The Demise of the Angoram Club
By the nineteen eighties the club had completely disintegrated. The building had been dismantled and interior furniture purloined.
Sepik Robbie, Ralph Ormsby, Freddy Eichhorn, Peter England, Don Bosgard and Ron Lucas would be turning in their graves.
One past member would be particularly upset with the removal of the billiard table for it was on this fixture that he pleasured a young lady at the dead of night after closing time.
Stories by David Wall 
barbara said,
May 6, 2009 at 3:29 am
I remember most of these names you have mentioned.
Sepik Robbie drove me to the church by the airstrip in his silver jeep which he had put together from parts found in the jungle and Peter England and his wife gave us our wedding reception at thier hotel.
regards Barbara
David Wall said,
May 6, 2009 at 4:33 am
Sepik Robbie, Ralph Ormsby, Freddy Eichhorn, Don Bosgard and Ron Lucas have all died. The last mentioned member alluded to is very much alive.
After Sepik Robbie died, Marjorie, his wife, married Freddy Eichhorn. Marjorie, I think is now dead. Meg, Peter England’s wife, is still alive, as far as I know.
Barbara, great to get your feedback on the old Angoram days. With your permission I would like to put your wedding photos on my blog.
Kind regards,
David
Anonymous said,
June 7, 2020 at 5:26 am
To David Wall ,
This is from Shan Herbert ( formerly Shan England ) .. Have just read your blog. My mother , Meg died 28/ 10 / 2000 . My father Peter died 67 or 68 just after my 21st . I am now 73 ( how time flies ) . I have been on Google trying to see old photos of Angoram and the people there around 56 – 67 .
Regards Shan Herbert .
Ian Gill said,
February 23, 2010 at 4:27 am
David, I have just been talking in Wewak to Peter Johnson, who lived in Angoram from the 60s and witnessed its “glory days.” I wouuld like to learn more about those days and Peter says you’re a great source of information. Would appreciate hearing from you.
Ian Gill
Michael Johnson said,
January 30, 2011 at 4:43 am
I can still remember the last days of the Angoram Club as a kid when my dad used to drive back to Angoram in the 1970’s. By then, there was no pool of course. I wish the glory
days of the Club were more vivid in my mind but alas, those days had passed as the Angoram expat population migrated to Wewak or right out of PNG altogether.
Michael Johnson.
Brisbane.
David Wall said,
January 30, 2011 at 7:47 am
Michael
The glory that was Greece the grandeur that was Rome – hardly an apt analogy with old Angoram but in the sense of a passing era that was dear to many you would perhaps get my meaning.
David
Stephen Smith said,
September 15, 2013 at 10:23 am
I certainly do.
deberigny said,
September 15, 2013 at 12:54 pm
S, good to hear from you! D
Rob Parer said,
February 1, 2011 at 1:08 pm
Hi David,
I wonder if anyone remembers Stuart (Stuey) Brown ( Ghekko ) who was croc shooting/recruiting in the late 50s and told me so many wonderful stories of Angoram. In 1960 he was under the “Dog Act ” for the third time and the law was, after three times the person had to be deported.
My Dad ( Bob ) was in Wewak going south for three months and the OIC Police in Wewak told Dad about Stuey and Dad ,said, “send him up to Aitape as no grog there.”
So when I met the Gibbs’ Norseman weekly flight, Stuart walked up to me with a letter from Dad saying: “Herewith one Stuart Brown he is an alcoholic. Give him a room in our home at St Anna Plantation, and find something for him to do and make sure that he does not touch grog for if he does, he must be deported”
I was only 23 and here was a guy who I found out later had an amazing war record – an Officer who had been Mentioned in Dispatches twice and had escaped from the Germans twice! So, as he was good with a compass, he did the boundaries of a new Cocoa Plantation which we were going to hack out of the jungle across Raihu River from the Hansenite Colony (Now called Raihu Hospital).
After the war, he went to India and was in charge of a province. When he was in Aitape with us there was also a liklik Doctor Nevell there who had spent many years in India, so you can imagine the interesting stories they had to tell. The wonderful Nevell family went on to be based in Angoram.
Stuart stayed with us for two years and had to go to Australia, as he was diagnosed with TB. He was at the RSL Hospital at Pullenvale, Brisbane. I’m not sure when he passed away, or where he is buried. I would like to know.
