extended periods under sometimes difficult and uncomfortable camping conditions.

The professional skill (and sometimes daring) of the helicopter pilots in placing and retrieving field teams from often tight landing pads inspired confidence in the general safety and efficacy of the enterprise.

A special citation needs to be recorded for George Treatt and Bill Wallace for their contributions to the success of the New Britain Forest assessments. The numerous helicopter engineers who supported the enterprise were also notable for their awareness and flexibility in dealings with the plantation managers, coastal boat captains, patrol officers, local sawmillers and merchants with whom we came in contact, who either needed or could offer engineering help. These efforts were above and beyond their normal call of duty (essential aircraft maintenance chores) but vital goodwill in outlying and infrequently serviced places.

With Bill Wallace15 as the pilot for the whole job was also an advantage. Bill was quite a raconteur and a great promoter of “games of skill and chance”. Many an evening was spent at liar dice or seven card brag (for matches). Photo credit Ken Granger The two forestry positions vital to the coordination and smooth running of all aspects of the survey were, of course, the OIC and the draftsman.

The consistent energy, enthusiasm, and diligence of Ken Granger (as draftsman) in all their endeavours was truly impressive and allowed Neil (as OIC) to keep calm and carry on.

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Personal communication Ken Granger TPNG Forests 1963-1971.

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“Brighteyes”. Neil Brightwell 1965.

Photo credit Ken Granger.

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The West New Britain survey was a very successful job thanks largely to the good leadership of “Brighteyes” and generally good weather. Neil had established the routine that no field party would be given less than 24 hours’ notice that they would be going bush; that they would not do more than five days in the field straight and would have an adequate break between field trips; and that the allocation of “easy” and “hard” lines would be evenly spread between teams. This worked well for the morale of the camp. This was also improved by the availability of the fish we caught, the occasional pig caught by one of the field parties and fresh produce purchased from local villagers to supplement the diet of the whole team. Ken learned a lot about effective man-management and “soft diplomacy” on that survey.

There were several take-home messages arising from our experiences in the East New Britain surveys. First, when working under trying conditions in remote locations, keep the project time as short as is economically feasible and second sternly separate folks with alcohol or drug addiction problems from the control of fast-moving equipment such as helicopters, boats, and motor vehicles.

The forested areas of the south coast around Fulleborn and the Ania-Kapiura with their infertile podzolic soils appeared to offer far less potential for intensive agriculture or sustainable forestry activity than the Tiauru-Pandi and Open Bay areas which were blessed with andosols (black, fertile volcanic soils) along the north coast of the island, which were already showing promise for intensive agriculture, attracting the government to purchase land to have it cleared for future development by licensing log export operations.

The second half of 1965 saw many of the field staff being redeployed to other forest assessments on the New Guinea mainland, but the time for Neil was largely taken up with the collation of the field data and the calculation of the tree volumes in each field book using the Tree Volume Table for mixed species in Papua New Guinea based on the formula: V=80.31549 +2.18592*G^2 –1.15235*H + 0.64224*G^2*H Where V= Log volume under bark in super feet true measure G= girth over bark above buttress in feet H= Log length in feet Before the introduction of the metric system in Australia and TPNG in July 1974 and before the widespread introduction of personal computers (early 1980s) these calculations proved to be a tedious and time-consuming exercise carried out by Neil with some clerical support in Port Moresby. This task and the necessity for the headquarters drafting (mapping) office to delineate on air photos and maps the various forest types and calculating the areas of same, had not been completed when another survey was called.

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Ken Granger TPNG Forests 1963-1971. PNGAF Mag Issue #9B-5B4G1 of 20th July 2021 p 38.

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In 1966 – The West New Britain timber assessment survey was again orchestrated by Eric Hammermaster in Port Moresby, with the hiring of helicopters and coastal shipping vessels and the movement of all necessary staff from their usual postings to Malenglo village east of Kandrian patrol post, got under way in February.

The staffing was much the same as the 1965 New Britain survey with Neil as the OIC and Ken Granger as draftsman. David Frodin, a botanist joined them as did two new foresters Bob Bruce and Chris Borough. The team was also happy to welcome back Bill Wallace as helicopter pilot as he had volunteered to support them for the duration of the survey (three months this time).

Three areas in western New Britain had been designated as potential forest resources to be exploited and developed based on World War 2 air photos and general mapping and the infrastructure potential around Cape Gloucester on the north coast needed to be checked. The three areas with potential were Arawe and Kandrian-Gasmata on the south coast and the Riebeck bay surrounds on the north coast west of the Willaumez Peninsula.

On the completion of the assessment of the Kandrian-Gasmata area from Malenglo the team went westward to the Arawe plantation collecting more data for the Arawe timber area. They moved, then for a short period to the patrol post at Cape Gloucester to assess the potential for this area to become a future hub for forest industry development but were disappointed in so far as whilst it had the benefit of andosols from the nearby volcanoes, the vegetation was low regrowth, swidden, and subsistence gardens and at some distance from exploitable timber.

