Lat
7° 12' 0S Long 146° 39' 0E
History
Located to the NNW of Wau,
along the Bulolo river, this town was a prewar town and the center of
dredging
activity
for the Bulolo Gold
Dredging Ltd. company, operating 8 dredges flown into the area from
Lae by Junkers W.34 and G.31 Trimotor.
Gold dreging operation was in operation until January 21, 1942 when
the threat of attack to the town was emminet. When
the war in the Pacific started, women and children were evacuated
by
Christmas of 1941, being flown to Port Moresby and Australia. Most
men were part of the NGVR (New Guinea Volunteer Rifles) and joined
the war efforts.
Japanese Missions Against Bulolo
January 21 - February 5, 1942
Destruction of Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. Facilities
Japanese aircraft
bombed the goldfield areas at intervals, and the company's machine
shop
was
damaged by
bombing,
which set
off demolition charges two days before the Japanese landing at Lae.
After the Japanese landing at Lae, the power station were demolished
in a 'scorced earth' policy, followed by the destruction of all houses,
offices and stores in the town four months later in May 1942. The gold
dredges were not destroyed, but were damaged by requisition of parts
by Allied forces.
Bulolo Airfield
Built in 1930, attacked by the Japanese at the start of the war, disused today
Bulolo War Memorial
A
small memorial was built in Bulolo's main camp to honor those former
Bulolo Gold Dredging employees when served in the NGVR and regular Australian
Army during the war, and were killed. Memorial services are
observed each ANZAC
day
at the
memorial. A small radial engine is displayed nearby,
as well as wheels and buckets from the gold dredges. Photo by Justin
Taylan 2003. The memorial plaque reads:
