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Shaun Higgins asked for news of Bill Carter.

Neil Yakalis offered this for Bill Carter. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1998.

Bill was Director of P&T at one stage. Were he to still be alive today he would be 99 or 100 this year.

William (Bill) Frederick CARTER, OBE (27 May 1998, aged 74)

Before going to PNG, Bill was a telecommunications engineer with the PMG Department in NSW, responsible for an Engineering Division with headquarters in Parkes. He was chosen by Paul Hasluck, then Minister for Territories, to create a Department of Posts & Telegraphs in PNG. Bill was then 30 years of age. Most of the postal and telecommunication services in PNG at that time were inefficient and were heavily subsidised by the Government, and there was no in-service staff training for Papua New Guineans. By the time he retired in 1975, both services were operating in a healthy profit position and about 98% of postal staff and 80% of telecommunications staff were Papua New Guineans.

Bill’s interests extended well beyond the running of his Department. He was an avid bushwalker, surfer, skier, and family man. He helped build the Kone Pre-School and was a  Trustee for many years. He was active in the Apex movement and was made a Life Member. He became Chief Commissioner in the Scouting movement. He was an Official Member of the PNG Legislative Council (1959-64) and the House of Assembly (1964-68) (he requested not to be appointed to the Second House of Assembly as he wanted to concentrate on his own Department).  He was a senior member of numerous high-level advisory committees. After leaving PNG Bill did some consultancy work in connection with the building of Black Mountain Tower in Canberra.

Bill’s wife, Anne, predeceased him. He is survived by daughter Beverley, and sons Andrew, Stuart and Bruce.

OTC shared the transmitter building in Boroko Port Moresby with P&T. They had small 1Kw or less inter island transmitters in their half while we had big STC 10kw international circuit transmitters up our end. An internal partition divided the building in two. This site, opposite the ABC studios on St Hubert Murray Highway, is now occupied by a church.

Here is a photo of that building from the P&T end. The car parked under the awning is a 1950’s Ford Prefect.