The Town

Rabaul is most pleasant, the tall waving palms of the plantations fringing the harbour, presented an atmosphere of graceful dignity as the steamer ploughed through the bluest of blue waters. From nowhere, as it seemed, many natives in their quaint canoes, sped out to meet the incoming steamer-laughing and chattering in their inimitable style.

Government House, perched on its beautifully laid out rise at Namanula, smiled down on the colourful and impressing scene. The township of Rabaul is beautifully laid out with wide, well-constructed avenues which are planted with shady trees and hedges, and boasts a magnificent group of Botanical Gardens which lie under the shadow of a frowning hill covered\ with foliage of every shade of green. Beautiful turf tennis courts are laid out in the gardens, and are well tended by the locals under the supervision of the Director of Agriculture.

All the bungalows are built on piles about six feet high, and are surrounded with spacious verandas.

It was an interesting walk round the town. All the streets are wide and lined with avenues of trees, and present a pretty appearance. Most of the houses are of a good type, in timber and much the same in "design" as in other tropical places. The Government. House is on a hill above the town and is said to be elaborate in its comforts and equipment.

(Extract from Vivian Agincourt Spence Little, diary, RAN as a chaplain 21st September 1914)

The Queen Elizabeth the 2nd memorial gates Rabaul erected as a memorial to the civilian loss of life during the Japanese occupation 1942/1944 civilian Memorial at Rabaul

A memorial to the civilians who were killed in New Guinea during World War II is to be erected by the New Guinea Women's Clubs of Australia at Rabaul. The memorial will be in the form of ornamental gates at the entrance to the Queen Elizabeth Park. Attached to the gates will be a plaque bearing the names of all known civilians who died during the war in New Guinea. Dr C. M. Deland of the Department of Public Health said yesterday that a fund had been opened in Australia to allow former residents of New Guinea and kinsfolk of those who fell in New Guinea an opportunity to contribute to this cause.

Recreational reserve looking the Mother be came known now as Queen Elizabeth II Park

Recreational reserve looking south became known as Queen Elizabeth II Park

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Turning into Mango ave off Malaguana Rd tho first building on the left looking down Mango Ave , ones would have seen Robert Gillespie's,Island Traders store. Then came the Ascot Hotel , in a prominent possession, the hotel was owned by Arthur Brown , a businessmen owning the scrap metal business and also possess a race horse or two . following along Mango Ave beside the Ascot was a vacant block of land, thr the next building was Colyer Watson's Automotive and spare parts division, the on the corner was a small shop

On the other corner of Malaguana Rd and Mango was Burns Philip accommodation building a small fibro building housing some of Burns Philip singles staff

looking down Malaguna Rd from Mango Ave T junction

Malaguna Road

The little grpup of shope anln Malaguna Road the white building mid center was ; the front shop was Barbra Croydens barber shop add at the rear was Croyden ans Vickers auction house , when on every saturday morning there wasan auction. The little group of shops along Malaguna Road the white building mid centre was ; the front shop was Barbra Croydon’s barber shop add at the rear was Croydon and Vickers auction house , when on every Saturday morning there was an auction. further along to the right was Rabaul butchers run by Con Papas, who had a wonderful little milk bar in the front which had the most wonderful pineapple punch ( Oh just the mind wondering)

Con Papas' Rabaul Butcher on Malaguna Road

This is looking down Mango Ave on the intersection of Kamerrre St and the large department trader store of Colyer Watson

The firm, Colyer Watson, owned by Rupert Alexander Colyer, Colyer’s was absorbed by Steamships Trading in 1962 .Sittings prominently on the corner of Mango Ave and Kamerrre Street

Sitting between Colyer Watsons and Matt Foley's New Britain Carriers 1961was Don Clarks Chemist shop in Mango Avenue

The wonderful experience of far eastern shopping, the delights of what was imported from the Far East could be found in the wonderful Chinese trade stores

Old town China intersection of Kamarere St and Casuarina Ave

Looking down Kamarere St to the water front

Kamarere St

Looking down Casuarina Ave Old Chinatown towards the market.

For all the ones who were there 18 Dec 1961 the fire that bought devastation to all the Christmas presentsthe night of New Guinea Company's store Mango Avenue, after the fire which totally destroyed itThe yeae Santa never came to Rabaul for some

The remains of New Guinea Company after the fire

The little dog statue was placed there for the recognition to the local vet Rod Savage for his chartable work

The Mill stone was salvaged from the ill fated Marquis de Rays expedition The marquis deliberately misled the colonists, distributing literature claiming a bustling settlement that did not exist many died and starved.The stone is in Kokopo the basement of the museum , It is time it was displayed to it's place in history

The Mill stone and the little Dog stood in the little park Apex Park between Church St and Kamerrre St on Mango Ave opposite Colyer Watsons

Looking south down Mango Ave

Looking north up Mango Ave

Justice Mann with Police parade opening of the court calendar for the year, the court was held in the Masonic Lodge building in Mango Ave

PNGVR, ANZAC day ,1964, marching along Mango Ave

The Arcade

The Methodist Church in the 1930's

The Methodist Church later becomes United Church on Mango Ave

The Church of England Church

The Church of England Church, later the Anglican Church of Rabaul stood at the corner of St George Ave and Malaguna Rd,

