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Keith Today

In late 1955 I read an advertisement calling for Medical Assistants
to serve in New Guinea. This would be with the Papua New Guinea
Public Service in their Health Department, which was answerable to
Australia's Department of Territories.
Little did I know in those long ago days that I was commencing an 
involvement with a land and its people, which would span more than 3 decades.

During that time I would find myself called upon to perform tasks for
which I had hitherto considered myself untrained and incapable.
I would meet and come to respect many thousands of Papua New Guineans
from a multitude of tribes with vast cultural diversities.
They would range from simple village people to village elders,
paramount chieftains, businessmen, and politicians at all levels of Government.

With the birth of my children in the Highlands,
(Michelle at Wapenamanda and Paul at Goroka) in the sixties,
I felt compelled to make notes and commit many experiences to memory.
Perhaps in their later years they would then better understand the
reasons for my frequent absence was due to my compulsive involvement
with P.N.G. and my deep affection for that country.

My original intention was that my often crude and
amateurish writing would take the form of a journal in
order that both Paul & Michelle could gain a better
understanding of the country of their birth.

Certainly I never envisaged that I would even
contemplate the publishing of a book.
Indeed I discovered (as did many of my contemporaries)
that on numerous visits to Australia most factual
first hand experiences when relayed to non-Territorians
were treated with great skepticism.

1956 - 1988 were great formulative years for us all when
we achieved maturity forged many friendships,
which would last a lifetime, providing us with a wonderful
ambience and an experience,
which we were extremely fortunate to have.

I can find no better term to describe that period,
as for many of us we can certainly aptly refer to them as
"The Golden Years."