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Cricket was introduced in Papua New Guinea (PNG) by missionaries from the London Missionaries Society in the early 1900s. Initially, matches were not always played with strict rules, with teams fielding over fifty players a common occurrence. The game became very popular among the Papuan coastal villages where these missionaries and early British explorers first landed. There is still conjecture about where the first game of cricket was played, with Milne Bay, Oro, and Hanuabada the three (3) most likely areas where the first cricket match was played on the shores of PNG. Source: www.icc-cricket.com/about/members/east-asia-pacific/assoc...

In the past, matches were not always played to strict rules, with teams of more than fifty players a common occurrence. Cricket did not arrive in the Territory of New Guinea until Australia took over the administration of the territory under a United Nations mandate. Cricket in rural areas tended to be played mostly by the indigenous population, whilst in urban areas such as Port Moresby the game was played mostly by the British and Australian expatriate population, and competition for clubs in the city was started in 1937. A team of nine expatriates and two indigenous players played in Papua New Guinea's first international, against Australia in 1972. Since its beginnings cricket was picked up naturally in the Motuan areas of Papua New Guinea, most recognizably the village of Hanuabada. Hanuabada village is located in the outer suburbs of Port Moresby, where cricket is played every day by small children to their national stars, every afternoon the streets are flooded with boys playing cricket, this was also where the Liklik Kricket Competition was started in PNG. It may be for these reasons more than half of the PNG national cricket team is from Hanuabada village. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea_national_cricket_team

Yarrabah Mission, now known as Yarrabah Community, was founded by Reverend John Brown (JB) Gribble in 1892 to protect the Gunggandji’s from the ongoing rampant exploitation of these people. JB fell ill shortly after he arrived so his eldest son Ernest inherited his legacy. Ernest Gribble went on to become one of the most controversial Missionaries in Australia. His career lasted for 64 years, making him the longest-serving Anglican Missionary. Gribble aspired for the Yarrabah population to take pride and control in their community. He implemented a government, formed from indigenous members, and a court (also staffed by indigenous members of the community) that monitored the behavior of the residents. Gribble also crowned a King, King Menmuny, who reigned over the Mission and looked after his people. By 1904, another mission on Fraser Island was closed and 117 residents were forcibly relocated to Yarrabah Mission. A move which was naturally resented and resisted by those involved. Mass breakouts and instances of insubordination became common so the court decided to expel the ringleaders to Fitzroy Island. Gribble secured a lease on Fitzroy Island in 1905 and the first 30 people were moved out to the new outstation ‘Kobahra’. The Kobahra residents were quick to build eight buildings including a coral church. They also planted coconuts, paw paws, mangoes, yams and other crops in an effort to become self-sufficient on the island. The settlement was closed in 1912 after residents petitioned the Protector of Aboriginals for their release. The island continued to be leased to the Yarrabah Mission for many years afterwards. While the Yarrabah Mission no longer maintained a permanent population on Fitzroy Island, it became a popular location for special occasions such as picnics and organised outings. World War II With the outbreak of war in the Pacific the Yarrabah Mission lost its’ lease. The Imperial Japanese Navy had a series of submarines patrolling our coast and attacking shipping. Cairns was the nearest main port for traffic bound to Papua New Guinea via Townsville. Due to the constant threat of attack, the No. 28 Radar Station was established on Fitzroy Island in 1942. No. 28 Radar Station monitored all shipping and air traffic approaching Cairns. Welcome Bay also served as a transient mooring for destroyers and cruisers waiting to join shipping convoys heading to Port Moresby. Between 1942 and 1945 over 100 servicemen served with the No. 28 Radar Station. In addition to the Radar Station, servicemen also manned a Wireless Signal Station and a Morse code-blinking Lighthouse. Submarine Indicator Loops spread through Welcome Bay were constantly monitored. The combination of these efforts uncovered a Japanese submarine lurking around the island in May 1943. The station monitored its movements for nine days while it avoided multiple attempts by the Royal Australian Navy to destroy it with depth charges. It finally slipped away on the 17th of May leaving the Investigating Officers at a loss as to its mission although it was theorized that it may have been dropping off or collecting spies. The World War II military base camp was on the site of the current Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. The dam constructed by the servicemen to store water can be seen at the start of the Summit track. Source: www.fitzroyisland.com/explore-fitzroy/history/

In 1878 concerned citizens decided to address this problem, and formed a Hospital Fund Committee with elected Trustees. Permission was given in May 1879 for a temporary hospital to be situated in Ward 2 of the Immigration Barracks in Finemore Park, opposite today’s Base Hospital. At the same time, according to the Bundaberg Daily News, “3 acres, 3 roods has been permanently reserved for a hospital site.” Plans went ahead to build a permanent Hospital, and in 1880 the tender to build was awarded to Mr Midson, with construction completed in February 1881. Known as the Cottage Hospital, it was a four-room timber cottage, with a kitchen and separate Kanaka ward. In 1898, almost twenty years after the foundation of the first Hospital, the question of a hospital to meet the a growing population was raised by the Hospital Committee. At the time, most surgical cases of any complexity were sent to Brisbane, and the Committee felt it was time to “raise the status of the institution so that a wide range of surgical cases could be undertaken.” This also meant a staff of trained nurses would need to be engaged, and Mr. J.C.Walker, then-Secretary of the Committee proposed that the hospital should be a training school for nurses as well. While an operating the theatre was erected in the existing building, the cost of rebuilding older parts of the Hospital lead to the idea of commissioning plans for a larger Hospital built in brick. Source: www.artsbundaberg.com.au/downloads/file/30/base-hospital-...