A proud moment in time

 

The following speech was delivered by Sue Hurrell-Spargo at the launch of Ricky Mitio's autobiography Ovu ga'hoe! at the Lamana Hotel, Thursday 8 May 2025

It is an honour to represent my late parents, Lloyd and Margaret Hurrell, at the launch of Ricky Mitio’s book. Thank you, Ricky, for inviting me to your book launch. My father worked closely with Ricky during his time as Chairman of the Coffee Marketing Board and held Ricky in the highest regard. He would have been deeply proud to witness this moment.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Malum Nalu for his recent interview with Ricky, as well as the late James Sinclair for his information in his book The Money Tree. Malum's interview and James’s book provide valuable insights.

My name is Sue Spargo. I am Lloyd and Margaret Hurrell’s youngest daughter. I was born in Wau and grew up on our farm, Kosali, in Wau. I have always had a strong connection to my birth country, returning after I completed my schooling and teacher training in 1978 to teach at Bulae International School in Lae, and then returning after retirement to volunteer with the Australian Volunteers Program in Kokopo to write and implement an Adult Literacy program. I am fortunate that my husband, Geoff, also has a love for PNG and its people.  We have worked together on education and adult literacy programs. We return regularly to be involved in projects and to visit old and new places.

My father arrived in Rabaul in 1939. His brother Les was already in Rabaul working with the Department of Agriculture. Both Dad and his brother enlisted in Rabaul. Les was killed at Buna. Dad returned to the then Territory of New Guinea as a kiap. He was the kiap who established the first administration station in Menyamya. He later bought a block of land in Wau and began planting coffee. To begin with, he grew vegetables that he flew out to Port Moresby and sent to Lae by road.

I would like to share a little story of coffee in PNG and how Kosali Plantation was connected to it.

In 1929, Arabica Blue Mountain seed was imported from Jamaica and planted in Wau on a small Department of Agriculture-owned block. An AWR Carpenter & Company vessel collected and delivered a huge wooden cask in which the Blue Mountain Seed was packed in charcoal. At the time, Blue Mountain seed was banned for export by the Jamaican authorities. The company got away with the escapade, and Arabica Blue Mountain Coffee was brought to Wau.

Wau was developing into a thriving gold mining town. Carl Wilde arrived and bought the block from the government Department of Agriculture. He rehabilitated the coffee and replanted, expanding the block to 100 acres. The coffee was excellent and was being sold in Wau as ground and roasted, as well as being exported. At the time, there were no roads from Wau to Lae, and the coffee had to be flown out. My father bought the block in later years, and it became part of Kosali.

My father was appointed Chairman of the then Coffee Marketing Board and served on this board from 1965 until 1979. He took over from Ian Downs, who served briefly as the foundation Chairman. Ricky Mitio began with the board in 1972.

Ricky asked me to talk about how things were in those early days. I do know that my father travelled frequently to Goroka for board meetings and had frequent disagreements with politicians who were trying to influence board decisions. I know he was also involved in building the new Coffee Marketing Board building which I remember visiting. I am sure Ricky remembers those days.

Plantations in Wau were different from the highland plantations. Dad always said that Wau coffee wasn’t the same quality, and the plantations were smaller. I can only tell you of my experience growing up on a coffee plantation.

At Kosali, in Wau, my father had a strong connection with the Buang and Menyamya people from his time as a kiap. We had many people from these two areas working at Kosali for many years. Eventually, he sold Kosali to the local Wandumi people in 1979. Unfortunately, after poor management and bank intervention, the bank eventually took over Kosali. The people who had worked for him were not looked after, and they found they had no work.   It was a difficult decision that my parents made as they loved living in Wau and felt great sorrow in leaving their workers who had been with them for so long. Ricky helped Dad through this period. I still return to Wau to look at Kosali, but alas, it is not what it used to be. Both Mum and Dad wanted their ashes to go back to Kosali, and I made sure that happened. When I return to Wau, many of the old families find me and we talk and cry together.

Wau was different to the highlands as gold has always been a way for people to make money. The highlands had much bigger plantations and a bigger population who were interested in making money from coffee. There wasn’t enough interest from small landholders to grow coffee in Wau.

Now, back to Ricky. I love the name of Ricky's book and how it pays respect to his mother.

You all know Ricky Mitio was born in Okapa Sub-District, Eastern Highlands. In a recent interview with Malum Nalu, Ricky mentioned his mother and what a strong lady she was.  She refused to move the family when Ricky's father had suggested that they move. The family stayed at Okapa, where Ricky went on to attend school. The title of his book I will not go! is in memory of his mother’s strong stand. Ricky went to Goroka High School and Vudal Agricultural College, where he obtained his Diploma in Tropical Studies. He joined the Coffee Marketing Board in 1972 as a Project Officer. 

