This series of blog posts is part of the A to Z 2019 Blogging Challenge in which I will write snapshot memories of my early married life in the then Territory of Papua New Guinea.
However, today’s post comes from my husband’s recollections of his first home in the Territory of Papua New Guinea when he was just a small boy. His father was in charge of the high school and technical school, his mother a teacher in the Australian-curriculum school.
A small boy stands with his sister
Beside his dad in colonial whites
Framed by their bush material home.
Less than a decade since war ended here
An old Army Jeep under the house
The wartime road made of
Coconut trunks lying in mud
Be careful or a Land Rover
Will bog up to the wheel-well in mud.
Tropical nightfall brings flying foxes in many thousands
Heading for the food gardens
Taking an hour to pass overhead.
The gecko watches the evening nibbles
Then sneaks down
Licking sugar off the jelly beans.
Under the house a cane bar
“Cass Bar” illuminated on a glass louvre
A kasbah, ha ha, where friends visited.
Patrol into Mt Lamington c1954. The two men would be police. © Les Cass
His dad ventures to explore Mt Lamington
Erodes the soles from his Dunlop Volleys.
A labour line takes a break or sets up camp. © Les Cass (The tropical mould has had its way with this image).
Bringing education to the people
His father walks into the site of a new school
The labour line carries the component parts
To be a government school after all.
His first school, his mother his first teacher
An A-school infiltrated by white ants
Their feelers holding up the structure.
Mt Lamington as a backdrop
Two years past its eruption
If it smokes all is okay, If not – beware.
Popondetta backyard but not the garden “boi”.
Garden bois swing their sarifs to clear the bush
Both wife murderers – a traditional act
White man’s justice means
They wear red laplaps marked with arrows.
On the coast outrigger canoes
Surf into the black sand beach.
Orokaiva people. Photo taken c1954 © Les Cass
Thank you Mr Cassmob for sharing these memories.
You can read an earlier post about Popondetta here.
Tok Pisin:
Boi – the Pidgin term at the time for local staff.
Pikinini – child
Painim – look for
Payback – compensation for an injury or death eg killing a person, or a pig.
pik – pig
pukpuk – crocodile
pekpek – faeces (don’t confuse these last three)
What an amazing childhood your husband had!
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Nice of Mr CassMob to share. He does not look too happy sitting on the chair. Did the gecko get his jelly bean the night before?
Cannot remember what letter I am up to. Is that bad?
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