ARAWA, Bougainville; Images of the Revival from Ruins
In the early 1980’s, the town of Arawa on the southern side of the main Bougainville Island was one of the most developed towns in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific.
Located on scenic Arawa Bay on the site of a large plantation, Arawa was established in the late 196Os as planned suburban town for the employees of the Bougainville Copper Ltd which was operating the large open copper, gold and silver open pit mine at Panguna.
Globe at Arawa Peace Park. You can see more Arawa pics at the bottom of this post
When PNG became Independent in 1975, Arawa became the Administrative and Economic Provincial Capital of the North Solomon’s Province.
The town was developed to accommodate over 15,000 people who were either directly or indirectly employed by BCL, or by the Papua New Guinea and North Solomons Provincial Governments.
There were over 1850 houses in the town. It boasted large shopping centers, banks, modern health facilities, dentistry, resorts, clubs, large well kept golf courses, sports fields with stadium lights and more. It was a great place to live, work and play.
However, in 1988, the Bougainville Conflict erupted into full scale warfare and overnight thousands fled the town.
For 10 – 15 years, it was a hot bed of fighting and only a few persons who were not PNG Soldiers, Bougainville Revolutionary Army fighters or other factional fighters, ever ventured in there to see what happened to the town.
In 1997, the Bougainville Cease Fire was agreed to and all fighters and soldiers decided to return normalcy to Bougainville.
Though it took some more years, in the mid 2000’s more people began to venture into Arawa to see the town they once knew. It was a traumatic experience for many, who had wonderful memories of the place. A lot of people who related their stories to me told me how they cried when they first went back. The beautiful Arawa town was now a jungle with ruined buildings.
But there is a movement to rebuild some of the town.
A lot of people now have moved back and live at Arawa at some of the houses and they have turned the ruins into stores selling anything from clothe, beer, CD’s, store goods, traditional items and more.
The Autonomous Bougainville Government will be operating in the area soon with administrative staff headquarters being worked on at the old Provincial Headquarters there. Primary and High Schools are open, Telikom is providing excellent coverage there, PNG Power and the Department of Works are planning to move back to their old pre-crisis bases there and the Arawa Health Center are open.
Here you will find all the pictures I have taken on my visit to Arawa with captions. I would and I think many others would appreciate it, if you could add your own comments and share your Arawa memories at the end of this post.
A special thanks to Zhon Bosco of Bougainville Experience Tours. One of the enterprising Bougainvilleans from this area who are trying to develop better employment opportunities and rebuild Bougainville, Zhon takes visitors trekking, bird watching, sightseeing, cultural events and other activities on the main island.
If you would like to visit Arawa, Kieta, Panguna and see many sites, contact Zhon on Phone: +675 71626393 /+675 76263583 or email him info@bougtours.com.
I will put up images of Arawa before the crisis soon but enjoy these ones below and like i said, share your thoughts.
Main Town Center at Arawa
Arawa Christmas Lights' Poll
Arawa Main Street
Arawa Stores
destroyed buildings
Old Shopping Plaza that also housed the former PNGBC Bank
The Old PNGBC Safe now is a secure Beer Joint
Old Provincial Government Building in the distance
stores where the main arawa shopping center was pre-crisis
Ruins in Arawa
Arawa Market is so busy with lots of food and craft on sale
Arawa Street (17th I think)
Street Over Bridge to Town
Police Housing and Offices in Arawa
I think these are BCL Residential Areas in Arawa. Now people live upstairs and have turned the bottom level into stores
This way to Kieta
Houses and Stores. You can see the signs.
The White House, soon to be ABG offices.
Some of you should remember this street corner. I can only imagine what this town was like before the crisis. Share your memories.
Share your memories.
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46 comments
Truly Amazing, this is the first time in more than 21 years that i got to see some photo’s of Arawa. maski town e bagarap…i still call it the best.
Bro Gordon, I can only imagine what the town might have been. Its all pretty much jungle now, all the way to Kieta. But it must have been great all those years ago.
Our kids did a lot of their growing up and schooling in Arawa; and two were born there. My office was on the middle floor of the White House with Prov Gov on top, until they built their own place, which also got burned. The most satisfying job I ever had, and the most beautiful town of all [except Canberra]. We left @ end of 1983, before the unfortunate time. Sad. Sad. Sad. I’d love to go back and just walk around!