Moving further east along the north coast they set up camp at Linga Linga plantation across the bay from Silovuti Mission. On completion of the assessment of the Kapaluk forest area toward the end of May field staff were repatriated to their home bases and additional surveys on the mainland later in the year.

As with the previous year the second half of 1966 was largely taken up with the collation of field books and the manual calculation of tree volumes using the PNG mixed species tree volume table with girth and log length measured in feet and the volume derived to super feet true volume.

With the completion of these calculations and the production of reasonably accurate maps of forest types and total forested areas it was possible to present a report for the whole of New Britain listing (from west to east) Arawe, Kandrian-Gasmata, Kapaluk, Ania-Kapiura, Tiauru-Pandi and Open Bay giving a reasonable estimate of total accessible log volumes available in each area.

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Papua New Guinea Forest Resources Map 1970 prepared by Ken Granger.17

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PNG Timber Leases New Britain 2004.

In 1967 and early in the year, using a smaller team, Neil conducted by helicopter an assessment in areas around the township of Lae which still, after several decades of resource exploitation, seemed to have potential. Neil included Oomsis, Gabensis and the Watut river in its confluence with the Markham River. At first sight the result was not encouraging but

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New Horizions Dept of Forests 17 Jacaranda Press 1973 ISBN0701681845.

PNGRIS Thematic Map Forestry Timber Leases 2004 Courtesy Alan Geo Graphics Gordons NCD.

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future market conditions in a sizable and growing town needing hardwood timber may afford opportunities to exploit some of those areas.

During their 1966 survey in West New Britain the helicopter pilot Bill Wallace, a man of considerable experience in the air and in life, and an enthusiast for all life has to offer, had recently returned from a summer excursion working as a pilot from a supply ship to an Australian Antarctic base. He was in raptures about the experience, waxing lyrical about the beauty of the landscape in the balmy long summer evenings.

He was so convincing that a year later (May 1967) with six months long service leave coming due, Neil applied for a job with the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE). Neil applied for one of the four Officer-in-Charge positions then advertised.

Several months later Neil was advised that he had been short-listed and subject to passing medical and psychological testing he might be offered one of the positions. The tests having taken place in Melbourne and apparently passed, Neil was offered the position of OIC Macquarie Island, which he accepted. Neil was then required to present himself for induction and training in Melbourne by early October. This he did. However, within a fortnight one of the Antarctic mainland applicants was discovered to have a medical problem requiring his withdrawal. Consequently, Neil was offered the position of OIC Wilkes base, which he accepted and reoriented his training schedule accordingly.

On Saturday 04 November 1967 Neil’s shipboard romance partner Miss Irene Larter and he were married in Launceston Tasmania. A short honeymoon ensued. A two-day drive around Tasmania then back to work in Melbourne.

In late December 1967 the Wilkes 1968 overwintering party (thirty of us) set sail from Melbourne on the “MV Thala Dan” for a quick visit to Dumont d’Urville (a French Antarctic base directly south of Adelaide South Australia) and finally to Wilkes base (immediately south of Perth Western Australia).

1968 Neil Brightwell with Winter Over Personnel of Wilkes Station. Photo thanks to AAD Image Library.

In 1968 the tasks at Wilkes were: • •

Complete the building of the replacement station (Repstat) christened “Casey” when our 1969 relief party took up residence in early 1969.

Maintain communications and meteorological data flow from all Antarctic stations to Melbourne.

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•

•

Continue data collection for established research programs for ionospheric physics, upper atmospheric physics and glaciology including snow accumulation and ablation studies and gravity meter studies on Law Dome (a 4500 ft high dome to the east of the station).

Ensure the safe maintenance of the old Wilkes base station till its abandonment in 1969.

The long clear summer evenings in good weather are as Bill Wallace enthused, but a ten-day blizzard locked in a small caravan gradually being buried in snow is something only a Covid19 lockdown enthusiast could appreciate. As a professional tropical forester, Neil confessed that he much preferred temperatures of plus 30 degrees Celsius to those of minus 30 degrees and the messy greens, greys and browns of the tropical forest were far more beautiful to him than the absolute clinical white of the whole of the Antarctic. There is no accounting for taste!

In 1969, January saw the team waiting for the American icebreaker “USCGC Eastwind” to break out their relief ship (MV Thalla Dan) trapped in the unusually heavy sea ice for midsummer. This achieved, there was a quick three-day change over as the 1969 crew and their cargo was manually unloaded and the 1968 crew was embarked to sail on the southern seas to Melbourne arriving there in late February. As the returning OIC, Neil was required to submit a series of reports on their performance during 1968.

