Additional information for Chapter 3 – A new chum in Papua, and Yodda, gold, rubber, and cattle

and Chapter 4 - Feeling the Japanese presence approaching

 

The following is an extract from an article “The lost photographs of my grandfather Ivan Champion” dated 7 February, 2016 by Ross Plant published in the PNG Attitude Keith Jackson & Friends website at www.pngattitude.com/2016/02/the-lost-photographs-of-my-grandfather-ivan-champion.

 

“My great-grandfather, Herbert William Champion, arrived in Port Moresby in 1898 at the age of 18 aboard Burns Philp & Company's first steamship, the MV “Moresby”. His job was to supervise unloading the company's vessels.

 

His character and ability were soon noticed by Governor George Le Hunte, who offered him a position with the Administration at the Government Store. His boss, Henry Chester, died after an accidental fall, and Herbert was given his position.

 

Some years later he married Chester's widow and brought up her children. They subsequently had three sons of their own, Ivan, Claude and Alan.

 

In 1916 he was promoted to the position of Government Secretary and in 1940 he was appointed Acting-Lieutenant Governor of Papua. He was awarded a CBE and his three sons carried the family name with great distinction through the war years and into the new civil administration that followed.

 

He planted and cared for most of the trees growing in the city centre including the tamarinds in the parade that bears his name.”