Colin Webb

White Boy Black Country Colin Webb

Papua New Guinea has left an indelible, lasting imprint in the mind and soul of the author. He arrived in this primitive, war-torn Australian Territory in 1947, a few months shy of his second birthday. The tell-tale signs of war were everywhere. After the war his father became a Patrol Officer whose task it was to pacify and rebuild a country that had been torn apart during years of war. As a result his job would take him to many different parts of the Territory over the ensuing years. This enabled Colin to experience the growth of an insular, primitive colony to a youthful, independent country in less than 30 years. As a young boy he grew up on outstations in the bush where he spent much of his time among the local people learning their languages and culture. When the time came to "go south" to boarding school he made a solemn promise to himself that he would one day return to live and work in the country he called home - the same country which had provided him with such a rich heritage of early memories. Christmas vacations from The Southport School would provide him with the opportunity of accompanying his father on a number of his more interesting patrols. Following his appointment as an Education Officer in 1966, he made good his promise to return to the country he had known and loved. He goes on to tell about his experiences as a teacher during the years leading up to Papua New Guinea's Independence in 1975.