News from the Kokoda Track

2009: January | February | March
2008: December | November

Jeff Kennett walks the Track - "Everyone should take the trek" 'said Kennett

Posted: Feb 19,2010, Melbourne Age.

JEFF Kennett has walked the walk that is Kokoda and is more invigorated than ever. The man who has never been short of an opinion recommends everyone take the trek. ''It's really been quite profound,'' Kennett told me. ''I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it.''

Australia committs 1.8 million to Kokoda Track Safety Boost

The Australian Government has committed $1.8 million to fast-track a range of safety projects along the Kokoda Track.

Australian Heritage Minister, Peter Garrett, and Papua New Guinean Minister for Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Charles Abel, said this initial funding was the first part of a broader program of joint initiatives between the two governments.

The initial $1.8m will be used to undertake safety enhancements at airstrips –including Kokoda, improvements to communications along the Track and maintenance work on the Owers Corner Road.

Specific safety measures made possible by this funding are:

• Risk assessments and safety audits by PNG Civil Aviation Authority and CASA atKokoda, Manari, Kagi, Melei, Efogi and Naduri airstrips.

• Installing safety equipment, including windsocks, cones and markers and provision of

• maintenance equipment at the six airstrips.

• Building sheds, including installing weighing scales, at airstrips.

• Providing regular maintenance works – mowing, clearing drains and repairing potholes – at all six airstrips.

• Carrying out urgent repairs to Owers Corner Road, including grading, gravelling and

• installing new drainage.

• Upgrading Sogeri Bridge Road

• Constructing footbridges at key points along the Track in consultation with communities and the trekking industry.

• Investigating if another radio channel for emergencies is feasible.

• Installing a second radio channel for emergencies and providing training and additional

• radio equipment along the Track.

• Implementing a rolling replacement program to provide and maintain additional radios in villages near the track

• Enabling initial work to identify areas where there are explosives on the Track and how to best address this issue.

A second tranche of measures is currently being developed by governments, communities
and stakeholders to identify further, major works needed to improve roads, airstrips and
communications. These will be informed by the results of technical studies.

Minister Garrett said this investment builds on work already being done to address safety issues.

“The recent tragic plane crash has reinforced the need to continue this work to address infrastructure and safety issues along the Track identified by local communities, government and the trekking industry.“This assistance will help the Papua New Guinea Government to continue to deliver services to local communities and ensure a safer trekking experience on the Kokoda Track.

”Minister Garrett said that with every facet of the Australian Government’s Kokoda Initiative, it is vitally important to move in partnership with the people and Government of Papua New Guinea.

“We will build on the strong relationships we have with communities, the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) and the trekking industry to ensure improvements in safety are there for the long term.

“This is an iconic, historically significant place for Australians –the number of people walking the Track has increased significantly over the past several years and the Kokoda Track is now Papua New Guinea’s major visitor attraction,” Mr Garrett said.

The funding for the second tranche of measures will be jointly provided by the two governments.

Mr Abel said transport infrastructure such as the Owers Corner Road and the Kokoda airstrip are important to Papua New Guinea and we have committed to providing the majority of funding for these upgrades, with some assistance from the Australian Government.“

These safety measures are complemented by a raft of initiatives already being delivered by PNG’s Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) and the KTA.

“The KTA, with the advice and support of the Central and Oro Provincial Governments, TPA and PNG’s Civil Aviation Authority, will continue to drive this program and build on successes gained so far,”

Mr Abel said.Mr Abel said the investigation into the 11 August plane crash is a separate process that may result in specific safety recommendations that also need to be addressed by the Papua New Guinea Government, with assistance from Australia.

Actions to improve safety infrastructure announced today builds upon the $14.9m already committed by the Australian Government under its existing Kokoda Initiative to assist Papua New Guinea with the protection of the Kokoda Track and the Owen Stanley Ranges and improve the livelihoods of the local communities.

