Erave 2 Patrol Report:

By Matthew Powell (218 273 116)

Part 1:

Describe the patrol which is the subject of the report. What can you say about when the patrol took place? What part of the Highlands did the patrol visit? What stage of development were the people who the patrol encountered? What were the main activities undertaken during the patrol (e.g. surveying, criminal investigation, census-taking, medical, anthropological)? Were there any incidents of violence? What stands out about the report (e.g. establishment of airstrips, road building, mission activities, schools, etc.)?

The ‘ERAVE PATROL REPORT No. 2’[1] was documented throughout the Southern Highlands district of Papua New Guinea, PNG, which was located within Australian territory at the time. There were multiple patrols that occurred in between the 26^th of October 1954 and the 28^th of February 1956 but the 2^nd Erave patrol report ranges from the 16^th of December 1954 until the 30^th of January 1955. W.J. Brand was the main patrol officer beginning on the 26^th of October 1954 and was accompanied by a European man named Mr. J.B Battersby and 2 ‘natives’ named ‘Police & Bauiena’[2]. The details of the report range from agriculture to economic stability and is defined by the Department of District Services as ‘[a]n important piece of field work and well presented’[3].

Naturally these papers are very difficult to read since they were written sixty four to sixty six years ago on and the ink on the paper is half missing or smudged but luckily most of the events that were recorded are still legible. Reading Anas’ novel, Geographical Review,he mentions that the Highlands ‘cover only 12 percent of the total land area of the territory of Papua New Guinea but contain about 40 per cent of the total population’[4]. The head of this report that was sent to explore this massive area was know as W.J. Brand, sometimes referred to as Mr. Brand, where he observed the people’s lifestyles, behaviours and attitudes. Brand appears to be the main patrol officer within the Southern Highlands region as he is most often discussed throughout the report and included in many diary entries. Although there were plenty of different patrol officers that were in control of this area Brand was the first kiap and had no information passed onto him from other officers. When reading the notes Brand pointed out that the people of the Southern Highlands were people of apathy showing that he cared for them and was accepted into their community. A majority of the focus for these reports was on ‘Native Affairs, Health’ and infrastructure[5]. Since one of the report’s main focuses were Papua New Guinean people and lifestyles it would be safe to assume that Australia did not know much about their neighbour and were aiming to learn more about them by reporting on them.

Brand and his patrol group travelled between Erave, Mendi, Ialibu and all surrounding areas documenting within the report that ‘[t]he patrol was generally well received and it was evident that recent patrols to this area were having a satisfactory effect’[6]. This suggests that the people of these areas were friendly towards the patrols and welcomed them into their communities with open arms. By reading against the grain though it is possible that the patrols that came before Brand may have threatened the occupants and bullied them into acceptance of Australian patrol groups. This theory becomes more evident when two of Brand’s men are faced with hostility by ‘several youthful bowmen’ in Kamduan. For members of this dance village’s tribe to hold weapons against Australian patrols, when they had met with other patrols at an earlier time, suggests that a hatred had formed from earlier encounters. This report tells people of today’s age that perhaps this tribe was visited by Australian patrols earlier that were more hostile and treated them poorly.

Within the report it appears that certain groups of Papua New Guineans were ignored and didn’t get many visits from patrols. Brand’s patrol travelled to more isolated groups ‘which had been little contacted by patrols’ where women were hidden from sight and they did not receive the friendly reception that they received in other areas. Bows and arrows were sometimes in possession within the places he visited[7]. This shows that Brand’s group’s main goal was to visit isolated areas that carried a greater risk. Since Brand was located in the Southern Highlands where a majority of PNG’s population is his patrol engaged with the friendliest of groups as well as the most hostile groups. What stood out the most while reading the report was that towards the end is a subheading titled European development and under that title falls airstrip sites, trade items, maps and police. This suggests that Australia was responsible for creating a police force for the territory, which would have aimed to create law and order throughout the island. This may have actually been done to benefit the communities since they would all be ruled under one government but when airstrips and trade items are brought into the equation it could suggest that Australia was looking at PNG for profit. After all the introduction of police would answer to the Australian government and even though PNG was not connected to Australia physically it was still a territory meaning the head of territorial government would be giving orders out to the police. This would essentially mean the different groups and communities spread throughout the country would lose most of their power. With that said this is all speculation one would like to believe that Australia’s intentions were pure at heart and they were only doing what they thought was best for PNG.

It was also interesting that the report includes a population and census where they list the population of the area. The strangest part about this is that men were greatly outnumbering the women. The only logical explanation is that the men were hiding the women from patrols’ vision. Perhaps they didn’t want any of the women to appear available to the passing men and didn’t want them to pursue any of the women. Brand does mention that women were being hidden from sight in one of the towns but it is possible that most of the towns were hiding their women before the patrols even arrived[8]. It’s also strange that the Southern Highlands contain 40% of the population but only 13,300 people were found.