By the way, the bay is Anewa bay on the marine charts.
Thanks Jaymz. Its worth the trip back. I got some old photos of the place that I am going put up soon so maybe that will bring back some memories. Thanks for the correction Anewa Bay. But like I sad, its all jungle now.
Best Holiday town ever in its peak. Arawa was the Real Pearl in the Pacific pre crisis…
Oh dear, what a mess. Great town, great country, we left in 1982.
Many millions of kina will be required to get it back as it was.
Quite sad to see it like this.
James, maski giaman, yumi lusim Arawa long January 1984.
Lots of memories about beautiful Arawa. I’ll never forget that.
jaymz is really James Dash Town Clerk (Clock) blong Arawa Town bipo. Thanks for the photos. Love them.
Its a shame that we have destroyed this beutifull town overnight. Our children even do not know what Arawa was like in the 80s. Maybe photoes of Arawa in pre-crises days might help our children to appreciate the beuti of this wonderfull place.
Thank you for sharing this.
sorry late posting – Petrus you are right to want the children/youths to see pics pre-crisis. They were great days, not saying they were perfect – obviously not, but would be good for them to know whats possible – when everyone has an education and training and a job and a purpose. Bring back the good old days….
I lived in Panguna from 1974 till 1986. My dad Ted worked in the Mill. Thanks for the photos so sad to see such a beautiful place destroyed. I had lots of fun growing up there.
I cried to see the town i call home,our childen have missed one beatfull town.
thanks for the info on bougainville, its amazing how nature takes over once man has moved out,I was on bougainville for 3years on and off from 75 to 78 as a student and then an apprentice for bougainville copper. Some of the best times to be had working and socializing with the locals and the expats. I still see a great future for the country because the resources are still there, and if they can extract them responsibly by rebuilding the infrastructure of accommodation and mine site using the best environmentally sensitive techniques all will be well.
But first of all the running of the country by the locals has to be stabilized with all parties coming to the table and working together for the betterment of the community once this has happened other nations would be more willing to invest in the future of the country. I would love to see the Province of the North Solomons reach its full potential and would love to be part of it.
All the best to all
Phil.
P.S.
love to here from any old friends from that time
Arawa is still the most beautiful town in PNG as it is today to me. I’d recommend any willing visitor to Arawa through the contacts Jaive provided. Thanks Jaive for the pictures and stories.
Wanbel.
For me as a kid growing up in Arawa was amazing. I can say I am one of the most fortunate minority who lived and experienced life in this wonderful town. So sad to see what’s left of it after the crisis but memories of it beauty will forever remain. I’m definitely going back home to Arawa.
Another beautiful place that war has tried to ruin. The buildings may have gone but I imagine the atmosphere is still a wondrous one. My son Mark went to school there and got up to a lot of mischief there. When we first arrived on Bougainville from Melbourne, I felt I had arrived in another world. Our first house in Arawa was a tiny house under the Banyan trees just off the Main Street. We later moved to House number 16/33
From Kobuan Kieta, Bougainville to me is home sweet home always was pre-crisis and always will be and always amazing seeing the lovely sights everytime I go home. Place may be all destroyed but from ashes life can once again thrive and we will get back on track. Thanks for the great pics.
Arawa High 1972-1975 with expartriate kids
Arawa was artificial(and therefore had it’s life) with a lot of people enjoying it while they could. I grew up envying, and often feeling alienated from all it offered coming from the mostly detached/ignored local population.
I look forward to building up a more inclusive Arawa/Kieta/Toniva strip that respects and involves the local population, and in doing so a sustainable one that can be enjoyed by all!
Wow great pictures! I grew up in Arawa too as dad worked for bcl. Amazing memories of a beautiful paradise
I worked for SHRM at BCL and Burns Philp as an overseer.This is the first photos i have seen of Arawa since leaving in 1982.I have the most wonderful memories of this place.
Would love to return for a visit
[...] Arawa, Bougainville | my amazing paradise, papua new guinea Located on scenic Arawa Bay on the site of a large plantation, Arawa was established in the late 196Os as planned suburban town for the employees of the Bougainville Copper Ltd which was operating the large open copper gold and silver open pit mine at . Our kids did a lot of their growing up and schooling in Arawa; and two were born there. My office was on the middle floor of the White House with Prov Gov on top, until they built their own place, which also got burned. [...]
