Centaurus, a bit of history from back in the late 60's. I was with Fiji Airways on the commercial side. We had Herons, DC 3s and a newly arrived HS 748. We set up the first scheduled service to Nauru with proving flights in the Herons then 748s', extending out from Tarawa, O/N Nauru.
In discussions with Hammer, who had been offered a fifth shareholding, didn't go to well in that he wanted to buy the whole of FJ outright. In those days we were owned by several Pacific Island nations and QF/BA. It was all or nothing for Hammer so no Pacific Island Consortium was formed to operate an airline. Still think it was a good idea but the Frog s where also a bit iffy.
FJs GM, crusty but straight, killed himself laughing when I gave him Hammers reply and that he had offered me the job of GM! if he could buy the whole of FJ. The discussions I might add where conducted in Hammers pig pens.
We did a bit of charter work for them to places like the Marshall's.
The Independent celebrations in 69 where fun with 2 Herk's, 2 DC4s 2 748s all arriving close behind one another. Cops on motor bikes clearing the runways, No ATC as the Radio was U/S. Having been co-opted to help sent our 748 off to Tarawa, Stopped the first Herk on the runway and asked him to act as ATC and inform the following A/C of the situation and to back himself onto the tennis courts with the other Herk. Having taken the skipper there by car to get his ok,TAAs 4 was taxied down to the school yard to park. QFs 4 parked in the admin area leaving room for the VIP A/C to land.
On our O/Ns we didn't stay in BPC quarters but at the wonderfully named " Virgins Castle "
As so many contemporaries are no longer with us great stories of PNG/Pacific Islands in the late 50s and 60s have been lost forever.