This task was completed by early May, so Irene and Neil took leave and set out on the long honeymoon. The months May through November saw them travelling through most of the Australian states, south and east Africa then Cairo, with bussing and camping trips around Europe from London. They had several short stops in Turkey, Iran, and India before returning to Moresby in December.

Australia takes over Wilkes in February 1959. The formal handover ceremony took place in ‘Market Square’.

Photo: Alan Campbell-Drury

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Wilkes Station In January 1957, Wilkes station was established on the Clark Peninsula by the United States as part of their International Geophysical Year (IGY) program. Antarctica was recognised as an area of major scientific importance during IGY, with 12 nations participating with programs.

US Navy personnel constructed the main part of Wilkes in 16 days, unloading 11 000 tons of material and supplies. It took a crew of over 100 to erect the station, which housed 24 naval personnel and scientists for the next 18 months. At the closure of IGY, the United States offered use of Wilkes to Australia.

Wilkes was seen to be strategically located because of its proximity to the south magnetic pole. Under an Agreement with the United States, Australia was permitted to use the station stores and supplies that remained, on condition that nothing was removed, and that Australia reported annually on consumption of stores and supplies. A hand-over ceremony was held on 7 February 1959.

As Wilkes had originally been built as a temporary station, rapid deterioration occurred in the extreme Antarctic environment. By 1964, the buildings had become a fire hazard due to fuel seepage, and the constant drift snow buried structures for most of the year. The deteriorated wooden buildings needed constant repair. A plan to realise a new station Casey Repstat ('Replacement station’) was developed on the other side of the bay. Repstat was commissioned in 1969 and Wilkes was closed.

Wilkes today. Wilkes station is now almost permanently frozen in ice and is only occasionally revealed every four or five years during a big thaw. Many objects remain embedded in the ice, and visitors are often able to see the remains of the station through the ice, seemingly exactly as it was left. What remains at Wilkes are several barracks buildings known as Clements huts, and the remnants of the semi-cylindrical canvas store buildings known as Jamesway huts. There is also a series of storage dumps and rubbish resulting from 12 years of occupation. The three sites in close proximity to each other: Wilkes, the Casey tunnel site and the new Casey station, demonstrate the changing attitude towards the removal of waste and used materials, and the evolution of Antarctic building technologies.

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In 1970 during the early months, Neil and Irene moved to Bulolo to conduct a survey of the plantation forests (Hoop and Klinkii Pine) using uneven quadrilateral plots, the plot areas being calculated using bearings and distances from the four corners of each plot and summing the area of two triangles. The Hoop pine tree volume tables (ex Qld?) and all the details of plot parameters and tree dimensions were input to a Fortran program written by Neil. This program needed to be heavily transcribed by Dave Num into a language acceptable to Treasury’s IBM computer. Only three copies of the resultant compartmental reports were produced on large size continuous computer paper, making the overall report quite bulky.

Irene delivered a healthy baby son (Avery) in late April at the Port Moresby hospital and shortly thereafter they transferred to Cape Hoskins on the north coast of New Britain (Neil’s favourite island).

In 1971 the main task in the posting to Hoskins was the overall monitoring of all the log exporting (mainly to Japan) activities which were then ramping up along the north coast of the island after the completion of land purchases (proposed for agricultural crops – starting with oil palm) and timber rights purchases by the State from the traditional landowners.

In 1972 & 1973 the Brightwells were transferred from Hoskins to Rabaul with the same task of monitoring the development of the log export industry. Papua New Guinea became selfgoverning on first December 1973.

In 1974 Neil and family moved to Canberra after applying for and being granted study leave to complete a Master’s Degree in Forest Management at the Australian National University (ANU). Irene delivered a healthy baby girl (Amanda) in March at the old Canberra hospital.

In 1975 Neil and family returned in January for the same regional forest management tasks.

Papua New Guinea achieved Independence on 16th September 1975, and employment contracts were offered by the PNG government to expatriate officers, many of whom (including Neil) accepted. There was some loss of expatriate officers at that time.

In 1976 Neil was posted to Port Moresby reporting directly to the Assistant Director Operations, John Gardner.

In 1977, with the retirement of John Gardner, Neil found himself as acting Assistant Director Operations responsible for all operational activity including the monitoring of private forest industry companies, together with resource development and allocation throughout the country.

In the period 1978 through to 1983, the introduction of 19 provincial Governments found the morphing of long accepted political and administrative positions into new structures and arrangements. Many previously accepted national powers, control of staff, allocation of finances and general decision-making moved to the individual Provinces and their elected political masters.

However, the National Office of Forests continued to assist the provincial staff with advice as to best practice under the changing circumstances they now faced. The provincial staff were encouraged to try to influence their local administrative and political decision-makers to promote sensible timber industry monitoring and resource development.

