Review by Jim Sinclair OBE.
Papua
New Guinea
has not been kindly
treated in the Australian media since achieving independence
in September 1975. The only accounts that Australians usually read in
the
newspapers or see on television are about crime or corruption. Few
positive
stories are ever told.
Yet
there are many
thousands of us who spent the best years of our lives there retain fond
memories of PNG,
and it is undeniable
that it still exercises a spell.
In
this book, Stuart
Hawthorne has written an affectionate account of his boyhood years in Port
Moresby,
capital city of PNG,
during the two
decades before Independence,
and of his eventual
departure as a young man. The outstanding feature of this well-produced
book is
the more than 400 photographs, in colour and monochrome, that
illustrate the
narrative. Some were taken by the author, others by many contributors,
all of
whom are acknowledged.
They
are well
selected, and of generally excellent quality: all too often photographs
are included
in books of this type purely because of their historical significance,
but a
certain minimum quality level is really essential if a book is to
succeed. This
has been achieved here. Hawthorne
has also included a
useful selection of brief articles from contemporary PNG
newspapers, which add
to the experience, and maps of the town.
The
author takes his
reader on a nostalgic journey through the Port
Moresby
of yesteryear. His
chapter headings tell the story to those who knew the Port
Moresby
of the 1950s and
1960s: At Home, Weekend Diversions, A Paradise for Kids, Good Sports, Bomana War Cemetery,
A Working Port,
Hanuabada, Hiri Voyages, The Yacht Club, Gemo Island,
Ela Beach,
the Streets of Port
Moresby, Koki Market, Sogeri Show, and Town and Country, Going Finish.
It is
hardly necessary to make any further comment, the headings say it all.
Hawthorne
devotes one chapter
to an attempt to explain why the fortunes of PNG,
and Port
Moresby,
have so dramatically
changed since Independence.
This is the least
convincing part of the book, for it is manifestly impossible to do
justice to
such a huge and complex subject in a matter of 20 pages. Yet he does
make some
telling points. I am pleased to note that he has given considerable
credit to
the late Sir Donald Cleland, Administrator of PNG
during most of the
period covered in this book. I believe that historians of the future
will be
kind to Sir Donald.
This
is a book that
should find a place in the libraries of all who lived and worked in the
old Port
Moresby.
It is lively, well
presented, and of a handy size. I recommend it to all PNG
old-timers, and to
those who want to know a little bit more about the fascinating country
lying
just off the tip of Australia.
Australians
should
know more about PNG:
we administered the
country from Federation to 1975. What happens in PNG
should matter to us.
You can literally almost throw a stone from the northernmost point of
Queensland to the southern shore
of Papua
New Guinea.
How many Australians
realize that?
Review by Shirley Webb.
What
an amazing book!
Thoroughly researched and profusely illustrated. I was captivated from
the
first chapter.
The
author, Stuart
Hawthorne, has sought to record events and images from pre-independence
Port
Moresby,
when post war
optimism and freedom brought a unique quality of life to those living
in the
capital city of Papua
New Guinea.
He writes from a
passionate desire to expound and defend the beautiful, peaceful, secure
island
life we grew up in – in response to criticism of the modern city of Port
Moresby
as being a dangerous
and filthy place to live, with a corrupt and incompetent government.
His
empathy with the PNG
people is
particularly evident as he describes the staging of the South Pacific
Games in Port
Moresby
in 1969. He reaches a
deeper level to look behind the events themselves and shows us another
perspective, which was to bring about significant growth of a national
identity.
The
book is written in
an informal, conversational style which flows easily and makes the
reader feel
part of the experience. The author uses exposition to present facts as
clearly
as possible, while interspersing this with personal recounts. He has
succeeded
in allowing the reader to interpret the text and photographs in the
light of
their own experiences. The inclusion of detailed maps and press
clippings aids
in understanding and brings memories to life.
He
dedicates two
chapters to a brief analysis of some of the circumstances that have led
to such
a profound change in lifestyle in Port
Moresby.
His conclusions are
drawn logically from the evidence uncovered by accurate research.
Full
of wonderfully
descriptive pictures and accurate in detail this book is a valuable
historical
resource. I highly recommend it to anyone who has grown up in PNG
or has a fascination
with the way things were.
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