John “Didiman” ADAMS

4 January 2015, aged 78

John first went to PNG in 1956 as a 20-year-old to work for Burns Philp, as an overseer on Kalili plantation on New Ireland.

Two years later, he found work with Comworks Rabaul where he made many good friends. Coming from the land John’s true calling was agriculture so in 1959 he enrolled in a three-year Diploma course at Gatton Agricultural College.

John returned to PNG in 1962 as a field officer with DASF to be posted to Namatanai. Here with scant resources he built an agricultural training station whilst also spending half his time patrolling throughout the sub-district and offshore islands. He had considerable success in establishing the cocoa industry, which survives to this day. He also worked closely with the kiaps in kicking off the Namatanai and Susurunga Marketing Societies.

John married Saima in 1964 and four children ensued: Sandra, Christine, Sonya and David. 

In subsequent years, John served in all New Guinea Island Districts rising to the position of District (Provincial) Agricultural Officer. Their home was always open to all and many friendships from those days remain.

On leaving PNG in the late seventies, they bought a small pineapple farm at Kandanga. It was not long before it became one of the show places of the Mary Valley, employing the latest innovations in the pineapple industry with Golden Circle choosing to hold several Field Days there.

In later years, John’s health failed and he moved to Mapleton where he lived out a quiet retirement. John’s four children and two grandchildren survive him. John Brady