I found him to be one of the finest men I have ever come across. And how privileged I was as a young man to have been influenced by a person with an enormous sense of fair play and honesty.
I salute the memory of a gentleman of the highest order.
Rob Parer
Anonymous said,
November 8, 2011 at 6:52 am
Rob – Grace and Frank Neville went from Aitape to Ambunti – John Pasquarelli
deberigny said,
November 8, 2011 at 7:14 am
I remember staying with Grace & Frank Neville at Yangoru in 1962. Frank was the EMA there. David Wall
Lynda Sutherland said,
April 29, 2012 at 8:18 am
What a surprise I got to find this site, my name is Lynda and I am Frank and Graces daughter. I loved Ambunti and lived there but was away at school when you must have visited Yangoru. I Lynda
Anonymous said,
December 28, 2023 at 8:12 am
Lynda great to hear from you! Jack
Bryan Martin said,
January 28, 2012 at 12:00 am
What a surprise to find this site. I did a Google search for Peter England. I was in Angoram in 1962, as the teacher of the Primary A school, with 10 students. I remember the club very well and played many games of billards and snooker, as well as table tennis. I shared a house with Don Bosgard for the year. I was asked to tutor Peter and Meg’s daughter Sharni, in maths. Sharni and I used to swap records, and I escorted her to the weekly movie.
Other names that are in the memory bank are Dan Rolfe, John Pasquarelli, and Pierre Donaldson, whose daughter Larraine I taught. I recently scanned my many slides into the computer, bringing back many memories.
Anonymous said,
October 1, 2012 at 3:02 am
I, too, shared a house with “Bossie” in 1963/ 1964 while posted to Angoram as a kiap. I stayed in touch with Dan Rolfe, and his wife Priscilla, for many years and sadly now both have died. “John ‘Las Kompani’ ” was still kicking around in North Queensland late 2011.
Cheers Mike Edgar
deberigny said,
October 1, 2012 at 3:16 am
Mike, thanks for your comments. David
deberigny said,
October 1, 2012 at 3:14 am
I would love to see your slides, Bryan. David
Bryan Martin said,
October 1, 2012 at 10:35 am
I believe I uploaded some of my slides some time ago, to a related website. Bryan
Bryan Martin said,
October 1, 2012 at 10:43 am
My photos were uploaded in January 2012, Bryan martin
Melchior Pessie said,
September 22, 2015 at 6:39 am
ryan Martin , if you still on this email, pls respond to this email. My aunt /Mama is Hildegard Samgai who is the daughter of Peter England, borne out of a relationship with a girl from Upper Ramu in the war.
Melchior Pessie said,
September 22, 2015 at 6:43 am
Bryan, I am a grandson of Peter England through Peter England of Angoram through my mother Hildergard Samgai borne to Peter England & Grandmother of Upper Ramu, Madang (PNG) in the War. My email is mlchrpss@gmail.com. I want to be in touch with step sisters & daughters in England & any where else in the world.
Gertrude Miria said,
June 7, 2021 at 4:56 am
Dear Bryan
Good afternoon, my name is gertrude Miria and my team is currently working on a land use plan of angoram town and we would like your assistance to provide some historical photos of angoram town and some background history. we would acknowledge your assistance and look forward to hear from you soon.
Thank you
Regards PNG.
Bryan Martin said,
January 30, 2023 at 12:49 am
Hi Gertrude
I have just gone back to this page after ignoring it for many years. I thought it was defunct. Do you still want old (1962) photos of the Angoram township?
Bryan Martin (brylil67@gmail.com)
deberigny said,
October 1, 2012 at 3:19 am
See: http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2012/10/the-angoram-club-tributes-to-an-institution-long-gone.html#comments
deberigny said,
October 1, 2012 at 10:57 am
Bryan, you certainly did upload photos on my blog. I’m trying to work out some of the previous comments.