Loved hearing all of your comments on Arawa. I supervised the first bulldozer in the clearing of the original plantation in 1969 to make way for roads and houses. It was a beautiful place.
I also designed and supervised construction of the camps at Loloho. I spent the best three years of my life on Bougainville.
John Kopana is on to it.
It was an artificial contrivance.
It could have, should have, been a learning experience for all.
It could have been a win win situation for all.
It takes 2 to Tango, in this case there were many dancers.
2 of my children were born there, but they can not live there even though it is their birth place. Through no fault of their own, they are not even welcome there, even as visitors.
We, all of us, have a long way to go before there will be the mutual respect, trust, and cooperation necessary to complete Johns dream.
Em laik blong yu yet.
I grew up in Arawa,Bouganville,our family left PNG and migrated to Australia in 1984..beautiful paradise..I will always remember how beautiful this place was before it was destroyed,so many great childhood memories and would love to return for a visit
I worked for D C Watkins from March 1971 plumbing over 150 buildings in between the 2 rivers, that ran either side of the town (as it was then) I used to go out to Arovo Island, from Kieta in a dug-out canoe with an outboard on the back, before any buildings were errected on the island, myself and a couple of mates used to dive around the island collecting spider shells and cowries, when the pub was finished on the island, they had beer but their licence hadn’t come through apparently, so one Sunday afternoon, free beer was on for us “locals”—- some woderful memories, now more like a dream…… would love to hear from anybody who lived in “camp 8″ in 1971
cheers
Ron Briggs– South Grafton NSW
Hello
I lived in Arawa in 1971 to 1974 and absolutely loved it, best memories and time of my life. There were four of us siblings, we played every day with the native children and learnt how to ride the rapids down the rivers on inner tubes, carve and make cowry necklaces and fish in the river. We made very good friends with a native family and we loved them heaps especially little Michael. My father only just sent me photos of Bougainville a couple of weeks ago and brought back so many precious memories. My mother worked in the supermarket and dad for Bougainville copper based in Loloho. It is so sad that it became so destroyed but of course we were just kids and did not realise what was going on. We left soon after an attack on the Panguna mine and our home being broken into one night.
Hi
Loved living and working in Bouganville in 89. The people are truly the best treasure of this island. Thanks for showing us a little of the changes.
I was in Bougainville in 1981 and cannot believe that this once lively and thriving town has been reduced to this but…. it WAS and Expat’s town and the national population were not treated fairly. Let’s hope that its renaissance results in a lovely town primarily for Bougainvillians that visitors can enjoy too. Hope I can come from UK and have a beer or two when that happens.
where is the maski town? is it in PNG? and, in which island is this town?
could any one educate me about this twon?
Many thanks for your great pictures.
When I was in Bougainville (1965, 1967) Arawa was a copra plantation. Panguna was still a dubious prospect. You can read about my two, 3-month sessions in Bougainville on my website.
Another link:
http://www.riverbendnelligen.com/bougainville1.html
I went back after almost twenty years and was saddened yet elated to see the town which I spent my childhood days! I always tell my children how I would go for a bathe in Bovo river & Loloho Beach, swinging from the banyan trees. I often think about my friends from Bovo International (’85-’89).
Hi,thanks for sharing your pics,I lived in Panguna 1975 -1978 .schooling was in Panguna then a short spell at Arawa,only to end up going to Qld Boarding school. my father worked for Bcl….due to lack of shops up there we quite often drove down the mountain(That was an adventure in itself)…To shop,visit friends ,swim in the Beautiful Bovo river.As we owned a Ute,it was common for us to be stopped on our exit out of Panguna only to have half the towns kids jumping in as well,with no call to the parents whatsoever as that’s just the way things were up there.Relaxed peaceful,tropical,fun….oh and the Country club often had outside movies showing which would explain my love for westerns now,they seemed to be the in thing and Neil Diamond.My first real shopping experience was at the shopping center in Arawa when I was 12 years old
I grew up in this once a very beautiful and peaceful town where dad worked with BCL. Its very sad to see the streets that I used to walk during those memorable days.
