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G'day all
I am currently writing my Masters thesis on tourism to Australian Battlefields, with a focus on Gallipoli (ah, that old chestnut) and Kokoda. My interests lie in both the theoretical area (why people visit, is it considered pilgrimage etc) and the practical elements of a visit.
The paper is largely a theoretical investigation; I have not visited Kokoda as yet, but hope to do so eventually, possibly when I start my PhD.
Should anyone wish to contact me for whatever reason, please feel free.
Cheers
RobHi Rob
Good luck with your project whilst you certainly have taken on a challenging one I am sure it is one that you will find even more interesting and challenging as you go on.
I do hope that it challenges you to one day take on the ultimate challenge yourself and to trek Kokoda.It actually took me fifty yes 50 years to get there originally around 20 together with a few senior scouts and leaders we were in a the planning stages to go. In those days there were many "Old Diggers" some parents or family members of our group who had fought through Kokoda. It may not surprise you but we possibly had more discouragement than encouragement from those who had been there previously.
One thing lead to another studies, work and family all coming first and our planned trek back then never took off.
50 years later I had by 70 birthday whilst trekking Kokoda to me in more ways than one the whole Kokoda experience was an emotional one for me.
Good luck in your studies I am sure that you will find those on this forum whom if they can will help you in any way possible.
Brian
Hi Rob,
What a great subject for your thesis. Have you read Garrie Hurchison's PILGRIMAGE A Traveller 's Guide to Australia's Battlefields? It has chapters on both Gallipoli and Kokoda and may prove a useful resource if you have not already come across it. Publisher is Black Inc.We can truly say that the whole circuit of the earth is girdled with the graves of our dead… and in the course of any pilgrimage, I have many times asked myself whether there can be more patient advocates of peace on earth through the years to come, than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war.
King George V: Flanders 1922My own experience is as a child of Eastern European refugees who met in England and then migrated to Australia with their family to start a new life. I took a l-o-n-g time to take out my Australian Citizenship and Kokoda was part of this journey. I could not take in any more European Battlefields but to journey along the Kokoda Track and experience the mute witness of the graves at Port Moresby's Bomana Cemetery was a truly Aussie pilgrimage – paying homage to those who had walked there before me… I was greatly influenced by Peter Fitzsimmons' Kokoda and its stories that brought this battlefield to life. ABC Radio read this book in the early hours of sleepless mornings.
There is also the 'other side' – the Japanese stories that are only slowly being recounted. A recently released book The Path of Infinite Sorrow: The Japanese on the Kokoda Track (Craig Collie & Hajime Marutani: Allen & Unwin publishers) is a start as are the few Japanese trekkers who are beginning to make their own pilgrimages.
I once attended a talk by the author, Peter Brune, who discussed the topic of Australia as a Republic and said that visiting Gallipoli and Kokoda on pilgrimage was a part of a young Nation in search of itself. That's a line of enquiry that might also be useful to follow. There is also the South Australian folk singer, Eric Bogle, who has written some significant songs about Australians at War (Waltzing Matilda (Gallipoli) and Private William McBride (WWI Western Front)). Slim Dusty has also recorded Kokoda Track – so it is an event that is very much part of the Nation's tapestry.
I echo Brian's wishes for your studies and, while only a recent member of the Forum, also know that you will receive any help that you require from its members.
Thanks guys, certainly a warm welcome!
Meri, I certainly have read Hutchinson's Pilgrimage Guide, I have been referring to it frequently. I've also been using Stuart Hawthorne's "Kokoda Trail: A History", and Bill James' excellent field guide. Iv'e also found Lindsay's "Spirit of Kokoda" to be likewise quite helpful.
I will look out for the book on the Japanese; could add an extra dimension to my paper.
Cheers
RobRob
Have a read of "The Bone Man of Kokoda" the extraordinary story of Kokichi Nishimura and the Kokoda Track by Charles Happell I would think a must read for your thesis.
Brian
Hi Rob
Another book you may find useful is Paul Ham's "Kokoda". It is probably only available in the library these days, but is a comprehensive and very easy read. I liked it better than Fitzsimon's book myself.
Personally, I walked the Kokoda Track for two main reasons: as a pilgrimage to try to understand what the Diggers went through in that difficult terrain; and as a personal challenge to see if I could do it. When I finally made up my mind to go, a third reason emerged – it was something that my eldest daughter and I could do together, as we had not spent much time together since she was 16. (She was 32 when we walked the track).
Good luck with your thesis. What a fascinating topic to be researching.
Cheers
MaryHi Rob,
Along with others I welcome you to the forum and pass on my best wishes with your thesis.
I have just received an invitation to the launch of Patrick Lindsay's book "Kokoda Spirit" to be held at, "Ellery Suite" Old Melbourne Observatory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Birdwood Ave (opp The Shrine). 10.30am-11.30 am Tues. 10th November 2009.
The book is to be launched by George Palmer, a 39th Battalion Veteran. No doubt there will be a few other 39th & 2/14th Veterans at the launch.
Should you be interested in attending, an email to the publishers, reception@hardiegrant.com.au would, I am sure, bring forward an invitation. (I have no relationship with the publishers other than sharing a similar surname)I am the son of late 39th Battalion Veteran and a member of the 39th Aust Inf Battalion(1941-43) Assoc Inc. I walked the Track in 2007 with my own two adult sons. Our group consisted mainly of direct descendants of 39th & 2/14th Battalion Veterans. If you are not already aware, you may find the Web Site http://www.39battalion.org of some assistance in your research, in particular past copies of their regular newsletters, "The Good Guts".