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With the passage of time there was increasing political pressure to localise most government positions and by early 1983 Neil was required to supervise an understudy (Oscar Mamalai) acting in the position of First Assistant Director of Operations.

Life after PNG During the year Neil was offered a Contract for another year to continue in this supporting role, but with young Avery now entering secondary education and their only surviving parent needing some moral support on the Queensland Gold Coast, Neil declined the offer of contract with thanks. It was in all, an enjoyable and enlightening journey terminated with their return to the Gold Coast in January 1984.

Neil spent the next 33 years (till his retirement at age 76 in 2017) providing office support in the form of job costing and payroll control to an established mechanical engineering firm on the Queensland Gold Coast called Redmond Gary Australia Pty Ltd. That company specialised in manufacturing Elevating Work Platforms (EWP) colloquially known as cherry pickers.

Neil, having abandoned the exploration of the physical world on his return from Papua New Guinea now concentrates his mindful explorations into the literary world in his considerable library. He considers himself greatly indebted to the scribblers (authors) of this world and even to some editors.

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Short Bibliography NAME Year of Birth DATE JOINED DEPT OF FORESTRY PNG OCCUPATION WHAT LOCALITIES DID YOU WORK IN DEPARTURE PNG LIFE AFTER PNG

PNG FORESTRY CADETSHIP IF SO WHEN DATE OF GRADUATION IF YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER FORESTRY STAFF AROUND YOUR TIME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW

Neil Brightwell 1941 December 1961 Forester Port Moresby; Wau; Bulolo; Lae; Wewak; Rabaul; Hoskins 11 January 1984 33 years office payroll and job costing for a mechanical engineering company – Redmond Gary Aust P/L. Now retired Yes 1960 & 1961 November 1961 As requested, find below a list of additional names delved from the mists of memory J B McAdam first director deceased Bill Suttie second director deceased Don McIntosh third director deceased Andrew Yauieb PNG fourth director Kevin White assistant director silviculture John Gardner Assistant director Operations John Colwell Assistant Director Timber Research Andre Millar Botanist John Buderus Botanist Jim Cavanaugh forester Frank Coppock forester John Godlee forester Geoff Stocker Forester – professor UPNG Norm Endacott Forester Elliot Tuckwell Forester Evan Shields Forester Jim Belford Forester Klaus Romjin Forester Ken Hart forester Paul Smith forester John Smith forester John Butcher USA forester John Lake forester Clarrie Higham Economist Alan Ross economist Ken Granger geographer Gert Strehler Cartographer Peter Eddowes Wood technologist

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ACRONYMS AAD 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 CFA CNGT CRE CRE

CSIRO CHAH DASF DBH/ dbh DEPT DPI DOF e.g.

Etc FAO F &TB FIM FMA FPRC

Australian Antartic Division 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 Commonwealth Forestry Association Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Bulolo Commander Royal Engineers 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).

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria Dept of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries Diameter at breast height Department Department of Primary Industry Department of Forests For example et cetera (more of the same) Food and Agriculture Organisation Forest and Timber Bureau Canberra Forest Information System Forest Management Agreement Forest Products Research Centre Hohola 21

FRG FRI Forkol GAB Gbhob Gubab GIS ha IBRD IFA IFY ITTC ITTO JICA L of N LRRS m3 MCCAF MHA MM NAA NARI NB NDS NFCAP NGM no.

NG NGF NGIB NGI NGO NGVR NZ NSW NTSC OIC OISCA P or p PIB PIR PNG PNGAA PNGAF PNGFA PNGFIA PNGRIS PNGUT POM

Forest Red Gum Forest Research Institute Lae 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 Council International Tropical Timber Organization Japanese International Cooperation Agency League of Nations Land Resource Soils Survey (branch of CSIRO) cubic metre McCarthy & Associates (Forestry) Pty. Ltd. Member of House of Assembly PNG Military Medal National Archives Australia National Agriculture Research Institute New Britain Northern District Sawmills PNG National Forestry and Conservation Action Plan New Guinea Mainland Number New Guinea New Guinea Forces (relates to plant collection of Lae Herbarium) New Guinea Infantry Battalion New Guinea Islands Non-Government Organisation New Guinea Volunteer Rifles New Zealand New South Wales National Tree Seed Centre PNG Bulolo Officer in Charge 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 22

Q QF RAE RPC RRA SFM SP TAG UK UN Unasylva UNE UNEP UNI UNITECH UNRE UPNG UQ US USA TPNG TUBL TA TA TRP Vol VSF WA WB

Queensland Queensland Forestry Royal Australian Engineers/Australian Army Royal Papuan Constabulary Rapid Resource Appraisal Sustainable Forest Management South Pacific Trade Advisory Group of ITTO United Kingdom United Nations 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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