Additional information for Chapter 12 - Colonel Sverdrup and building of airfields at Safia, Fasari (Gasari), Embessa, Kinjaki, and Pongani

and Chapter 23  - Exiled to Daru and out to the Fly River

 

In his memoirs David Marsh discussed Ron Galloway’s work pursuing a man named Dari from Daru to Tufi in late 1942. In the memoirs he also described Ron Galloway during 1946 on Lake Murray on the Strickland River being as “brave as Ned Kelly”. It is not surprising that Ron Galloway was to become the godfather of the first born daughter of David and Alison Marsh, Jillian.

 

The following is a summary from the March 1996 Una Voce article pages 18 to 21 sourced from //pngaa.net/Vale/vale_mar95.htm#Galloway of the eulogy delivered by former District Commissioner Fred Kaad based on information he obtained from Ed Hicks, David Marsh, Ken Brown, Harry Jackman, and Ron's son Anton.

 

Ronald Thomas Galloway was born in NSW in 1922. He joined the army at age 20 after finishing school, and arrived in Port Moresby in 1942 where he became a Sergeant Instructor in the 14th Infantry Training Battalion, close to the advancing Japanese. Sadly his brother Harold had been killed in action after the Japanese landing at Rabaul in January that year.

Ron joined ANGAU and at his first posting in Abau, met David Marsh. He then went on a solo patrol during which he learned Police Motu, as well as how to manage his police, carriers, and the local people.

 

Ron received an army commendation for ‘outstanding coolness’ when rescuing a party of pilots.

 

David Marsh recounted an incident at Lake Murray when their all important canoe had drifted some 50 metres out in an area where they all knew a giant crocodile constantly patrolled. Ron did not order someone else to swim out, but instead dived in and retrieved the canoe himself.

 

After the war Ron joined the Civil Administration serving in Kikori, Beara, Taipini, Madang, Samarai, Moresby, Lae and back to Moresby. He rose through the ranks of the kiaps of District Services and Native Affairs being both a superb bush kiap and an excellent administrator.

 

 

Ron was the Administration Liaison Officer with the United Nations on two of their visits to PNG. In 1968 he was the PNG representative at the UN's Trusteeship Council's periodic examination of reports of Australia's stewardship over the Territory.

 

Ron was a nominated member of the House of Assembly, the Papua New Guinea Parliament, for four years before his retirement in 1974.

 

Harry Jackman has been quoted about working at the District Office at Moresby when a serious riot involving Goilalas and others at Kila Labour Camp was reported. Ron jumped into a jeep, took Harry and no police. As they approached the hostile mob it took only a few well chosen authoritative words in fluent Police Motu to restore order. As Harry wrote "It was a demon­stration of personal courage and magnetism."

 

Ron was known for standing up for what he thought was right, even if it was not politically correct. While it earned him respect with some, it did not endear him to some of his superiors if they were being told they were wrong.

His eulogy stated that “His persistence and determination were exhibited during many of the long, rain-soaked arduous patrols — the kind when you wondered whether you'd ever get to the bottom of the ridge in front of you, let alone to the top; or at night when you looked at blistered, bloody feet and wondered whether it really was worth it.”

 

Law and order were part of everyday life for any Kiap and were very much on Ron’s mind. In Lae and Moresby there were problems requiring economic, educational, housing and health solutions, the staff, and finance, for which no District Officer could ever get.

 

He foresaw the real dangers which the "rascals" would present in the future and the general breakdown of law and order which unfortunately was to come.

 

He was a humble man with no pretence, being as comfortable sharing bully beef and rice with a villager, as having a scotch with an overseas VIP. Apparantly outside his study he had a quote engraved on glass ‘I expect to pass this way but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again’.

 

Leaving Papua New Guinea after 30 years of service was difficult for him, as for so many other kiaps - the humdrum existence of suburbia was a far cry from the great challenges faced in PNG service.

 

Ron Galloway passed away 17 February 1995, aged 72 and Fred Kaad’s epitaph for Ron was ‘I DID IT MY WAY’.