Your photos:
Many thanks,
David
Deb Malor said,
October 15, 2013 at 2:35 am
Fascinated and excited to find this website. Husband is nephew of Freddy Eichhorn but has no knowledge of him since childhood. Would be very interested to know of Fred’s later life. We have photos from (possibly) Samarai/Milne Bay area where the family lived for some time but nothing really since probably 1920s although some of Fred in Sydney, WW2.
deberigny said,
October 15, 2013 at 3:17 am
Photo: https://deberigny.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/two-up-game-tennis-court-01.jpg
Freddy Eichhorn sitting down, the last on the bench.
Pete, I wonder if you would be able to send Deb Malor any information about Freddy? Dave
Rosalind Hokanson said,
April 7, 2014 at 2:01 am
Hi just found this site saw the photo of uncle Fred my mother Min (Mary Ellen Eichhorn ) Moore was Fred’s half sister same mother Mum was sent away to school in Qld then went back before the war as far as I know Fred stayed in New Guinea throughout the War and got people out through the enemy lines ……. The only thing he would say when I was a kid was that he had a price on his head
Fred and Marge did marry the came back to Brisbane. Fred and Marge both died there
My house burnt down in the bush fires in Tasmania last year so I have lost all the family photos I would be interested to find out more about Samarai I know they had a copra plantation there also Fred’s father was killed up there and my grandmother died of black water fever.
Anonymous said,
March 10, 2023 at 12:59 am
Hi, Rosalind, I’m one of Fred great grand son, grand son of late Bill Eichhorn. You can email me on my Gmail address cenalungnambawansf@gmail.com.
Deb Malor said,
October 21, 2013 at 4:07 am
Great photograph of Fred (aka Boyd, by his sisters): many thanks. We have photos of him as a young boy and you can still see the likeness here, as well as something of both sisters. Would love some more information. We know he had a wife on the Sepik (according to his sister, Kath) and then was married to Sepik Robbie’s wife (I think) at some point. Kath, I think, may have kept in contact but there was a ‘difference of opinion’ with his other sister after WW2 and nothing in Kath’s effects (she died in the 1990s) could give us more information.
John Kue said,
January 17, 2014 at 12:11 pm
Please remember that Peter England married to a Papua New Guinean and has a daughter, who is now still alive. P. England’s daughter now has five grand children of Peter England..of which are two boys and three girls…. They are looking for Peter England’s relatives in Germany….. Use my address for more information
John Kue said,
March 21, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Just want to anounce that Peter England has grand children in Papua New Guinea who are now looking for their families, the desendance of Peter England.
Rosalind Hokanson said,
April 7, 2014 at 1:37 am
Hi my name is Ros , my mother name was Min Fred Eichhorn’s was my Uncle we spent time in Angoram in the late fifties when Peter England and Meg were running the club Al Savey was still going up river on croc runs and we went up through the black lakes to Ambunti and back for the New Year celebrations. I have great memories of that time in my life. Fred and Margery came back to Brisbane and they both died there. Mum Min Moore died in 2003 aged 100. Does anyone know what happened to Albert Fred’s son ?
Anonymous said,
October 10, 2016 at 12:36 am
Hallow Ros and how are you!
Hope all is well! Well I am glad to have found you on this site and decided to send you this notice.
I am Alphonse Roy and I am related to Late William (Bill) Eichhorn. The Late Bill Eichhorn is believed to be one of the sons of either Fred or Boyd Eichhorn, born from a native woman by the name of Anja (already died).
Albert Euchhorn is another son and a brother of Late Bill Eichhorn and lives in Brisbane. Two more daughters who are sisters of Albert and Late William Eichhorn are; Betty and Janet who have migrated and living in Australia with their spouses (families).
We are still trying to establish their contacts.
Late William (Bill) Eichhorn’s children and grand children still live here in Papua New Guinea.
I will be the contact point for further information.
Cheers!
Alphonse Roy (Mr.)
Port Moresby City
Papua New Guinea
Ph: + 67576263466, 67576622888
Email: ralphonse40@yahoo.com
Vicki said,
October 31, 2016 at 9:51 pm
Hi Ros, this is Vicki Murphy, partner of Albert Eichhorn. We met at your Mum’s house in Drury Street, West End a fair while ago. Albert passed away on The 5th September 2016. He always wondered how you were going. Vicki
Rosalind Hokanson said,
April 7, 2014 at 1:39 am
Forgot to say Kath and Win we’re both Fred’s sisters and min was a half sister
Deb Malor said,
April 7, 2014 at 7:12 am
Hi Ros … I’m Deb, married to Win’s son, Ron. Are you Stella’s sister? Would really like details on Fred (Boyd) … contact would be great. We have photos we’d love identified … probably from Samarai.
