USP Inter-tertiary Soccer kicks off

The USP Inter-tertiary soccer competition kicks off today at Laucala campus. The games this year was seen as tougher than previous years. USP Soccer Team this year will be the team to watch during the competition, having played all their games today with a clean sweep of all their matches. they played four matches and won all of them with an aggregate goal of 11 goals and only 1 goal being scored against them. the team comprised mostly of "Wantoks" the Solomon Islands Student studying at USP Laucala Campus, and a few Vanuatu and Fijian students. The team receives assistance from the University which provide them with a coach (a former Fiji National Soccer Rep) and a Team manager, Robert Nicole. The team is the first to qualify for the second round of the competition. Watch this site for more updates and Photos of the games...

A Day of Sporting Fun at the University of the South Pacific







Biukili 2005

USP GE201 students Conquered the Fiji's highest mountain

"As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer. However, while working in the customs office I thought deeply about the matter and concluded it was too difficult a subject. With some reluctance I then turned to physics as a substitute." - Albert Einstein**

Mount Tomaniivi and the Sigatoka Sand Dunes
These may not be his exact words, but to tackle this course one has to be able to overcome the nature itself and its complexities. Solomon Island students studying at the University of the South Pacific have had first hand experience of what it meant to be a geographer; being able to conquere high mountains, rugged terrains and deepest of the jungles. The GE201 students have just returned from a life time experience from Fiji's wild side and here is an overview from a final year SI student, Krawford Pita:


GE201 Class of 2005 on the left is Prof.Randy Thaman
Date : from monday 19th - 22nd Sept
Lecturer: Prof Randolf Thaman and other GE Tutors.
Purpose : biogeography and the distribution of native and introduced plant species in Fiji, esp Viti Levu and the land use of native Fijians from the shoreline to the interior fiji. No of students: 100 plus

Destinations :
Monasavu Dum and hydro site plus Power station (supplying
to Suva and smaller towns in Viti Levu, Navai village (place of stay during the week) plant species and land use was taken here. Mount Victoria, Natively known as Mt Tomaniivi (highest Mount in Fiji -about 1500 meters above sea-level),Sigatoka sand dunes.

Transportations Suva-Navai:
- 2 Pacific buses from Suva to Monasavu Dam site, Carriers
from Monasavu-Navai village. Transportation Navai-Suva: 4 Carriers from Navai to Tavua, 2 Pacific buses from Tavua,to Ba, to Lautoka, Nandi, Sigatoka and back to Suva.

Last Lap
Lelebet story:
Mountain:
Very steep indeed, covered with thick forest (primary forest) with both native and exotic plants. Mountain sides: Very steep with volcanic rock stretch downwards.
Caves around the sides of the mountain. Ropes were provided to help climbers on steep places. On the very top: not a very big surface, about 20 meters in diameter. Dew and fog narawe, drops like showers. From the very top: you can see the ocean, Ovalau island, Tavua town, and almost all around Viti Levu. We went up with GE409 students as well. All students reach the top, not like on other previous years where few were not able to make it. Reaching the top is like a dream come true, and a great achievement in my life.

1500 meters above Sea level
Final night, perform cultural dances. Solo and Vanuatu combine. Dances: "Aue Puke, Bilikiki(West), Wakabaoti lo China town, Oka le(guale)" and endless Fijian style Grog session and "Taralala"(dance) till the break of dawn.

Wrapping up the journey
Photos courtesy of Prof. R. Thaman, GE201, 2005

**(Attributed to Albert Einstein, this quote was actually written by Duane F. Marble, Professor of Geography at Ohio State University.)

USPSA, One Ocean Party makes a Landslide victory

The USPSA election results have seen the One Ocean Party unanimously won all the seats for the new executive posts for the Student Association, in Suva. Solomon Islands student John Tuhaika is the new president for the student boy. It is a victory for the Solomon Islands Student in Suva, as it signifies the unity that the wantoks have with the various diverse cultures in voting John to be in office. The One Ocean Party has representations from all the cultural groups in the USP Region.

