Iduabada Technical College & the RAAEC circa 1966-73

It has always intrigued me as to how the concept of the Iduabada Technical College working with the PNG Defence Force arose. Relying on the recollections of WO2 Dan Winkel who was present at the initial stages of this joint scheme, it is thought that the Army wished to send soldiers down to Balcome Victoria for apprenticeship training from PNG, however those down south expressed concern with this concept and requested that soldiers with some expertise in trade subjects be sent south for more advanced training. Seeing the merit in this argument, those in charge at Murray Barracks decided to send soldiers to the Iduabada Technical College for initial training in trade subjects.

The College Principal/Teacher-in-Charge at this period, a Mr Des Large, a long-time resident of Port Moresby and active in many local societies and clubs, agreed to take the soldiers on condition that the Army help in staffing the College with qualified teachers. Des enjoyed playing Darts at the Murray Barracks Sergeants’ Mess on a very regular basis. It can be assumed that the genesis of a joint venture was hatched over a beer and a game of darts on a Friday night. This occurred at about the same time in 1966 that the first group of National Service Education Sergeants were arriving in the Territory to commence RAAEC (Royal Australian Army Educational Corps) duties at the various battalions throughout the Territory. It then became the duty of WO2 Dan Winkel, to sort the ‘wheat from the chaff’ in the selection of a suitable candidate for the College. A morning of interviews took place and the successful candidate who possessed trade and woodworking skills, a Mr Donald Benson, was the initial appointee. It is believed that Don joined the army bus each morning as it took students (probably all RAEME apprentices (Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)) to the College for a 7:30am start. Classes ended at 2:30pm and Don returned to Murray Barracks for a late lunch and an afternoon free of other duties. The College Principal requested that the Army teaching staff were to wear civilian clothes whilst they were in the College as many of the pupils who they were teaching were civilian rather than military students.

Don Benson, the first Nasho appointee, was a pioneer in this joint endeavour. At the conclusion of his posting to TPNG upon completing his two year compulsory service, it is believed that the Murray Barracks adjutant, a Major Bruce Boyce, was very supportive of Don in this teaching role and furnished him with a glowing reference on his eventual discharge.

The second appointee, a Mr Ken Morcom was interviewed for the job in Australia. He possessed trade teaching qualifications but found himself on other teaching duties when he arrived in Port Moresby.  Ken did work on a construction site for a short time but this was in relation to a civic action patrol that he undertook. See http://www.nashospng.com/my-national-service-experience

A recent view from those times was expressed by retired Lt Col Roger Jones DAE in TPNG 1967-69 who recalls that, “As it happened, at that stage (in the mid-1960s) with Vietnam putting increasing demands on the AMF at home, both in the arms and key services areas, RAEME was one of the few services with both a capacity and an interest in making some contribution into PNG.

The original RAAEC role in PNG, as seen from AHQ in Canberra at that time, had been clearly focussed on the need for more (and more effective) PNG officers and on more general Ordinary Ranks development, with that general ‘civil affairs’ underpinning common to both. But at that stage I suspect that the recognition of the ultimate need for a PNG ‘defence force’ as distinct from its then model of an ‘all PNG infantry with a leavening of AS staff and other arms/services backing’ was certainly non-existent in Moresby and only just beginning to develop in Canberra.

I don’t recall the issue of how the development of an all-arms/services PNG Army might be encouraged ever being discussed in Moresby at either policy or practical level – at a personal level, it wasn’t really until I was subsequently on the staff at the Army Staff College and being the Directing Staff supervisor to Ted Diro and Paterson Lowa that I even gave much thought to the matter myself! I would be interested in other people’s views on that subject.”

A change in approach to teaching duties at the Technical College saw subsequent RAAEC teachers undertake Science and Maths subjects as their areas of responsibility. The role of members of RAEME whose students were being educated during this period is unclear. They appear to provide some escort services on the daily bus run to and from the Barracks as the Science/Maths lecturers travelled independently to Iduabada Tech by their own transport. Unfortunately one of their number, a NSW serviceman, John Martin, lost his life in a motorcycle accident whilst travelling to the College in 1969. It is thought that the RAEME instructors did provide trade training at this time at the College. This would make good sense! Indeed the last conscript teacher, a Mr Peter Shackleford (1972-3) recalls that this was indeed the case. Peter has recalled that when he told friends about his national service period, he would say that he wore civilian clothes, taught science at the Technical College and went to the Barracks (Murray Barracks) to collect his mail and pay.  From time to time he took his turn at supervising the army apprentices getting on the bus at the Barracks and again at the College for the return journey. Occasionally he took evening homework/tutoring sessions with the army apprentices back at Barracks.  During College holidays, he attended the Barracks and wore the PIR uniform, but he had no regular duties or responsibilities there during those times. Peter stayed on to complete his 18 months of national service after the Whitlam government gave conscripts the option of leaving the army early. 

          A slightly different view was expressed by Denis Jenkins. When he arrived in Port Moresby about the end of October 1970, he and another Victorian, Jim Bates were assigned to the Maths/Science section of Iduabada Tech.  Neither of them had any trade qualifications.  His understanding of the overall planning may not have been complete, but he assumed that they were sent out to the College because there was a sizeable contingent of Army Apprentices doing Electrical or Mechanical trades, Carpentry or Cooking and possibly other courses that he had forgotten, and that he and Jim were the staffing trade-off for having fifty or so extra students on the College premises.   Jim and Denis travelled together by private car to Iduabada for the 7.30am to 2.30pm school day, and each taught Maths (6 periods) and Science (5 periods) at about Form3/Year9 Australian standard to three separate classes.  This was a total of 33 periods in a 40 period week, a pretty hefty load, but the students were co-operative and enthusiastic, and this daily routine was certainly preferred to ‘Army life’ back at the Barracks.   They were also occasionally involved in school sports or other events outside the classroom at Iduabada.  Denis was not aware of any RAEME people at the College during his tour of duty. During School/College holidays, the Army Juniper Greens were donned from time to time, as they were called in to do inventories and various other tasks as well as taking turns as Duty Sergeant when the roster needed filling.  Overall, servicemen appointed to the Iduabada Technical College enjoyed the job and as young teachers, found it valuable experience to take into their future careers.

The Iduabada Technical College has progressed on to this present day. Few of the staff or students over the years would contemplate such a colourful history, except Des Large and the small group who made it all happen. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Soldiers from the RAAEC, in order of service during this time prior to PNG Independence in 1975 were Sergeants Benson, Connell, Rae, Fennell, Martin, Mason, Roxburgh, Spiteri, Bates, Jenkins, Smithard, Wellman and Shackleford.

Not sure who wrote it, possibly WO2 Dan Winkel
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Like many of my ex Chalkie colleagues I realised very early on that getting “selected” into RAAEC was akin to a lottery win. On arrival in TPNG I further realised that I had in fact won the double when I was informed that I was to be seconded, along with good friend Denis Jenkins, to Iduabada (Port Moresby) Technical College. The net result of these two wins was that for the remainder of my time in Port Moresby I was basically a civilian. Denis and I were able to get away with relatively longish hair and were out of uniform for the duration except for the occasional Orderly Sergeant duties at Murray Barracks. What a wonderful experience my wife, Kaye, and I had in TPNG along with a terrific group of National Servicemen, Regular soldiers and their wives … such camaraderie. On release from the army Kaye and I moved across to Lae and spent another three wonderful years in PNG on the campus of the Institute of Technology where I taught in the Mathematics Department. I would not have secured that position if it were not for my time in the army (and at Iduabada) in the year prior.

by Sgt Jim Bates