| Sports |
Volcanologist passes
away
By STEVE SAUNDERS
Dr. Norman Fisher the founder of the Rabaul Volcano Observatory
passed away in the early hours of September 23, 2007, aged 98.
The staff of the Observatory were privileged in October last
year to receive a visit from Dr. Norman Fisher, accompanied by
his wife and daughter. As a 98th birthday present his close
family had arranged for him to join the cruise ship Orion at
Rabaul.
Herman Patia (RVO’s present Acting Assistant Director) discusses
developments with RVO’s first Director, Dr. Norman Fisher
In 1934 as a young geologist Norman Henry Fisher came to PNG as
the Administration’s Geologist at Wau, Morobe province.
His work in the Morobe Goldfields later earned him a Doctorate.
Following the 1937 eruptions he was sent to Rabaul to assist two
overseas specialists in their investigations.
But he was soon left on his own to do a more in-depth study, his
subsequent report was to become a classic in volcanological
literature and was published as ‘Territory of New Guinea.
Geological Bulletin No.1 (1939).
The preliminary reports had recommended that a volcano
observatory be built at Rabaul, Dr. Fisher was asked to design
and supervise its construction.
He was sent to Java for training in volcanology tutored by some
of the world’s greatest volcanologists of the time.
The Observatory was built during 1940 at its present site. He
was subsequently the first Director of the Observatory, assisted
by Clem Knight. He soon built himself a tennis court, including
weaving the net, on his visit last October he was keen to see if
any trace of it was left, unfortunately not, but the bamboo that
he planted to shore-up the slope was still growing in the area.
On medical advice Dr. Fisher gave up tennis only a couple of
years ago!
In 1940 the observatory was mainly equipped with homemade
instruments, the war making the procurement of equipment
difficult. Even so, by analysing temperature measurements
actually collected within the vent of Tavurvur (N.B. as Dr
Fisher wrote in his usual direct style in 1939, ‘...the
expression “Matupi Volcano” is to be deplored...’) he saw a
build-up and warned of an impending eruption, this occurred in
June 1941.
To Dr Fisher’s dismay in December 1941, his garden became the
site of an anti-aircraft battery and the observatory building
doubled up as barracks for over thirty men. This overloaded the
facilities and Dr. Fisher had to have words with the C/O about
the dumping of waste over the sides of the ridge, as ‘the flies
were getting terrible’.
The guns were so close to his house that their blast fractured
the fibro.
On January 22, 1942 after several days of intense air-raids and
as Japanese transports were observed off Watom Island, Corporal
Norman Fisher of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NG 608) and 79
other civilian volunteers bolstered the regular army at Rapindik
as part of the defences of Lakunai airdrome.
But orders soon came to move to Vulcan to protect the approaches
to Vunakanau airdrome. Dr. Fisher’s party dug in near the beach
at the base of the new military road up to Vunakanau (post-war
called the Burma Road). After the intermittent night-time
fighting first light brought intense dive-bombing of their
positions, their mortar received a direct hit.
With the Japanese successfully landing on Vulcan and others
coming around the road from Rabaul Dr. Fisher’s party retreated
under intense bombing. When they got to the top of the zigzags
in the Burma Road they found that they were amongst the last to
leave with only one vehicle left.
After waiting for others they continued on, all the while being
dive-bombed. Abandoning the truck at Mt. Varzin they walked to
the head of the Warangoi River. Then crossing the South Bainings
to Lemingi Mission, then to Wide Bay where the party of three
(Norman Fisher, Clem Knight and Patrol Officer George Greathead)
found a small launch.
Another five escapees were lucky to catch up with this small
group of practical men. Following the coast and dodging warships
they found a larger boat at Palmalmal. At Fullerborn Harbour Dr.
Fisher, Clem Knight and Leo McMahon went ahead to search for
fuel and stores. At Lindenhafen they were shown by the local
staff where the plantation stores had been hidden, they gather
enough stocks to enable the eight to reach Samarai and hence
safety. A journey all the more remarkable when it is considered
that two thirds of Rabaul’s NGVR did not survive.
Although post war Dr. Fisher was mostly based in Canberra, he
was invited to be involved in the debate on whether Rabaul
should be rebuilt. In 1939 he had been of the opinion that as
Rabaul was practically intact the most economic thing would be
to leave it as it was, but monitor the volcano.
In the late 1940’s, however, with the town razed to the ground
he considered it best to abandon the caldera floor, advice that
was not heeded. He was to become Director of the Australian
Government’s Bureau of Mineral Resources.
Volcanology, however, remained one of his loves; in 1957 he
produced the Melanesian volume of the ‘Catalogue of the Active
Volcanoes of the World’ a work that still forms the basis of the
Smithsonian Institute’s volcanological database of the region.
In the short time Dr Fisher was at the Observatory last October
many questions were asked on both sides. His strong personality
was still to the fore, and so was his interest in volcanology.
Handing him some of RVO’s recent scientific papers, he had to be
stopped by his wife from reading them then and there, but she
said “he will read them you know”.
We felt like we had handed in our home-work to well respected
headmaster!
* Dr. Norman Henry Fisher 1909-2007.
 
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