Arawa was a very wonderful town in its heyday’s. I can remember a tropical paradise in the sunshine with romantic beaches and swaying palm tree’s..A real pearl in the in the south pacific.
I was born in 1974 at the Arawa General Hospital. My two brothers (Keith & Wally Ani) after me were also born at the Arawa General Hospital…parents worked for BCL when it started operations. My parents are from Hula, Rigo, Central Province. Originally resided at section 13 then moved to Section 15 (lot 49) near the ‘pikus’ (banyon) trees and the Tupukas river.
I attended Tupukas Community school (1981 – 1986) and went onto Arawa High School (1987 to mid 1988)….mangi Tampara Masika!! I sadly had to leave Arawa mid 1988 due to the crisis and headed to Port Moresby, where both my parents come from.
The best place ever and Miss Bougainville, NSP!! Great pictures and I am so lucky my second brother (Keith Ani) has being frequently travelling NSP and has being bringing back heaps of photos of the Arawa township and the other villages he has been visiting….bringing back great memories.
Thanks for the recent photos as they are really appreciated.
Grew up in Arawa from 1972-1978 and pidgin was my first language.
I miss the place I called home for the first part of my life. Lived just up from the Banyan tree that the road went through. Pretty much next to the house with the cement yacht that took years to build.
Went to Bovo International Primary School and my mother used to take the students for individual reading lessons during class.
Geof and Carol Richards are my parents and we now live in Latrobe Valley Gippsland Victoria Australia.
I would love to hear from our old neighbours and friends.
Some names that jump right into my head that I have no news about are Kamhi, Lee Glover, Richard, Lucky
Mark Richards
aka google MrCyberdude and Facebook, icq 1730773 for contact
I was born at Arawa General Hospital on December 22, 1975. My parents, Del & Melissa were there with the heavy machinery company – Morgan Equipment. They moved back to California in 1977 and I have never been able to see the island I was born in, beside the pictures they took. Thank you for this post and sharing your photos with me.
Thankyou for the wonderful picture of Arawa town especially.I feel that it is my true home since i was borna nd raised there…. the pics bring back alot of memos and tears to my eyes… i am planning a trip back there to see these place one more time…
WOW thank you for this wonderful website. Arawa holds a special place in my heart so many happy memories. I would love to return to see this beautiful town one day. My dad worked for bcl. I actually found a picutre of him in one of the photos. I almost fell off my chair. He passed away a long time ago. Thank you again.
Thank you. These shots seem to be of a foreign land…the Bougainville & Arawa that I know and keep in my heart is of a peaceful, clean, serene and a natural haven for a child growing up. From the cool currents of the rivers, to the swinging vines of the banyan trees, to exploring the reefs of Loloho Beach….a safe haven where everybody knew each other and there was no fear while walking the streets at
night. Glad to have been born there and to have grown up there. I miss my HOME! Tampara!!!!
Wow thanks for the pictures! I was born and bred in Arawa in 85 as my dad worked for BCL.. The riots moved us to Australia which is a wonderful place but nice to see my birth place again. I wonder if anyone has photos of the hospital before it was destroyed?
Today, a Bougainvillean enjoys it as his rightful home because the barrel of the gun chased out the dogs. When I was a kid, the dogs terrorised us as we passed the edges of town to and from school.
Let’s work for the nationhood of our island.
I wanna see back this Town to its full glory.. LOVE this place.
I was born in Arawa General Hospital in 1977, to Cristeta and Terry Roch. My Dad worked at BCL. We lived in Section 32 and left for Melbourne in 1986 when I was 9 years old.
Close family friends we still have contact with who were fellow expats in Arawa are Chris & Ray Marion, parents to Nigel (born in Arawa in 1976), Sam and Clinton…
Talk about culture shock coming to Australia. I had to wear shoes all the time, and it was soooo cold. LOL. Like others here I remember a privileged childhood going to school at Bovo International, spending days swimming at Loloho beach, playing in the jungle behind the house, catching shrimp and tadpoles in the local creek, going to Kieta beach for fresh fish off the boats, eating sugar cane with the local kids… I can still smell the pong of the mosquito fogging…
I wish my kids could have the experience of somewhere we still call paradise and would love to return if the infrastructure was there again (and the locals were treated fairly, although this is something I wasn’t aware of as a child). Would love to hear from others who remember me or my family.
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