SOLOMON ISLANDS LAW STUDENTS ADMISSION

Six Solomon Islands studying at the University of the South Pacific undertaking the Professional Diploma in Legal Practice [PDLP] taught at the Institute of Justice and Applied Legal Studies[IJALS] in the University of the South Pacific have received their admission to the Bar in Suva. The Professional Diploma in Legal Practice is an intensive six month program designed to prepare students for entry into legal practice in one or more of the jurisdictions of the Region served by the University. The six students, Jimmy Seuika, Pamela Kenilorea, David Alpheas, Kelly, Paul Mae, and Ruby Awa have successfully completed their law degree with Paul Mae graduated with a Masters in Law (LLM).

USPSA 2005 Election Suva, Fiji

The University of the South as of 8 am today launch its 2005 elections for the new executive. There were two parties that has been formed to contest the election. The parties are, One Ocean; which have representations from each member country including Fiji and Indo-Fijian reps, and Humanity which consists of members of Indian Islamic and few other regional students. Solomon Islands have two member representations within the two groups: John Tuhaika, for the President Post (One Ocean Party) and Moses Ramo for the Welfare Post (Humanity Party). The election will close at 5pm this evening and results will be released shortly after.

Solomon Islands Student Association 2005 Election Results

The SISA 2005 Election results have been released today at 6.00pm FJ Time. The executive posts that were contested for during the elections were: President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary with the remaining chairpersons to be appointed by various cultural groupings. There were 17 candidates altogether contesting the four posts, 3 contesting the President Post, 4 contesting the Vice presidents Post, 6 for the Treasurer post, and 4 for the Secretary post. The results released by the SISA Electoral Commission office headed by Augustine Bata'anisia are as follows:

President:

Douglas Ete with 155 votes
Alice Alisae with 89 votes (Runner up)

Vice-president:

George Leo with 92 votes
David Faradatolo with 90 votes (Runner up)

Treasurer:

Enoch Mani

George Tuti (Runner up)

Secretary:

Robert Pepelu

Anne Kwaimani (Runner Up)

Total number of votes cast was: 265 votes, and with 20 invalid votes mostly for the treasurer's post.

These are the election results released today by SISA Electoral office. The new executive with take office as from Wednesday 21st September, 2005. It was a good turn out done by the Students and these signifies the true nature of working together and the leadership qualities of the students.

USP Open Day From Solomon Islands

The Open Day in the Solomon Islands Center have been a success, according to a source there. The turn out was good with lots of students coming in see what the University has to offer, and especially to watch the live perfomances from Laucala Campus. The Centre puts on a good cultural show for its guests and students who came...We are looking forward to any photos from around the centers if you can send them...


Tikopian Dance Group entertaining at the Center in Honiara...

More pictures to come soon...

University of the South Pacific 2005 Open Day, Suva

The 2005 USP Laucala Open Day was one the most interesting times on campus, where the University shows unique self to the world. The uniqueness of this university derives not from the courses or programs that it offered but on the many different cultures that lived and study together on one campus. Solomon Islands is one the unique culture that puts on its shows and frankly, the Solomon Islands students have something to be proud of, their cultural diversity and the oneness that they show on stage, the sounds of the custom dances have brought one back to the very shores of the "Hapi Isles" and have brought Suva to a stand still, both the girls and boys have put on a brilliant performance with the girls having some cultural exchange students getting a real tasted of what our culture is.


The Girls with student exchange students

And..the Big boys, Mao Dancers from USP...








Photos courtesy of R. Mafane, 2005

SI Animal Species and its Status

Solomon Islands attracts immense interest from the international community due to the uniqueness, diversity and biological significance of its natural environment. Solomon Islands' forests form part of the belt of tropical rainforest that covers only 7 percent of the Earth's surface but that accommodates 70 percent to nearly 90 percent of all species of plants and animals. Next to PNG, Solomon Islands has a greater diversity of land-based species and a higher level of endemism than any other Pacific island nation(WWF,2003).

From datas gathered, the rate of extinction of our species of birds and animals is increasingly alarming. Here I have gathered some of the species that is listed as critically endangered species and endemic to Solomon Islands.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED:

Animal Info: Montane Monkey-faced Bat
Pteralopex pulchra
Status: Critically Endangered (CR)- This means that a species is Critically Endangered when it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future ( IUCN Red Data Book - Volume 1 - Mammalia, 1996).