Rosalind Hokanson said,
April 7, 2014 at 9:38 pm
Hi Deb yes I am Stella’s sister would love to have a look at any photos you have I did have a few photos of aunty Win, Cath and Mum before the fire at Murdunna I will check with Stella and see if she has any that may help . I only remember Ron as a little kid. we only meet him once , spent some time with Win in Cairns at Aunty Birdy’s and aunty Glads place can’t rember the year just remember Win always scared the life out of me.
Looking forward to hearing from you Ros
Deb Malor said,
April 8, 2014 at 2:07 am
Hi Ros … we’re in Launceston and, I believe you’re in Hobart. Stella mentioned you were in the fires at Murdunna. We sent a photo to Stella a little while back of Stella with Hudson and some other children I think … maybe you were in it. Will see if Ron scanned it before he sent it north. Know exactly what you mean about Win!
Ron has a few health problems at the moment and is also tied up doing a uni course (as you do, at 70) but as soon as we’re able we could hop onto the Redline with the photos. (I don’t drive and Ron hates driving in Hobart). And you are most welcome here, of course, if you want to head north. I think some of the photos we have are of Min as a young girl/ woman. Very beautiful. Cheers, Deb
John Tennent said,
June 9, 2016 at 8:50 am
Dear all,
Sorry for barging in on your web site!
My name is John Tennent. I am a scientific associate at the Natural History Museum in London and have been working on a biography of A. S. Meek for some years. It’s been done piecemeal, but is now reaching some form, with a quarter of a million words in some sort of chapters sequence.
As you will all know – probably better than me – Albert Eichhorn and his younger brother George were collectors of natural history artefacts, with Meek in his early days, and almost independently when Meek became unable to travel. Meek was also married to their sister Millie (Emilie).
I have an interest in the Eichhorn’s, although mainly the brothers Albert and George (I have to draw a line somewhere), but didn’t realise until I heard from Marge Sculley in Cooktown a couple of days ago that there was a Bill Eichhorn (he died recently) in the Sepik area of Papua New Guinea. I also see that the father of Freddie Eichhorn was “murdered by a local policeman who ran amok”. Was this was George Eichhorn? I know elder brother Albert died following a second stroke in Sydney in 1931?
My reason for writing to you on this site is that there are almost no photographs of A. S. Meek available. If anyone has photographs from Samarai, where both Alberts (Meek and Eichhorn) lived in the late 19th / early 20th centuries, or nearby Sariba, where Meek had a cattle ranch, I would very much like to see them. Meek seems to have hated having his picture taken, but if there any pictures available, I guess they might have been taken on Samarai or Sariba by one of the Eichhorns.
I am a butterfly taxonomist and have travelled extensively in Milne Bay; I’ll be returning there for a final three months fieldwork in September this year, and will take a break in the middle to tidy up some loose ends in Australia – I’ll also visit Marge in Cooktown. If anyone can help with information on photographs, or the lives of Albert and George Eichhorn, or any correspondence between Meek any any of the Eichhorns, I would be delighted to know. Please do contact me. I have access to 500+ pages of letters from Meek to Tring, now in the archives of the Natural History Museum, and these will form the basis of a biography. But anything and everything connected is of interest.
Thank you!
If this is a “blog” it will be the first time I’ve seen one(!) – and I don’t have a facebook thing. In fact, since I don’t own either a mobile telephone or a television, I expect I’m – very contentedly – a bit of a dinosaur. My e-mail address is johntennent@hotmail.co.uk.