The Catholic Church on Malaguna Rd

Guy Black was a Coastwatcher and a member of Z & M Force Guy returned to Rabaul after the war and formed a small limited company of five investors to build a picture Theatre. A Quonset hut was obtained in Manus and with local know how and materials the Palms Theatre was built with front office and refreshment stall. The Theatre was sold in 1956

he new Palms Theatre built with all the modern amenities the seats were of comfort not the lean back beach canvas chairs

a fully stocked confectionary stand

PRE-CUT PICTURE THEATRE

An earthquake-proof picture theatre to seat 1,000 people has been designed in Sydney for erection, in Rabaul. The theatre, apart from the concrete raft floor, will be completely prefabricated in Australia and England, and will be bolted together on the site. Construction time from the delivery of the component parts in Rabaul will be, about three months and the total cost will be in the vicinity of £35,000.The designer, Sydney architect H. P. Oser, said that there were three major problems in designing the theatre. It had to withstand frequent earthquakes, be tropic proof, and because of lack of technical facilities and skilled labour at Rabaul, had to be prefabricated. RIGID STRUCTURE Mr Oser said that the overall design was a rigid structure. Reinforcing beams would be laid in the raft concrete floor and the steel frame bolted to them. The walls of the theatre would be of English aluminium sheeting and the aluminium sections would be processed in Australia. The roofing would be of aluminium, and the interior lining of roof and walls would be Her acoustic, a European thermal insulating and acoustic wall board. The steel framework or the building would be bolted and exposed steel either galvanised or coated with bitumen to protect against corrosion from the sulphurous volcanic fumes. The rigid construction of the theatre meant that the building would move as a whole in the event of earth tremors. A total of 102 tons of rein- forcing and structural steel would be shipped from Australia for the project. Pie fabrication of the steel would be done by Anderson Construction Co. (N.S.W.) Pty. Ltd.

Click on image to enlarge

THE CORNER OF MANGO Ave and NAMANULA ROAD WAS THE PLANTERS ASSOSITION OF RABAUL

The early days alpng Mango Ave

The Busy corner of St George and Mango Ave

The bank's history traces back even further than 1957, though the bank doesn't mention this. In 1916, Commonwealth Bank, the Australian government-owned bank, established a branch in Rabaul and agencies in other towns, to support the banking needs of the Australian Army and its troops who had taken control of the former German colony of New Guinea. In time, this operation became a full-fledged commercial banking operation. Then in 1974, Commonwealth Bank withdrew from PNG

The Secretary to the Treasury asks for advice on the question raised in the following letter from the Governor of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia:I have the honour to advise that the British Administrator at Rabaul has suggested that the establishment of a branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia at Rabaul is well worth consideration in view of future possibilities. I shall therefore be obliged if you will ascertain from the Honourable the Attorney-General whether, under the Commonwealth Bank Act 1911-1914, the Bank could establish a branch at Rabaul for conducting both general banking business and Savings Bank business. In this regard attention may be directed to sections 23 and 35, as amended, of the Commonwealth Bank Act 1911-1914.Section 23 of the Act of 1911 empowers the Governor, with the consent of the Treasurer, to establish a branch of the Bank in London, and branches 'in any other places beyond the Commonwealth'.In my opinion, under this section, the Governor has power, with the consent of the Treasurer, to establish a branch of the Commonwealth Bank at Rabaul.Section 35 (1) empowers the Governor to establish a Savings Bank branch 'at the head office of the Bank, and at such other places as he thinks fit'; and section35 (2), as amended in 1914, reads as follows:35. (2) Branches or agencies for Savings Bank business may be established at any place within the Commonwealth or any territory under the authority of the Commonwealth, or, with the consent of the Treasurer, in any other part of the King's dominions, notwithstanding that the Bank has no branch or agency for general banking business at that place.I think that the effect of these two sub-sections is that the Governor has power to establish a Savings Bank at any place where he has a branch for general banking; but where he has not a general banking branch his power is limited to places 'within the Commonwealth or any territory under the authority of the Commonwealth, or, with the consent of the Treasurer, in any other part of the King's dominions'.I doubt whether Rabaul, at present, is either a territory under the authority of the Commonwealth, or a part of the King's dominions, within the meaning of the section.I think, therefore, that the Governor has power, if a general branch of the Bank is established at Rabaul, to open a Savings Bank branch there.If advice is desired as to whether, if a general branch is not opened at Rabaul, the Governor has power to open a Savings Bank branch there, I should like to consider the matter further.

This building was the German Head cashier office (Haupt kassier) in 1914 which later became the premises of the Commonwealth Bank 1921

The Bank was situated on the corner of Namanula Rd and Central Ave

Post WW2 Commonwealth Bank

Rabaul Branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New Britain, 1948...The Mill wheel, inscribed with Japanese characters was from the ill-fated Marcus DeRay expedition was in front. The stone was later moved to Apex Park

The opening of the administration building 1964 - below as is now

Rabaul Supreme Court corner Casuarina and Namamula

The swimming pool

Rabaul swimming pool 1930

the swimming pool post WW2

The water in the pool was pumped in from the harbour, depending on usage it was pumped out at least once a week, on occasions this task was forgotten, and the pool became slimly and algae looking, this, being the case prison labour was sent from the calaboose and the pool was scrubbed out and thus the process started again

photo above dirty pool

photo below pool is clean

The Evacuation plan