This is Mr JOHN HOCKNULL’s OAM, ML, daily experience as a Kiap (patrol officer) in the 70s in Papua New Guinea. Mr Hocknull was engaged by the Australian Government as a Patrol Officer to work in Papua New Guinea in the 1970. His duties included police officer; magistrate; jailor; advisor in agricultural, business, economic and community development. Managing the construction of roads, bridges and airstrips and preparing the people for Independence in 1975. He enjoys sharing the amazing stories of his life in PNG on his Road Less Travelled. Sunday Bulletin recently contacted Mr Hocknull and would like to share his encounters during his journey as a kiap.
DAY 1
IT was one Wednesday late in 1975 when I arose early and took my trusty 22 cal Walther target rifle down to the crush where a beast had been resting since late afternoon the day before. Having been there all night it was nice and calm when we arrived and therefore was not anxious when I despatched it.
As part of my duties as advisor to the Local Government Council I was responsible for making sure that the fresh meat that was to be made available, to the public and through the Council run butchery, was slaughtered in a humane way. The Council butcher immediately bled the beast and within 20 minutes it was on the tray of the Council trailer to be taken up to a disused helicopter hanger where it would be skinned, gutted and left to hang until the following day.
As a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (Field Branch) I would conduct a weekly inspection of the detachment on the Patrol Post. This consisted of a Senior NCO, either a Sergeant or Corporal, another NCO and three Constables. They were required to cover 24 hours a day 7 days a week and rostering 5 bodies for duty was a complex proposition, especially as I would take at least one or maybe two officers with me when I went on patrol.
The inspection covered the usual ‘spick and span’ check on uniform, shoes etc. making sure that any deficits were in the process of being ordered or required mending as well as a check on proposed duties for the next week. This included a check on any ongoing investigations and what ‘complaints’ had been resolved without the need for court action. Occasionally I would arrange a live firing drill at the range just out of town but as ammunition was scarce this was not a priority. The old .303s were kept in very good order though, very clean and well oiled. I had a single shot 12 gauge as part of the armoury but this was only ever used to scare obstructions from the airstrip which ran through the middle of the station or Patrol Post complex.
So began a “normal” day in the life of a Patrol Officer at a one-man Patrol Post in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea where my wife, son and mother-in-law were the only other expatriates, aside from a visiting oil exploration team comprising of geologists, labour recruiter and an engineer to look after the instruments.
I went back to my house for breakfast with my wife and baby son, calling in on the oil exploration crew who had set up camp in a vacant house on the Patrol Post. My mother-in-law was there preparing breakfast for the expatriate employees. The team were in the process of establishing seismic lines within the area, in search of natural gas and oil.
In passing I mentioned to the labour recruiter not to make any public announcement about finding labour to carry out the bush slashing required to cut the seismic lines through the jungle. He should go through the Local Government Councillors whose land on which this work was to be undertaken. They would bring in a certain number of men from each Ward where the work would be carried out thereby sharing the work and the income that would be generated.
This was a vital requirement as paying traditional enemies to work on land, where they were not welcome, would cause distractions and unrest which I would be called on to fix any adverse situation and I had enough to do without him making a rod for my back.
Then into the office to make sure that the clerk had opened the Post Office and Commonwealth Bank sub-office where I carried out a quick audit of the contents of the safe and made sure that all Treasury documents were readied for the in-flow of cash to pay the various Government workers. This cash would be flown in on special Treasury Charters doing the milk run throughout the province. I had the police, warders, interpreters, Aid Post orderlies, Agriculture Department extension officers, a couple of nurses for the baby clinic and the power house operator to keep happy each fortnight by having their pay in on time. It was necessary to bring in cash from the main centre’s Treasury Office. The weather could play havoc with getting everyone paid on time as we were only accessible by air or a long walk!!!!
I checked my diary to make sure there would not be any scheduled visitors on the station for the next four weeks as I was planning on a patrol for 15 days into one of the more remote parts of the country. The first two days of the patrol would consist of climbing over a range to 3,000m then descending onto the Great Papuan Plateau which was generally at 400m. Such a patrol meant that I would need 30 carriers or porters to take the 12 patrol boxes containing food for the 15 days, clothes, paperwork, kerosene, Coleman Lamps and stove, bed sail (a tubular piece of canvas which was stretched between two wooden poles to make a bed), supplies to pay the carriers and Head Men of the villages I would visit, 5-gal shower bucket, chairs, table, and of course lots of toilet paper!!! Everything I needed for a 15-day camping holiday but I was walking everywhere and I would be covering about 240km in this time. Oh yes, don’t forget the transistor radio and some reading material. The nights could be very quiet.
One of the boxes would also contain the payroll for the carriers and the funds to purchase food for the police and interpreter plus any others who would accompany me, such as the Agricultural Assistant and an Aid Post Orderly who would take supplies to replenish the bush aid posts in the villages.
The administrative work of writing up Patrol Reports and other aspects of what was commonly known as “General Office Duties” was put on hold when an irate villager arrived to say one of his pigs had been stolen. Within ten minutes two other villagers arrived to report the same had happened to their pigs.
I had a major pig rustling incident on my hands. This was very serious considering the status pigs have within the community. It could be likened to three bank robberies!!! As the single most important aspect of a man’s wealth, pigs, were the cause of much, celebration and anxiety depending on whether he had enough to pay for a bride, help his family out in paying for a bride for a relative, compensating those who had brought the body of a deceased member of the clan back to their home land for burial, etc. etc. Stealing one pig was bad enough, three made it 10 times worse especially since it appeared that the three men were close relatives. The thieves were being very specific in their targets.
I despatched my Corporal and a Constable to investigate the thefts with the three owners. I returned to my other duties of ordering supplies for my patrol. This was done by radio and calling up the main centre, being put through to the various trade stores (shops) and having the supplies delivered to the airport to be brought out on the following Monday on our next aircraft charter. This flight was usually weekly but as I mentioned weather could delay these flights by days or even weeks.
Later in the afternoon the Corporal returned having carried out his preliminary investigation with the owners and believed that he had found out who the culprits were. The planning of the raid to arrest the suspects took the best part of an hour as we didn’t have any vehicles which would be of any help. He drew up warrants for the arrest of these two individuals and brought them to me to be sworn as I was also the local court magistrate. So commenced the process of the administration of justice at this Patrol Post.
The police were dropped off at the closest point to get to the suspects by the Council tractor which would not cause any alarm as it had been delivering various supplies for road work contracts in that area the day before.
Late in the evening and the Corporal and two Constables returned to the Patrol Post with 2 men in custody plus the three stolen pigs.Getting the pigs into the trailer turned out to be quite a task as they really didn’t want to go anywhere having been dragged off by someone they didn’t know.
The pigs were impounded in our local lock-up or “Kalabus” which fortunately was empty at the time and left in the custody of two Correctional Service Warders, who, quite frankly, had very little to do for the last few months except maybe keeping the grass cut. The two alleged thieves were also incarcerated at this time whilst the Police and owners of the pigs prepared statements for the court which would sit the following morning.
To be continued. . . . .