Footage of comments by Minister Abel is available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/kokoda

Topics: Australia, financial aid, Governance, Kokoda Track, safety boost, safety projects, transportation

Brisbane Times 10 August 2009

The great Stan Bisset, the oldest living Wallaby and one of the heroes of the 1942 Kokoda Track campaign to boot - his brother Butch died in his arms at Isurava - has been gravely ill in Noosa Hospital. Just shy of 97 years old, Stan is fighting hard to recover from a small stroke, complicated by pneumonia - but there has been a welcome upturn just in the past couple of days. All strength to you, Stan.

In the meantime, some news to cheer him: on Wednesday, the board of the the Kokoda Track Foundation decided to call their tertiary scholarships for PNG students - patterned on the Rhodes Scholarships - The Bisset Medal in honour of Stan and Butch. Bravo.

Report from Channel Nine News 25 July 2009

Australia has awarded the first commemorative medallion to a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel for his heroic work helping the diggers in Papua New Guinea during World War II.

Frail, 86-year-old Wesley Akove, neatly dressed in a suit and tie but flanked by family and tribeswomen in traditional dress, was given the award by federal Minister for Veterans' Affairs Alan Griffin at a special ceremony at Bomana War cemetery near Port Moresby on Thursday.

Akove, who recently met Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Canberra, helped and escorted Australian troops battling Japanese invaders during the successful Kokoda campaign that began in July 1942.

It was said that no wounded digger was ever abandoned by a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel even in the thick of battle.

Akove said through an interpreter that helping people and working was the secret of his longevity.

"I remember in a heavy fight a young Australian was wounded and I took him from the Pireve village and up the Kokoda Track.

"Another time I was held captive for one week, got no food or water, I managed to escape after very harsh punishment," he said.

Like many other Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels and carriers who helped Australia, after the war Akove joined the PNG police force.

"It (the award) is an honour and I very much appreciate it, it will go down in history with me," he said.

The ceremony attended by the Australian government's Kokoda taskforce boss Sandy Hollway, diplomatic and military dignitaries, also heard part of the Bert Beros' poem that praised the tireless work of the 'Angels'.

Mr Griffin thanked the 50,000 PNG civilians who helped Australian troops in a range of vital activities during WW II.

"We are not sure how many are still alive - we expect somewhere in the region of a 1,000 or so," he said.

Mr Griffin said he could not say why the award hadn't come sooner, adding it was important Australians knew PNG civilians helped the diggers.

"It was not just Kokoda Track ... but there were battles and work done all over this country in support of the troops.

"They all deserve to be recognised and they all deserved to be applauded," he said.

The Daily Telegraph:  March 06, 2009 12:00am

John Singleton would pay to see Joe Hockey die on Kokoda Trail

FEDERAL politician Joe Hockey had the audience eating out of his hand at a Humpty Dumpty Foundation lunch yesterday.

Hockey, who will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in July to help raise $1 million for essential hospital equipment for under-resourced hospitals, half-jokingly told a packed audience that on three separate occasions John Singleton has tried to kill him.

Hockey acknowledged that after many, many beers, Singleton put down $50,000 to see him "die" on a hill in the Balmoral Burn charity run in 2006.

He produced another $50K to see him "die" next to Kevin Rudd on the Kokoda Trail.

Finally he is said to have backed Hockey to climb "Kili" although yesterday Singleton said he is still waiting for Hockey's request for funds. "I'll give him $500,000 if he'd become the next premier but $50,000 if he'll take on Kili," Singo said.

(AFTER COMPLETING THE KOKODA TRACK, YOU CAN FACE THE CHALLENGE AND THE ADVENTURE OF CLIMBING MT KILIMANJARO WITH BACK TRACK- OUR SUCCESS RATE ON KILI IS EQUAL TO THE BEST IN THE WORLD.)

Thursday February 11 2009

Australian Kokoka tour operators 'failing to pay up'

A Publicity Release from a large Sydney based commercial tour operator conducting treks over the Kokoda Track has resulted in widespread coverage by several news services around Australia.
Announcing information that a "large number of Australian and PNG Trekking companies"  had failed to pay their trekking permit fees in time to the responsible authority (K.T.A) in PNG was the stated reason for this media event.