Anonymous said,
June 18, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Hello all,I have come across this website by chance as I have typed in Dan Rolfes name because I recently purchased some of his belongings at an auction,including a large archive of photographs of the Sepik River areas he hunted and also of the people in the Angoram Club,a very interesting collection and I was wondering if anyone could tell me a little more about him as he came from not far from where I live in the North East of England,I have asked the auction house to pass my number on to his relatives who sold the study but I will have to wait and see,hope this makes sense,Thank you,
Best wishes
Chris
Cindy KEIGHRAN said,
August 28, 2016 at 9:11 am
Hello, I’m trying to get into contact with my mothers family from the Sepik. Her maiden name before marriage was Eichhorn. She said she had brothers in PNG and their names were Fredrick and Bill. I wonder if they are the same people you refer to on your website. She married my father and moved to Australia over 40yrs ago. My mums name is Janet Margaret Fuller. She also has a brother Albert Eichhorn who lives in QLD Australia and a sister Betty who lives in Melbourne. I would appreciate any help you can give me. Albert is very sick at the moment and i feel that it would be nice to let their family in PNG know. It would also be nice for mum to reconnect with them after all these years.
Deb Malor said,
August 29, 2016 at 12:42 am
Hi Cindy … see other detailed comment. My name is Deb Malor, from Tasmania. I think there is a definite connection with your family and my husband’s … get in contact. D
Alphonse Roy said,
October 8, 2016 at 8:35 am
We are in search for Ms Janet Eichhorn whom is believed to have married John Fuller and lives somewhere in Australia with her family.
We are related to her here in PNG and would like to keep in touch with her on family matters. We are from Angoram, East Sepik Province here in PNG and would very much want to keep in touch with her or any of her children if she has any.
Thank you!
Alphonse Roy (Mr.)
Port Moresby City
Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Ph: + 67576263466, 67576622888
Email: ralphonse40@yahoo.com
Alphonse Roy said,
October 8, 2016 at 8:50 am
Hallow Cindy!
Good to come across you on this fascinating page and pleased to let you know that the Late William Eichhorn was related to your mother Janet M. Fuller (Janet Eichhorn).
Can she contact us as we are related to her and you here in PNG. Your uncle Tino Eichhorn, the one before your mum Janet is still alive.
You have many cousins here in PNG, especially from Keram in the Sepik Province where your mum was born, her birth place and you are welcome to come home to visit us any time if you want to.
I am Alphonse Roy, a distant nephew to Late William Eichhorn.
Would be pleased to hear from you or from your mum Janet. You may pass my contacts to her for communication.
Alphonse Roy (Mr.)
Port Moresby City
Papua New Guinea
Ph: + 67576263466, 67576622888
Email: ralphonse40@yahoo.com
Anonymous said,
August 29, 2016 at 12:38 am
Hello Cindy
My husband, Ron, is the only child of Wynifred Malor nee Eichhorn. Her brother, Fred (known as Boyd) is almost certainly the father of of Frederick and Bill — and your mother. Boyd had a ‘native wife’ on the Sepik and we knew there were children, including a daughter who may have been educated at some stage in Brisbane — this could be completely inaccurate. Boyd eventually left PNG, having married Marge, the widow of Sepik Robbie, and lived in Brisbane until his death.. There appears to have been some ill-feeling between Bill and Boyd, possibly because of Boyd’s mrariage to Marge — but that is just conjecture. Hard to read between the lines. Wyn also had another sister, Kathleen and a half sister, Min (Mary Ellen). Kath had no children. Two of Min’s daughters are still alive,
If you want to get in contact: dmalor01@gmail.com
David said,
August 29, 2016 at 1:18 am
Hi all, it’s great this site of my dad’s is still being used to connect people. Just to let you know my dad, who ran this blog also called “David Wall” (same as me) passed away a few years back. I’m sure he’d be very happy that his blog is still alive and well!
Alphonse Roy said,
October 8, 2016 at 7:38 am
We are in search for Ms Janet Eichhorn whom is believed to have married John Fuller and lives somewhere in Australia with her family.
We are related to her here in PNG and would like to keep in touch with her on family matters. We are from Angoram, East Sepik Province here in PNG and would very much want to keep in touch with her or any of her children if she has any.
Thank you!
Alphonse Roy (Mr.)
Port Moresby City
Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Phones: + 67576263466, 67576622888
Bryan Martin said,
January 30, 2023 at 12:57 am
Browsing through these comments, I see one from Shan Herbert (nee England) Shan and her parents Peter and Meg England made my stay there very memorable. I assisted Shan with some of her correspondence lessons in 1962. I am now 82 and still very healthy. Would love to visit The Sepik and Angoram but that is not going to happen. I now live in Eagleby, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, in a life-style village for older people.
Bryan Martin