Profile:
The head and body length of the genus Pteralopex is 255 - 280 mm (10 - 11"). The other species in the genus are generally restricted to primary forest, and this species may be similar. The montane monkey-faced bat is found above the altitude of 800 m (2600'). It probably has a diet similar to the other species of the genus, mainly based on nuts.

The montane monkey-faced bat is known only from Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
Fiji has one of five species currently described in this genus, the other four being from the Solomon Islands. One of the Solomon Islands species, Pteralopex taki, has only recently been described (Parnaby 2002).

Animal Info - Cusp-toothed Fruit Bat
(Other Names: Chao Rondo, Cusp-toothed Flying Fox, Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Bat)
Pteralopex atrata
Status: Critically Endangered

Profile
The head and body length of bats in the genus Pteralopex is 162 - 275 mm (6.4 - 11"). As a rule the genus Pteralopex is confined to primary forest. The cusp-toothed fruit bat probably has a similar diet to the other species of the genus, which is predominantly based on nuts. This is based on the generic feature of specialist dentition. As a rule the genus is confined to primary forest.

The cusp-toothed fruit bat occurs on Guadalcanal and Santa Ysabel Islands in the Solomon Islands. It apparently has declined sharply but was sighted in 1991. All known species the genus Pteralopex are threatened by current logging practices. The cusp-toothed fruit bat on Guadalcanal faces extirpation due to the forecast of all forest below 800 m (2600') being lost within the next decade.

Countries Where the Cusp-toothed Fruit Bat Is Currently Found:

2004: Occurs in Solomon Islands. (IUCN 2004)
History of Distribution:

The cusp-toothed fruit bat occurs on Guadalcanal and Santa Ysabel Islands in the Solomon Islands. It apparently has declined sharply but was sighted in 1991 (Nowak 1999).
Threats and Reasons for Decline:

All known species the genus Pteralopex are threatened by current logging practices. The cusp-toothed fruit bat on Guadalcanal faces extirpation due to the forecast of all forest below 800 m (2600') being lost within the next decade (Bowen-Jones et al. 1997).

Malaita Woman with Child

This is what I have found while surfing the web. It is an artwork done by an artist called Lez Niepo a Poland born was raised under the influence of a very artistic household. This piece was sold for $3500.00 US.
Description:

Number- A297 Title: "Malaita Woman with Child" .
Medium - Mixed medium on canvas, completed in 1997.
Dimension - 41" X 29" inches 104" x 74" cm.
Price- $3500.00 US
Comments and Suggestions - Inspiration - A trip to Solomon Islands in 1995.

Last Voices From Heaven

Release Date: 6th September Label: Sony TV

To record LAST VOICES FROM HEAVEN, Anthony Copping embarked upon what National Geographic describes as "the most dangerous journey ever undertaken in the search for indigenous music."

His quest to discover the ancient and endangered music of the South Pacific took in 300 islands, 200 performers and hundreds of different languages. The results can be heard on a unique album and the extraordinary story behind the recording can be seen in the accompanying National Geographic film, Last Voices From Heaven. It is the first time the National Geographic channel has ever commissioned a music documentary.

Copping's travels took him to some of the world's remotest places where he found some of the most extraordinary music on the planet, thousands of years old in its origins and still untouched by western civilisation. Music from another world and another time.

While collecting and recording these extraordinary sounds, Copping was confronted by cyclones, civil wars and erupting volcanoes and his life threatened with spears, bows and arrows and guns.

Invaluable support has also come from manager John Wadlow, whose former clients included Seal. "This is the most exciting project I have been involved in over the last ten years. In fact, it's the only reason I am still in the music business," he says.

Copping, British-born but resident in Australia, began travelling in the South Pacific 15 years ago and released his first album based on the music he found there in 1997. But he knew he had only scratched the surface and to record Last Voices From Heaven, he knew he had to go deeper. Accompanied by the Solomon Islands-born singer and guitarist Pascal Oritaimae and a single cameraman, he set off to explore the islands of Vanuatu, the Solomons and West Papua in the vast area of the South Pacific known as Melanesia.