Dad thought highly of Ricky and supported him in gaining the position of Chief Executive Officer when Barry Beale left in 1979.  Barry says, "I had to get Ricky ready to take over. He had a crash course."

Ricky travelled to Australia to meet coffee roasters to ensure the coffee coming out of PNG was what they wanted. In his recent interview with Malum Nalu, Ricky admits this was a tough time for him. On one of these trips, he visited my father and mother in Tweed Heads - something my father greatly appreciated.

Jim Sinclair says Ricky established a fine reputation in his many years of service. He completed a number of courses of study overseas, represented PNG as a permanent delegate to the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) and was chief advisor to the government on International Coffee Organisation (ICO) matters.

In 1987, Ricky left the Coffee Industry Board and went to work with ANGCO as an executive officer. Jim Sinclair says that Ricky’s period with ANGCO as an executive officer gave him an insight into the private sector of the industry. Under Ricky’s leadership, the Coffee Marketing Board was amended to the Coffee Industry Board and then the Coffee Industry Corporation.

In 1969, there were 237 recognised coffee plantations. Most of the coffee was produced by plantations. Oversight of the coffee trade, registration of coffee exporters and processing facilities, quality control of exports and promoting the sale and export of coffee at home and abroad was controlled by the Coffee Industry Board. Ricky documented this. It was a time of huge change.   

The Plantation Redistribution Scheme lasted from 1974 to 1980. The scheme was funded by an Australian Grant. Ricky was very involved during this period. I am sure that he had to deal with political pressure, a lack of financial support, and some aggressive behaviour from the plantation managers. Ricky says that he used the regulatory guidelines to guide him. He was described by Dick Hagen from Gumanch, which was the biggest coffee plantation in the highlands as ‘a competent, professional and dedicated official.’

Ricky promoted coffee as a cash crop. He went into rural communities to promote and advise on the growing of coffee.  He understood that coffee could be a lifeline for rural communities. Ricky realised that small individual landholders would find it difficult to pick, process and market coffee and promoted the idea to make small growers groups. This needed finance to keep going, and sadly, that was not available. He also understands that coffee needs to be maintained to produce well, and smallholders sometimes don’t have that knowledge. Other issues are getting coffee to market on poor roads, coffee bean theft and youth migration to the urban centres.

Ricky’s story is one of dedication, vision and service to the coffee industry in PNG. From his early days as a Project Officer in 1972 to leading the transformation of the Coffee Industry Board, he championed both governance and grassroots development. His efforts laid the groundwork for smallholder farmers who today produce an estimated 85% of PNG’s coffee.

I hope that my father’s influence has been of help to him during his time. I wish my father were alive to see what Ricky has achieved.

I asked Albert Wamiri, from the newly reopened Anego Coffee Factory in Eastern Highlands, what his view on Ricky Mitio was.

Albert said, “Ricky is a champion in agriculture in PNG, particularly for his contribution to the coffee industry. He followed your father’s example to take over and manage the now Coffee Industry Corporation. Ricky Mitio is a real gentleman and a Christian.”

James Sinclair writes in his book, The Money Tree:

"The history of Papua New Guinea post-independence should be recorded by Papua New Guineans. The story of the coffee industry since 1975 is extraordinarily convoluted."

Ricky is doing this with his book, and we are grateful. 

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About Lloyd Hurrell CMG OBE MC 

(20 November 1916 – 22 May 2012)

In 1939, (Albert) Lloyd Hurrell applied for the position of cadet patrol officer advertised in Sydney newspapers. After serving briefly as a Kiap in New Guinea, Hurrell joined the Australian Military Forces in 1940 (NGX18). He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on 11 November 1942 during fierce fighting after the recapture of Kokoda.

After World War II, Hurrell returned to Kiap duties in New Guinea. In 1950, he was appointed Acting District Officer of the Menyamya district and was instructed to establish a new settlement at this remote post in the ‘uncontrolled’ Western Highlands.

The following year, Hurrell was ordered to investigate a raid on the village of Kiatsong during which several people were killed. While investigating the raid, Hurrell’s party was attacked. He fired a warning shot, which unfortunately killed one of the attacking men.

Hurrell resigned from his Kiap duties in 1954 and established a farm and coffee plantation near Wau in the province of Morobe. He entered national politics in Papua New Guinea and served for many years as President of the PNG Coffee Marketing Board. In 1969, Hurrell was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the Board.

(Source: National Archives of Australia)

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PHOTO: The late Lloyd Hurrell CMG OBE MC (left); and Sue Hurrell with Cora Moabi, Media Officer, Coffee Industry Corporation at Ricky Mitio's book launch.