PNG Echo

CONTRIBUTORS
CHRIS BARIA
BORN in the Kieta District of Central
Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, Chris
is old enough to have survived the civil
war of the 1990s on Bougainville.
He was working at the Copper mine,
Panguna, when it was sabotaged by
disgruntle landowners provoking civil
war between the landowners/people
of Bougainville and the government of
Papua New Guinea.
At the cessation of hostilities, he
worked closely with ANZAC and Pacific
peace monitors to effect a ceasefire and
peace agreement.
For seven years prior to his recent
retirement Chris worked as a Press
Officer in a government ministry in Port
Moresby. He currently resides in Arawa,
Central Bougainville where he is writing
a book about his lifetime experiences.
ELLA HALL
FORMER food/travel blogger has
lived in PNG for 10 years, where she
has attempted to “single-handedly
change the Internet’s opinion of Lae.”
She is actively involved in women’s
issues and was the President of the Lae
Lioness Club for five years. Married,
she is owned by two cats, six dogs
and a green tree snake called Kevin.
Her goal in life is to go a day in Lae
without a power blackout.
GREG SHEPPARD
A practising lawyer based in Port
Moresby, Papua New Guinea where he
has resided for thirty years.
He was born and educated in Perth
at Guildford Grammar School and the
University of Western Australia.
He is married with three children and
apart from law and poetry, his interests
include music – classical and pop.
He began to write poetry as selftherapy
and takes inspiration from
many styles including the seers, the
nonsense rhymers and Dr Seuss.
DR KEVIN
PONDIKOU
KEVIN is half Manus and half Simbu by
birth. He is 40yrs old and has been working
at Rumginae Rural Hospital for five years.
He was admitted to Laloki Psychiatric
Hospital for two months in 2013 which
proved to be a life-changing experience
for him.
He is currently on medication for Bipolar
Disorder and uses writing as a catharsis and
also to record the untold stories of remote
communities.
ALSO:
• REBECCA RUNDUALI
• SUSAN MERRELL
• LYDIA KAILAP
• JUSTICE GEORGE
MIKE JONES
IT consultant, writer and grandfather,
Mike has been meditating since the
late 1970s. He is a student of the
Western tradition of Buddhism. He
has found that mindfulness meditation
helps him to travel a kinder, more
nourishing pathway.
RITA
RITA (surname unknown) started
writing on the advice of her therapist
who suggested it as a salve for her
(ever so slight) drinking problem
and her more disagreeable social
tendencies. Rita will be regularly
featured in ‘PNG Echo’ and will be
a boon to the team – mainly because
she’s handy (she lives downstairs from
our editor.)
TANYA LLOYD
A published author and professional
writer who is involved in a wide range
of committees and organisations
within the local community. She is an
Australian expat currently enjoying life
and culture in PNG.
MANUHU CSM
PNG ECHO SEPTEMBER 2019
EDITOR
Dr Susan Merrell
E: susanmerrell13@gmail.com
PUBLISHER
Dr Susan Merrell
E: susanmerrell13@gmail.com
PROPRIETOR
Pacific Perspectives P/L
Suite 3, 571 Military Road
Mosman NSW 2088
Australia
ONLINE EDITION
www.pngecho.com
COVER PHOTOGRAPH
Chugg Entertainment
DESIGNER
Magazines byDesign
www.bydesigngraphics.com.au
www.facebook.com/PNGEcho1
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