He knew the best chance of finding traditional music still being performed meant seeking out the most remote villages. None of the locations were accessible by road and none of them had electricity. He spent weeks travelling by log canoe hundred of miles up uncharted rivers and deep into dense, unexplored jungle.

And he truly found the Last Voices From Heaven. The music he recorded included ritual and ceremonial songs, lullabies, laments for the dead and sacred spirit songs. In most cases, he was almost certainly the first white person ever to hear such music. He also recorded one of the last practising sorcerers in the South Pacific.

For the most part, the islanders were enormously open and warm. But not always. "We got held up. There were guns and machetes and there were a lot of upset people because they've been displaced and they've had a really hard time. We had occasions when we thought we were going to be attacked and a lot of times when we simply had to run away," he admits.

Then there were more natural but equally hostile elements. In Vanuatu, they ran into Cyclone Zoe. Then, in the Solomons, they encountered Cyclone Benny. On another island, they encountered an active volcano and were hit by flying volcanic rocks. "We had a lot of danger. But we got some incredible music. We recorded literally the last people on earth who know some of these songs. I knew that some of the music was potentially going to die unless I recorded it'."

Back in his studio in Sydney, Copping took the recordings he had made and set about creating a bridge between the world of the islanders and modern western civilisation, helped in the studio by Pascal Oritaimae and mixed in London with Adam Wren (Leftfield / Afro Celt Sound System).

While Copping didn't want an album of field recordings, like some dry exhibit in an ethnological museum, he also wanted to avoid the grab-some-vocal-samples-and-chuck-some-beats-over-them approach. The result is a unique record that is quite unlike anything else in the marketplace of world music.

Woven into a loose song cycle, the melodies are all derived from traditional sources and the songs performed in their original tongue. And yet Last Voices From Heaven also sounds highly accessible to western ears. "I wanted to preserve the music's integrity but also to create something in harmony with the modern world," Copping says.

A percentage of the proceeds from the album is being ploughed back into the islands via local cultural centres and ultimately, Copping would like to set up a local music school. "The islands are being invaded by western culture and realistically we can't save all of this traditional music," he says. "But if we can help to preserve some of it, then we will have achieved something."

Last Voices from Heaven -Siva Pacifica

“The most dangerous journey ever undertaken in the search for indigenous music,” according to National Geographic. Anthony Copping travels to some of the remotest corners of the earth, records music rarely heard more than 10 miles from where it is made and then puts out an album that hides it all away under a blanket of studio slickness.

Tracklist

1. Mana Part 1
2. Ma'a Mera
3. Shadow Of Life
4. Spirit
5. Mo're
6. Mamberamo
7. Wuroman
8. Lullaby Of The Dead
9. Taria Waraku
10. Lament
11. Possessed

Adapted from: age-net.co.uk, 2003.

The White Headhunter

GRAHAM OGILVY

HE RETURNED home to a hero’s welcome and fleeting celebrity in the best Orcadian seafaring tradition.

When young Jack Renton arrived back in 19th century Stromness, he had beguiling tales to tell of astonishing adventures in the faraway Pacific.

Renton amazed Victorian society with his account of how he was shanghaied, captured by South Seas headhunters, and - against the odds - survived for eight years in "the most savage place on Earth" before escaping on a slave ship to civilisation.

The spear he brought back with him still has pride of place in an Orkney collection and a gruesome souvenir, a necklace of 64 human teeth, lies in the National Museum of Scotland.

But new research has revealed a grim truth that Renton could not admit and Victorian society did not want to hear: he survived his encounter with the famously brutal tribes of the remote Solomon Islands by taking human heads.

The sanitised picture Renton drew of himself has been destroyed as a result of the oral history of the Solomon Islanders, who today still talk about the white-skinned headhunter who lived in their midst and became a revered warrior.

According to Mike McCoy, an Australian biologist who lived among the modern-day islanders for 26 years: "There is no doubt that Renton became a headhunter. He would have had to for his street credibility. The islanders recall even now what a strong warrior he was."

