Dr John ARMSTRONG

10 February 2005, aged 80

Born in Leura, John achieved his medical degree from Sydney University in 1947 and then worked in hospitals and private practises in Narromine and Parkes. He married Ann Stevenson in Sydney in 1951. John and Ann first visited PNG in 1974 as tourists, and John accepted a position as Locum in Rabaul for six weeks in 1975. He went back to Australia but returned to Bougainville to act as a locum at Panguna in 1980 before practising in Wyong for a year in 1981. He returned to Bougainville and in 1982-83 again practised at Panguna. After a short time at Walgett in 1994, he again returned to Panguna and worked there from late 1994 to March 1997. He loved fishing and travelling around visiting friends in both PNG and Australia. His final years were spent at Surfers Paradise where he practiced until 2000 when he finally retired. His son Tony pre-deceased him. He is survived by his wife, Ann, and his children Ken, Helen and Paul. Lars Anderson