Bulolo

From Freepedia

Bulolo is a town in the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. It was once an important gold-dredging centre in the former Trust Territory of New Guinea, situated on the Bulolo River, a tributary of the Markham, about 32 kilometres miles north of Wau.

History

Dredging for gold was begun in about 1930, with the whole of the heavy machinery being carried to the field by air from Lae.

Dredging operations were interrupted by the war in 1941, and were not resumed until six years later. Gold production in 1952 amounted to 122,035 ounces, valued at £1,311,241, and constituted 77 per cent of the gold produced in New Guinea in that year. As the Gold petered out the dredges were abandoned and they can still be found along the Bulolo river bed.

Bulolo was the headquarters of a company formed to exploit the pine forests that grow in the valley. In conjunction with the milling of timber an extensive scheme of re-afforestation was undertaken to ensure perpetuity of supplies. Bulolo is now connected with Lae by a vehicular road along the Bulolo and Markham River valleys.

Further Reading

The story of the great gold dredging endeavour may be found in Gold Dust and Ashes written by Ion L Idriess and published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1945.