The following eulogy prepared by Mrs Diane Carter (nee Marsh) and Mrs Jillian Morrison (nee Marsh), the Memories of David Roger Milbourne Marsh OBE, has been provided by Mrs Diane Carter (nee Marsh):

David Roger Milbourne Marsh was born in Hurstville hospital to Stella and Roger Milbourne Marsh, younger brother to Shirley and Kay on 28th December, 1921. The family were staying with Stella’s parents, the Anglican Minister, in Bexley.

 

Roger worked for the department of agriculture in dairy. The family left there when he was about two. Dad was always very proud of his family’s standing in society, Anglican ministers, high ranking government officials, magistrates and all hardworking community minded people. He was proud too that he could trace our family tree directly back to 1380.

 

The family moved to Lismore in 1923 and he went to school there until 2nd class. David’s younger sister, Judith was born here and he always spoke fondly of her. Then on to Byron Bay, he later attended Mullumbimby Secondary School, which was a district rural school. Being unhappy here he started to play truant and would walk out along the railway line and pick beans to sell in town for pocket money.

 

Attending Hurlstone Agricultural High in 1935 he achieved his School Leaving Certificate in 1939. Dad worked on George Clasper’s dairy farm most holidays for one schilling a week and he then went to stay with his Uncle Wal and Aunty Wynn at Northbridge.

 

It was in March 1940 that Dad set sail for the adventure of his life on “The MacDuie” via Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns to Papua New Guinea. The trip took about five days to Port Moresby, which then had a European population of only three hundred and twenty five. It was a wild and primitive world.

 

After a few days, he flew to Kokoda, to work on Mamba Estate which was owned by his cousin’s husband, Herbert Kienzle. Mamba was to hold a place in our hearts forever. Here he panned for gold and planted the first rubber trees on the plantation. He also brought in the first cattle for the Northern District. The long journey, with the large mob, went around the coast by sea to Buna, then through the swamps and up over the mountains to Mamba.

 

With the outbreak of World War Two, the government ordered Dad to stay to maintain a sense of normality due to the impending Japanese invasion. Soon afterwards Herbert instructed Dad to take Meryl and Herbert’s fathers to safety. They walked to Buna and travelled by boats via Milne Bay to Abau. This arduous journey, with two elderly men, would have taken at least a month. The Government office was at this time under Marshall Law.

 

He joined the Papuan Administrative Unit (later ANGAU) as Patrol Officer in the South Eastern, the Western and the Northern Districts. He first served at Abau under Mr Claude Champion, then Mr WJ (Bill) Lambden. Bill was to become his father-in-law for whom he had the greatest respect. Dad held the ranks of Private, Warrant Officer Two, and Lieutenant. During this period he was on patrol duty scouting for Australian and enemy troops, rescuing crashed airmen and in combat.

 

He also built airstrips at Abau, Cape Rodney, Safia, Embessa, Kinjaki, Pongani and most importantly, Dobuduru which was a major part of the war effort to help the wounded out and for supplies to come in. The unjust hanging of Embogi, at the end of the war, tormented him in his later years. Ultimately he was in charge at Abau and appointed Magistrate for Native Matters.

 

In 1943 he went to Tufi with it’s beautiful fjords and mountains. Here he conducted many patrols and established the Safia Patrol Post. Through this post he organised the evacuation of Wanigela – the Uiaku people prior to Mt Goropu erupting and he took over Baniara Station. After this he was in charge of the Pongani Patrol Post where he was on constant patrol work. He was soon posted to the Western District and again conducted extensive patrols. Under Provisional Administration as Patrol Officer in the Here District, he established Patrol Posts at Gaima, Bamu, Balimo, Rouku, Trans Fly and Lake Murray. Dad carried out intensive pacification and rehabilitation work in these areas and he gained considerable experience in Civil Administration.

 

At Daru he was seconded to the Provisional Administration. He was posted to the Central District in 1947 where he patrolled the Sogeri area and carried out more rehabilitation work.

 

At this time he completed the No. Six Short Course, at the Australian School of Pacific Administration - A.S.O.P.A. and proudly passed third out of thirty-six. This was followed by the two year, No. One, Long Course.

 

In 1950 he received a posting to the Central Highlands and opened up uncontrolled Territory west of Wabag as Assistant District Officer. This was really wild country.

 

To us, the best decision of his life was to marry our beautiful Mum, Alison Lambden, at St Johns Church in Port Moresby on 19th May, 1951 – sixty four years to the day that he passed away. By then he was based as the Administrative Officer at the Department of Native Affairs Headquarters.

 

On the move again, two years later back to Tufi, as Assistant District Officer, Northern District. He rebuilt the station after the devastating volcano eruption by carrying out developmental work with the people and planted experimental cash crops.

 

While here, Mum was sent to the little island of Samarai where Jill was born on 26th May 1953. Due to the remoteness he was unable to see Mum or Jill for three months prior to and another three months after her birth, only being able to communicate by mail, on the supply boats.