Back Track would like all trekkers past and present to note that Back Track has always paid all fees due on time and has done so since commencing Kokoda trekking operations in 2002.

Story by Ian McPhedron Jan19 2009 n

WW2 remains kept in storage in Port Moresbyte iPrt Ar

A furious army chief, Lieutenant-General Ken Gillespie, wants to know why human remains, possibly belonging to Diggers killed in Papua New Guinea during World War II, were left in storage for 12 years.

The remains were found in the vault of the Defence section of the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby.

They include two human skulls, along with a number of other bones that could belong to up to five bodies.

The first set, from the Sananada Track, was handed to the Defence attache in Port Moresby during 1997 and the latest set, from the Kokoda Track, was deposited in 2002.

It is understood there is no record of who handed in the remains and there is no conclusive proof they are those of Australian soldiers. However, some military material was found with the remains.
Lled by the deputy head of the Army History Unit, Brian

It is understood Lieutenant-General Gillespie was very unhappy when he heard about the neglected remains.
Manns, will travel to PNG next month to begin the job of trying to at least identify the nationality and age of the b

He has ordered an inquiry "into the precise circumstances of how the remains were recovered" and handed in.

"Among other matters, he is concerned to ensure that all future remains are reinterred in a timely manner," the Defence Department said.

Investigators, led by the deputy head of the Army History Unit, Brian Manns, will travel to PNG next month to begin the job of trying to at least identify the nationality and age of the bones

ones.

The team will include an archeologist, forensic anthropologist and forensic ondontologists.

They will also excavate two graves in the Buna and Esologo areas, which saw some of the fiercest fighting of the World War II PNG campaign and Australian items including badges and a Bren gun were found near the graves.

Once the mystery has been solved, any remains from Australian soldiers will be buried in the Bomana War Cemetery north of Port Moresby with full military honours.

Posted Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:48pm AEDT

Forensic team to probe possible soldiers' remains in PNG

The Australian Defence Force will send a team to Papua New Guinea next month to try and identify possible World War Two human remains that were found last year.

The remains were found by locals in two graves in Esologo and in Buna, the scene of a famous 1942 battle between Australian and Japanese troops.

The remains were assessed in November last year and the ADF decided it was likely the remains were those of Australian soldiers. If the remains are identified then they will be given a proper burial.

The investigation team will include a forensic anthropologist, archaeologist and several forensic dentists.

As well as the remains from the graves, the team will also look at remains that have been recovered along the Sanananda and Kokoda Tracks over the past 12 years and stored at Australia's Port Moresby High Commission.

According to accepted convention, human remains that are thought to be those of Australian soldiers are kept at overseas missions until they can be identified and given proper burials.

Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, is concerned that the remains may have been at the High Commission for too long and he has ordered an inquiry into their handling.

Posted Tuesday, 13 January 2009

In Memory of Ted Armstrong
Vale Ted Armstrong (1923-2009)

The Euroa Gazette mourns the passing of one of its best-known and longest-serving contributors, Mr Ted Armstrong.

Ted was born in the Boho South district in 1923, and one of his early memories was of his mother writing the district notes for this newspaper, a task that he willingly assumed after her demise. In 1983 he “retired” to Violet Town, where he continued to compile the “Violet Town snippets” and “Snippets from Queensland” (during his annual winter sojourn in Peregian Beach) until the end of last year.

Along with his wife, Peg Armstrong, Ted was a tireless worker for his local community. They were both active members of the Uniting Church and the Bush Nursing Centre, helping out with fund-raising, church services and Meals On Wheels among other things. Both were also members of various sports clubs and generous in their support of community organisations and events. In recognition of their service, they were joint recipients of both the Violet Town and Strathbogie Shire Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award in 2007.