Without Brand’s report it would be much more difficult to observe the lifestyles that the people of PNG had. Brand shows a compassionate and friendly group of people that were also proud of their homes and culture. Although he is from a country that has obtained their land they are still willing to accept him into their community and teach him and his people about PNG. Although Brand’s group appeared to only want to help the surrounding communities of Erave, by introducing economics, law and order and strengthening their agriculture, there may have been a more sinister undertone that the Department of District Services believed in.

Part 2:

What can the report tell you about the workings of the Australian colonial administration in the Territory of Papua & New Guinea in the 1950s? Can you find out anything about the perspective of the patrol officer/district officer who conducted the patrol? Is there evidence of shared assumptions between the patrol officer and his superiors? What can we learn from these assumptions? Are there any gaps that might suggest there is an element of ‘colonial common sense’ here?

Within the Erave report the Australian colonial administration was curious to find out what the people of PNG thought of Australians and the types of lifestyles they lived. They were also concerned for the agriculture, livestock, infrastructure and population of the territory. At first glance it would appear that they were caring for the Papua New Guineans in the area and wanted to help them become a greater and stronger nation but when reading against the grain it is quite likely they were identifying the richest areas and best soils to produce food on. Through this report it is easy to see the profit from Erave and its surrounding areas. With that said the report constantly talks about the “native peoples” in high regard often calling them friendly and full of apathy[9]. This may have been an act by Brand, defending the people in an attempt to prevent them from losing their land. Until 1960 a significant part of the colonial administration was to explore new territory and find peace among tribes that were in conflict with each other[10]. This makes sense when Brand visited the hostile tribes that didn’t gain much attention from other authorities but he was also sent to visit communities that were peaceful and friendly towards the Australian patrol officers. But why would patrols be sent to areas that are known as safe and have friendly environments surrounding them? One theory that could come into play is that the Australian colonial administration was flexing their strength within these areas to ensure that no violence would occur in the surrounding communities. This would be an easy task to accomplish since ‘patrol officers, as agents of the administration or as individuals, wielded enormous power’[11]. These kiaps would be able to inspire fear into all communities and people they came across, which explains why the first groups Brand came across were so fearful of him and his company.

Unfortunately it is hard to take the reports as accurate evidence since they are often opinionated by whoever was writing them but they do offer insight into the feelings and thoughts that patrol officers and Papua New Guineans had at the time. The reports are very important for gaining a new perception about what occurred throughout the Southern Highlands during Australia’s colonial reign.

What about on the Papua New Guinean side? Drawing on the literature that we will be examining in this module, can you suggest any alternative explanations for the behaviours that are described in the report?

The behaviours and attitudes towards Brand and his men are strangely unique. The people of PNG appear to have feared Australian patrols as well as accept them into their lives and communities. Throughout the module much has been learned about the livelihoods of these people and what makes the most sense is that they didn’t understand the Australian colonisers or what they were doing. Missionaries and new technologies were brought into their communities changing their whole understanding and perception of the world and how things are done. Holy crosses and machinery replaced their statues and culture and they were equipped to complete physical labour by Australian employers. It is incredibly difficult to imagine an external force coming into Australia with new technologies and culture and being able to trust them so easily, knowing that if they wanted to they could destroy everything.

Think about Cohn’s investigative modalities. Are any of these evident in the report?

Although Cohn’s investigative modalities were used for British colonialism in India many of the elements that are a part of investigative modalities were also involved in Papua New Guinea. Through the reports that were made it is clear to see that the Australian colonial administration were far more interested in the terrain and living environments than the people living there. Although people like Brand enjoyed the company of the Papua New Guineans the same can not be said for everyone.

Cohn’s investigative modalities are evident throughout this report when Brand notes the population and census of people living there, observing that ‘males greatly outnumbered females’[12]. One reason they needed to observe the people may have been to know how many people were able to work for them in plantations or agricultural areas. They would need to send patrol groups to, as Cohn states, ‘collect the facts’ and ‘classify, categori[s]e, and bound the vast social world’[13]. The patrol group also made note of the registration numbers of the police officers that were with them. By noting this information within the report Brand suggests that the administration did not trust the police around that area. The fact that they needed to take their registration numbers hints that they feared something would happen to the kiaps and they wanted to ensure the Papua New Guineans would be held accountable.

