Peter Ranasinghe and Brett Whitewood with part of the display now in Kingaroy Library

April 1, 2016

South Burnett residents Peter Ranasinghe and Brett Whitewood are gearing up for some special Anzac week talks, which explains why parts of Kingaroy Library have taken on a distinct Melanesian feel at the moment.

Peter is a guide with “No Roads Expeditions” and regularly takes groups along the historic – and challenging – Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.

Brett is one of six local residents who joined Peter on one of his recent walks.

Together they will be sharing their experiences in two talks at Kingaroy Library later this month.

On April 27, the pair will be speaking to a group of Year 10 Kingaroy State High School students who have been studying Kokoda at school.

Peter said the military history of the Track would be covered but there would also be a strong message that “if you want to do it, you can if you put your mind to it”.

He said the talks would also emphasise respect for the cultures of the people of PNG.

The public talk will start at 10:00am on Thursday, April 28.

“The general talk will be a bit different. It will be more about the military history because older people are more likely to have a military connection to the Track,” Peter said.

He will speak about the young Australians who lie in the military cemeteries along the track, but also about the horrors the war inflicted on the people of PNG.

Peter and Brett have erected displays of paintings, flags and photographs in the library ahead of the two talks.

The library staff have also mounted displays of books and videos about Kokoda which will be available for loan.


 

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