But perhaps Ted’s greatest contribution to all was his military service. He joined the Australian Military Forces as a Junior Cadet attached to the 58th/59th Infantry Battalion at the age of fifteen years. Harsh conditions encountered during service in the Middle East from 1940 until 1942 and his miraculous survival of the Battle of Isurava (on the Kokoda Track) in 1942 no doubt contributed to the value he placed on life in general. When he was returned to Australia he was one of only 87 remaining from his platoon of 546 and the rigours of jungle warfare had halved his weight from twelve stone (76kg) to just six (38kg).

Not surprisingly, Ted was a staunch supporter of the Returned and Services League. He was a dedicated Legacy Officer who spent countless hours looking after his Legatees, and was always available to talk to school children and community groups about his experiences, in the hope that they would adequately appreciate the sacrifices made on our country’s behalf.

Ted wore his medals with pride whenever the occasion called for it, and we also were proud to acknowledge his presence in our community. He will be sorely missed both here and further afield as a patriotic serviceman, a loving husband, father and grandfather, a constant and positive promoter of his home district and a faithful member of his congregation and the wider community.

December 2008 > From Kokoda Trek leader, Martin McIver, to all interested

Recently I visited the MacArthur Museum in the MacArthur Chambers on the corner of Queen and Edward Streets, Brisbane.  While it is small, it is worth a visit for anyone wanting a broad background on the War in the Pacific and Wartime Brisbane. 

http://www.macarthurmuseumbrisbane.org/

The museum is open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday 10am to 3pm and costs $5 per adult.
 Kind regards, Martin.  

December 2008 > Memorials sold for scrap

The Diggers who survived the horrors of the Kokoda Track and other World War II battles to our north will be angered to learn that thieves in Papua New Guinea are stealing Australian war memorial plaques and war memorabilia and selling them to scrap-metal dealers. Tim Vincent, a tour operator at Wau, on PNG's northwest coast, is working to restore the local memorial after friends stumbled across a plaque taken from the site for sale in a scrap metal yard. "The dealer took some persuading to return the plaque but we are very happy to have it back," Vincent says. Australia's high commissioner in PNG, Chris Moraitis, says the thefts are cause for concern as they mark "events of extraordinary significance" to Australia and PNG. The Wau memorial commemorates the battle against Japanese forces in early 1943. The Japanese, having failed to reach Port Moresby by advancing on the Kokoda Track over the Owen Stanley Range, marched on Wau and its strategic mountain airfield but were driven back by the efforts of Australian and indigenous PNG infantry forces.

November 2008 > Health facility in PNG's Kokoda Track resumes operation

A health clinic on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea has reopened, as part of Australia's aid commitment to the country.

The Efogi health centre is the first to benefit under the $US15 million Kokoda Development Program initiated by the Howard government in response to the threat of mining along the track.

The centre caters for more than a thousand locals but has been closed for the past seven years because of inadequate PNG government funding.

The facility has been refurbished, restocked with medicine and now has trained health workers.

The clinic was officially opened by Kevin Rudd's Special Envoy on Kokoda, Sandy Hollway, as part of a week long program in PNG.

November 2008 > Kokoda redevelopment a boost to PNG: PM-envoy

By PNG correspondent Steve Marshall. Posted Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:00pm AEDT The Prime Minister's special envoy to Papua New Guinea says the terrain surrounding the Kokoda Track could provide a healthy income for PNG if global forest carbon trading is introduced. Former Sydney Olympic Games chief Sandy Hollway now heads up the Kokoda Development Program, a $15 million drive to protect the World War II path and improve the livelihoods of people living along it.

Speaking at Efogi village, midway along the 96 kilometre track, Mr Hollway said Australia has an obligation to do the right thing by Papua New Guineans. "Those battles could not have been fought and won without the support of the fuzzy wuzzy angels, that I think creates a special obligation of Australian towards these people"

The development program has refurbished the Efogi village health clinic and restocked its medicine and after it was forced to close seven years ago. Mr Hollway says the track's Owen Stanley Ranges could be of significant global value as well. "Now it is conceivable indeed that carbon trading systems will be set up under which the preservation of forests will earn carbon credits," he said. "That would be potentially quite significant for people in this area. We think that that is one potential income stream that could come to the people."

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