Kind regards,
Geoff HardieHi Rob,
Firstly I welcome you to the forum and commend you on taking on such an extraordinary investigation.
Secondly, I echo everything the others have said – it's just that they got in first and took the words out of my mouth!
And lastly, but not least, I have just returned from trekking the Kokoda Track myself. Reasons for walking Kokoda vary greatly and I hope you will endeavour or have the opportunity to see for yourself what it is like by trekking it yourself.
My reasons were largely personal, but I already had deep-seeded roots of respect for our Soldiers from a very young age which was furthered by my involvement with the local army regional cadet unit (127RCU).
If you are able to make it down to Sydney for the launch of the book, I encourage you to do so. I had the fortunate opportunity to listen to Mr George Palmer speak up here in QLD at our local library. He has the most incredible sense of humour (which he obviously used in order to cope with the many attrocities he witnessed in the Kokoda Campaign) and could also add just that personal element to your thesis (although I do understand that a thesis is to contain facts, not emotions).
Still, it might reflect in how you word your thesis. You will gain much knowledge from your investigation – as you no doubt have already – but I am almost certain that you will also gain a much deeper revelation of just what was involved on all sides preceding, during and following the Kokoda Campaign as you continue your research throughout this investigation.
fluppy
[attachment=8851:MewithGe…tatKokod.jpg]
George Palmer (39th Battalion Veteran – Kokoda) and I
MewithGeorgePalmer_whofoughtatKokod.jpgHi Rob, do you have a time line for completion of your Thesis? I'm trying to get a project started that you might be interested in (and involves doing a Kokoda trek some time in the next six months). Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you something, or anything of that nature. I did Kokoda back in August. I'm a personal trainer, but Kokoda (and preparing people to trek) is my special interest.
You can contact me at eve.cardiocafe @ gmail . com or through my Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Br…afe/89659449138
Eve
Rob – you ask why did people go:
I went with my 62 year old father earlier this year. Dad's father (pop) served in PNG – not seeing action on the track itself – but in and around the lae area. He was injured physically with shrapnel and bullet but also suffered mentally from the whole thing. My father raised the idea of doing the track to get an idea of the terrain and what pop went through. Pop had passed away a couple of years prior to us doing it and probably would have called us "bloody fools" for doing it…. but it seemed like (and was) right for us. It's had more of an impact on me post event than in the lead up or the actual walk itself.
Hi Rob, welcome to our forum. A few years back the main trek operators such as ourselves were approached to ask our trekkers for honest feedback about their trek by Simone Grabowski who was doing something similar to yourself.
Simone was looking to collect over 200 completed questionnaires from trekkers over the age of 18.
I suggest you contact her:
Simone Grabowski
School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism
University of Technology, Sydney
PO Box 222
Lindfield NSW 2070
Phone: 9514 5145
Mobile: 0431 400 196
Email: Simone.Grabowski@uts.edu.auSimone's report stated the following as the reason people walk the Kokoda Trail/Track:
Table 1 – Reasons given for visit Reason for visit % of sample
- For a physical challenge 78.5
- To learn about Australian history 66.6
- For your own personal development 44.4
- To discover a different culture/environment 25.9
- To retrace personal family history 21.5
- To learn about PNG culture 15.6
- To take a holiday 12.6
- To be surrounded by nature 5.9
- Other 7.4
Notes: N=136. Respondents could choose up to three of the options.
Source: Grabowski, S., 2007. Ecotrekking: a viable development alternative for the Kokoda Track, Honours thesis, University of Technology, Sydney.
For anyone who would like to read the whole report, please click on the link below:
Wow…thank you to all for the very warm welcome and helpful information.
I will certainly follow up Simone as a contact; it seems her work and mine will be different yet similar in many ways. Still, Im confident I won't be treading on someone else's "patch" so to speak.
At this stage, I have completed my initial sections on battlefield tourism in a general sense; where it fits in to the tourism world sphere; and a generalist sense of the development of Gallipoli as a site of pilgrimage, dating back to the 1920's, and Kokoda up until around the late 1990's.
From here, I want to look at how and why each place has developed in the way that it has; what are the boundaries to further development, and what are the positives. Almost a large SWOT analysis for those familiar with the term (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).
Being able to bring in anecdotal evidence, or statistics, will certainly add a great deal to my paper.
I will, of course, make it available upon completion to all who are interested. Timeline- ambitiously, Im aiming to submit by March 1st 2010. As it is a relatively short paper at 22,000 words, and I've written about 10,000 thus far, I am confident I can get it done.
Thanks again to those who have provided advice and suggestions, I will be sure to follow it up. In the meantime, I can be contacted best at robert.kelly@arts.monash.edu.au
Cheers
RobHi Rob
good stuff and very interesting thesis topic, I responded to Simone from UTS (mentioned previously) she had a survey she wanted answers from trekkers that had walked Kokoda. I walked the track and will continue to walk the track for several reasons…
1. The Military History (ex regular army)
2. To experience the local culture and environment
3. To challenge myself physically and mentally
4. A love of the great outdoorsIm sure many ex trekkers will agree that Kokoda has a certain addiction and alot of people continue to go back and walk again….I just hope it doesnt become commercialised….the beauty about it is its ruggedness and isolation
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