 

Dad was then posted to the Sepik District as Assistant District Officer, Angoram and Wewak. Here he did initial work towards the establishment of Local Government Councils and provided the necessary road links for their economic developments. Dad was made Acting District Officer of Wewak in September 1955.

 

It was here that Susan was born on 2nd September. Once again he was posted back to the Central District, I was born in Moresby on 27th November, 1957 and he had a year in the Western District as Acting District Commissioner.

 

For four years in the mid-1960s, as District Commissioner in Mendi in the Southern Highlands there were many achievements and wonderful family fun. The massive project of building the Hydro Electric Scheme - otherwise known as “David’s Marsh”- which supplied the town well into the seventies; The dazzling limestone airstrip; and stocking the rivers, lakes and dams with fish as a food supply.

 

Dad was responsible for patrol posts at Tari, Nipa, Lake Kutabu, Yalebu, Irave and many others.

 

Our wonderful times in beautiful Mendi included: horses; family picnics; visits to the caves filled with skulls; sing sings and pigs on the spit; the sound of the Highlanders chanting in the evenings; golf games around the town; the ever popular club house; the light planes that came in only once every two weeks with mail and supplies; elegant parties on the lawn; the lowering of the flag in full military style in our garden; the Catholic Capision mission and their flare for entertaining; exotic tropical flowers; giant cuscus; the lepers who worked in the garden and the two waring cannibal tribes the Pomies and the Somies. It was a world of colour, vibrancy, beauty and challenges.

 

It was a similar life from 1968 at Popondetta, where Dad as District Commissioner established the Northern District Radio Station and organised the Self Government Celebrations. He also instigated the building of the road to Kokoda and the many bridges to link it all together such as over the Kumusi.

 

Our memories include regular trips to Kokoda; swimming with the crocodiles and eels in the Samboga River; playing in the discarded planes, grown over in the jungle from the war; the establishment of the International wharf at Oro Bay and the exploding of the ship full of DDT. It was here at Buna that the local Orokaiva people awarded him their highest honour, The Otohu. At that time the only other European to receive it had been Prince Charles.

 

After Self Government we moved to Port Moresby where Dad was the Land Title Commissioner. In addition, he was given the honour of the being made the Chairman of the Queens Tour which created a flurry of Royal and Official engagements and spending time on the Royal Britannia and the Royal aircraft.

 

Dad’s grand farewell was to be the Chairman of the Papua New Guinea Independence Celebrations. He proudly carried out his huge responsibilities in the short time frame of three months. The celebrations were a great success and achievement.

 

Dad was a major force on the committee to establish the Papua New Guinea Constitution. He was honoured to be presented at this time with the OBE by Prince Charles at Government House, Port Moresby.

 

Shortly afterwards in 1976 he had a heart attack and was Medically Boarded. He was not allowed to return to PNG even to pack. Dad retired to 5 McDonald St, Freshwater, Sydney.

 

In the eighties Dad did contract work for the Papua New Guinea Government to reclaim land for the local village people in the Cape Rodney area. He worked for Herbert Kienzle for seven months to arrange the sale of Mamba Estate and also worked for Ray Lord in the Philippines, in regard to security and negotiating the purchase of a Casino.

 

He was invited back to Moresby for the 25th and 30th Anniversaries which he was highly honoured by. When attending a cocktail event one evening I have a vivid memory of Michael Somare seeing Dad across the room. He walked toward us with arms in the air, excitedly saying how good it was to see him again.

 

Dad’s beloved Alison passed away in 2012 and not long after this he moved into care with his last two years at Kokoda Hostel at War Vets, Narrabeen.

 

Dad was passionate about Papua New Guinea and its people and was proud to be a part of a vibrant developing nation that he loved so much. He continued to be proudly and passionately involved in the welfare of the country. He often said that he’d never worked a day in his life as he loved his work in Papua New Guinea.

 

Dad loved to design, repair, maintain, plan and build. This could be seen by many, in his household designs such as the macadamia crusher, through to his plans to supply power to Australia by harnessing the power of the Purari River.

 

Dad was a twisting Champion and loved his fishing. Although being a vivacious pruner he enjoyed his garden and his orchids.

 

Dad loved to solve a problem and embraced life’s challenges! Dad loved us and always wanted the best for his girls. He was so proud of his 10 Grandchildren and 4 Great Grandchildren. He was a good provider and always put our welfare above his own. He was a perfectionist yet unpretentious and had sound values. He abhorred waste and was always financially cautious. In spite of this he gave us the best opportunities available with an education at Abbotsleigh and continued to support us whenever needed in life.

 

His values reflect his integrity as a man - honesty, politically aware, a lateral thinker, a philosopher, an innovator and initiator. He died as he lived with grace and dignity as all those in his life have said that it was a privilege to know him. Our time together in the end was peaceful and filled with love, understanding and forgiveness. This is a man who made a difference. Our father is the only father that we ever had and the only father we would ever wish for as his daughters, we have been truly blessed.

 

Thank you Dad.

Bamahuta Taubada, oi namu.

Diane Elizabeth Carter and Jillian Helen Morrison