The District Commissioner
Addendum 57: Stan Rybarz
Additional information for Chapter 31 - Return to Popondetta as District Commissioner, 1968
Polishman Stanislaus Antony Rybarz (1922 to 2000) came to PNG in 1950 after having fought valiantly in World War II for Poland in the Warsaw Uprising against the Germans and Russians in Europe. He fought in the sewers of Warsaw and was a member of the Polish Underground.
His building of the Kumusi River bridge in 1968 when David Marsh was the District Commissioner of Popondetta is discussed in Chapter 31.
This important bridge lasted 40 years before being replaced by the current Kumusi Bridge built in 2013 by the engineering and construction business of Robin Murphy OAM, the Canstruct Group as part of their 4 bridge build (Kumusi 285m span, Girua 150m span, Ambogo 100m span and Eroro 66m span) along the Kokoda Highway to replace existing bridges damaged by Cyclone Guba in 2007. This second Kumusi River bridge was opened in Nov 2016 and it is believed that Australia funded it by an amount of K139m.
The photo here of Stan Rybarz at the Kumusi River bridge opening celebrations in 1968 and wearing the Otohu headdress and apron awarded to him by the Orokaiva people in recognition of his work including building of the Kumusi River bridge. The photo is provided courtesy of the Rybarz family. The only other Eurpoeans to have been given this honour are Prince Charles (now King Charles III), David Marsh OBE, Anglican Archbishop David Hand, former Australian Prime Minister The Honourable Paul Keating, and Australian bridge builder engineer Robin Murphy OAM.
The photo above of Stan Rybarz at the Kumusi River bridge opening celebrations in 1968 and wearing the Otohu headdress and apron awarded to him by the Orokaiva people in recognition of his work including building of the Kumusi River bridge.
Photo was provided courtesy of the Rybarz family.
The photo of Stan Rybarz near the Kumusi River in 1968 is provided courtesy of the Rybarz family.
The Kumusi River has historical significance from the World War II Kokoda Campaign.
This is an Australian War Memorial Arthur Francis Hobson photo, from November, 1942 sourced from www.awm.gov.au.
Carrying boxes of supplies attached by means of loya vines to poles resting on their shoulders, native Papuan carriers cross a makeshift wooden bridge over one of the many streams on the way to Wairopi on the northern section of the Kokoda Trail.
The photo above was sourced from a page between pages 323 and 324 of the 1959 book “Australia in the War of 1939-1945 South West Pacific Area First Year” by Dudley McCarthy.
In 2024 author Robyn Kienzle recounted a story to Jane Rybarz that Wallace Kienzle, brother of Bert Kienzle, and Stan Rybarz, removed the old swinging bridge across the Kumusi so that Stan could build the new bridge. Wallace and Stan took it apart and reassembled it across the Mambare River which made it easier for people from the Mamba side to get across to their gardens on the other side.
Photo's of the Mamba (Mambare) River in the Yodda valley. Courtesy of Danny Posangat Jnr who sourced and posted it online 15 June, 2024
This photo is an extract from Vintage PNG map No. 138 published by Chas H Scally & Co and printed by John Sands Pty Ltd (date unknown) and owned by Jane Rybarz, showing the location of Mt Albert Edward, Popondetta, Kokoda, and Port Moresby.
Andy Tyralik, a former foreman for Rybarz Contractors, and his wife Muriel Tyralik, advised that after the Kumusi bridge was completed, Rybarz Contractors went on to build 4 bridges in the Wapanamada area in the Highlands in 1969, rebuilt 52 miles of roads from Kainantu towards Goroka near Munifinka, a bridge at the Ambogo River, and then another 2 bridges at Oro Bay in 1972.
The photo below of the Wapenamanda bridge circa 1960 was sourced from the Chris Read photos on the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia website at https://www.pngaa.net/Photo_Gallery/GoldenOldies/wapenamanda.html and is provided by courtesy of the PNGAA
These photos below show the road and bridge building activity by Stan Rybarz during the time David Marsh was DC in Popondetta. They are provided courtesy of the Rybarz family.
Stan Rybarz also built much other significant infrastructure in PNG over the years including but not limited to the Markham Valley road, various Bailey bridges over the Watut and Bulolo rivers, and the Wau-Bulolo-Lae road. He also assisted with building of the Port Moresby Jacksons airport runway when he worked for the engineering / building firm of Bill and Margaret Johns (the godparents of Jane Rybarz), and construction of the Lae Golf Club building.
He was a larger than life character, and so incredibly strong that he was nicknamed “horse”.
In his early days, prior to working in infrastructure construction, Stan Rybarz transported enormous timber logs over treacherous mountain dirt roads from Bulolo.
The photo below of transporting logs at Bulolo circa 1960 was sourced from the Chris Read photos on the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia website at pngaa.net/Photo_Gallery/GoldenOldies/bulolo.html and is provided by courtesy of the PNGAA
The map below shows Bulolo, Popondetta, Port Moresby, Mendi and Mt Hagen and other places.It was sourced from the chapter The Land by Norlie Miskaram from the book “Papua New Guinea”. This book was published on the occasion of Papua New Guinea’s Independence by The Office of Information, Papua New Guinea Government and was printed by GW Green Printers in 1975.
Authors Chris Ashton, Jack Golson, Albert Kuluah, John Haugie, Norlie Miskaram, Ilinome Tarua and John Vulupindi.
Stan Rybarz retired at Lake Macquarie in New South Wales Australia with his partner Dr Virginia Pawsey who had worked as a medical doctor in Popondetta. He passed away in Belmont Hospital in 2000 in his 78th year.