Another piece of evidence that investigative modality was present throughout Brand’s report is when his team reviews the medical state of all groups within the surrounding areas. Brand states that the ‘health of the people generally appeared to be good. No cases of sickness whatsoever were seen by the patrol’[14]. The remarks page at the beginning of the report suggests differently though focussing more on ‘native concentrations and possibilities for European settlement and economic development of the area’[15]. It would appear that the notes made on the health of the people within the area were only made so the administration would know whether the habitat was liveable and whether or not they could move their people in. Obviously the administration could not place a group of people into an area infested with poisons and poor living conditions. This links in to Cohn’s idea of investigative modality since these patrols and reports were only made so Australian government could view the profit to be made from Brand’s area. Although Brand does seem to have wanted to protect the people within the communities he visited and truly did enjoy spending time in PNG he could not avoid the fact that he was hired to scout out the land and observe what could be taken.

Within Brand’s report it is clear that the Australian colonial administration was following Cohn’s investigative modalities. They sent patrol groups around PNG to ensure they knew everything about the land, people and culture. If anything these reports prove that just because one civilisation has a perception of how things should be done it does not mean they are right.

Part 3:

Finally, write a brief (no more than 200 words) summary of the report, and include, from the list that is provided here, the keywords that can be used to describe it. THESE WILL BE PUBLISHED AS PART OF THE UCSD COLLECTION, AND WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION TO USERS ABOUT THE REPORTS.

The 2^nd Erave report demonstrates an investigation into Papua New Guinea focusing on their agriculture, infrastructure and economic development. W.J. Brand led his patrol through the Southern Highlands hoping to discover and explore the culture and lifestyles of the Papua New Guinean people. Brand’s investigation led him into studying the development of Papua New Guinean infrastructure exploring the types of roads and bridges built in the area. Hostility was met only once by angered youthful bowmen. Brand’s report also covers the health and hygiene of the Papua New Guinean people living in Erave’s surrounding communities, where the people don’t freely seek medical attention.

Word Count: 2261.

References:

Primary Sources:

1. Brand, W.J., Erave Patrol no. 2 of 54/55, 16^th Dec. 1954 – 30^th Jan. 1955, National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea (hereinafter National Archives of PNG), Patrol Reports, Southern Highlands, Erave, 1954-1956, vol. 14, file:///Users/student/Desktop/Erave%202%20Papua%20New%20Guinea.pdf, (accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

Secondary Sources:

1. Anas, M., ‘The Geographical Review’, The Highlands of Australian New Guinea, Taylor & Francis, Vol. 50, No. 4, 1960, pp. 467-490, (Accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).
2. Cohn, B., ‘Introduction to Colonialism and its forms of knowledge: the British in India’, Colonialism And Its Forms Of Knowledge: The British in India, Princeton University Press, Princeston, N.J., 1996, pp. 3-15, (accessed 2^nd Oct. 2020).
3. Kituai, A., My Gun, My Brother: The World of the Papua New Guinea Colonial Police, 1920-1960, University of Hawai’I Press, 1998, pp. 19-41, (Accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

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[1] W.J. Brand, Erave Patrol no. 2 of 54/55, 16^th Dec. 1954 – 30^th Jan. 1955, National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea (hereinafter National Archives of PNG), Patrol Reports, Southern Highlands, Erave, 1954-1956, vol. 14, file:///Users/student/Desktop/Erave%202%20Papua%20New%20Guinea.pdf, (accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] M. Anas 1960, ‘The Geographical Review’, The Highlands of Australian New Guinea, Taylor & Francis, Vol. 50, No. 4, p. 467, (Accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

[5] W.J. Brand, Erave Patrol no. 2 of 54/55, 16^th Dec. 1954 – 30^th Jan. 1955, National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea (hereinafter National Archives of PNG), Patrol Reports, Southern Highlands, Erave, 1954-1956, vol. 14, file:///Users/student/Desktop/Erave%202%20Papua%20New%20Guinea.pdf, (accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] A. Kituai, My Gun, My Brother: The World of the Papua New Guinea Colonial Police, 1920-1960, University of Hawai’I Press, 1998, p. 19, (Accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

[11] Ibid.

[12] W.J. Brand, Erave Patrol no. 2 of 54/55, 16^th Dec. 1954 – 30^th Jan. 1955, National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea (hereinafter National Archives of PNG), Patrol Reports, Southern Highlands, Erave, 1954-1956, vol. 14, file:///Users/student/Desktop/Erave%202%20Papua%20New%20Guinea.pdf, (accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

[13] B. Cohn, ‘Introduction to Colonialism and its forms of knowledge: the British in India’, Colonialism And Its Forms Of Knowledge: The British in India, Princeton University Press, Princeston, N.J., 1996, p. 5, (accessed 2^nd Oct. 2020).

[14] W.J. Brand, Erave Patrol no. 2 of 54/55, 16^th Dec. 1954 – 30^th Jan. 1955, National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea (hereinafter National Archives of PNG), Patrol Reports, Southern Highlands, Erave, 1954-1956, vol. 14, file:///Users/student/Desktop/Erave%202%20Papua%20New%20Guinea.pdf, (accessed 1^st Oct. 2020).

[15] Ibid.