Renton’s story is to be retold in a new book, The White Headhunter, by a researcher who spent several years collecting an oral history of the people of Malaita, an island in the Solomon group, east of New Guinea, where the Scotsman arrived as a captive in the 1868.

Like many 19th century Scottish islanders, Renton took to the sea to make his living and he was just 20 when he was shanghai-ed along with four other sailors in San Francisco. Their subsequent decision to escape in an open boat ended in disaster. The men drifted for about 40 days before being cast ashore on a coast shunned by all mariners of the time because of its ferocious headhunting tribes.

Three of his emaciated companions died from the effects of their ocean ordeal but the fourth was clubbed to death by one tribe of Solomon Islands natives. Renton had a stroke of luck, being captured by a rival tribe that had previously held a white man prisoner.

He was taken to their home island of Sulufou, stripped of his clothes and possessions but kept alive by the chief initially for his "novelty value".

When he demonstrated his willingness to go native, while enhancing his value by passing on the net-making, sailing, fishing and gardening skills he had learned as a boy in Orkney, his captors grew to accept him.

It was a process eased by his closeness to the chief of the tribe who eventually adopted him, describing him as his "first born son". He protected Renton from bullying by young warriors until he had mastered the language and he remains revered on the island to this day.

"It is amazing," said McCoy. "The paramount chief has a huge blown-up photographic portrait of Renton in his hut. When I showed people another picture of Renton from the Australian national library, one old woman reached out her hand to touch it and murmured ‘Jackie, Jackie.’ It was unbelievable and so moving."

But the Orcadian’s involvement with his new hosts did not stop at teaching them farming and fishing skills. The tribe, known as the ‘salt-water people’, lived on a tiny, artificial island built over five centuries ago by resourceful Melanesians to escape the malaria-infested jungles of the principal island of Malaita. They were perpetually at war with the ‘bush people’, cannibals who inhabited the main island, and Renton frequently took part in head-hunting expeditions.

McCoy said: "Renton was accepted into male society and lived in the men’s long house. He apparently killed several people from inland and, by his own admission, took heads. His warrior prowess and closeness to the salt-water people chief, Kabou, led to the bush people putting a bounty on his head. When he went to his favourite spots - one was an idyllic-looking natural swimming pool on the main island - he always had an armed guard to protect him."

Renton became a hero to the Malaitans and helped prepare them for their forthcoming inevitable collision with white ‘civilisation’. But after eight years of more or less permanent warfare, tit-for-tat raiding and headhunting, he grasped a rare opportunity for freedom. A ‘Blackbirder’, one of the dozens of South Seas slave-trading vessels, anchored at a safe distance offshore at Sulufou. Renton persuaded Kabou to allow him to contact the slave ship.

He wrote a poignant message in charcoal on a piece of driftwood that read: "John Renton. Please take me off to England."

The message, written in a childish hand, was taken out to the ‘Blackbirder’ by islanders and is now in the National Library of Australia.

"Malaitan oral history has it," revealed McCoy, "that Renton was picked up by his uncle, a Captain Mori. In fact, it was a Scottish ship’s captain called Murray. He left but promised to return to the island with goods to help the islanders build an easier life."

When he arrived back in Australia he was an instant celebrity and the subject of extensive newspaper coverage.

Throughout his disappearance Renton’s father had always believed that young Jack was still alive and had made several attempts to trace him. Young Renton’s return to Stromness was triumphant and is still commemorated in the town’s museum.

But Renton could not adjust back to the cold northern climate and began longing for the South Seas. He also had a promise to keep and within six months he was back on Sulufou with sheets of iron roofing, axes, hammers, barrels of nails and a grindstone that was used up until the 1960s.

With his language skills, Renton was also hired as part of the Queensland government’s campaign to regulate the ‘Blackbirders’, whose sickening human trade had become the scourge of the South Seas. It was during this period of his life, in 1878, that Renton met the fate he had so carefully tried to avoid. When his ship arrived at Aoba in the New Hebrides, en route to Australia, Renton, aged 30, and a colleague went ashore for fresh water. When they failed to return, a party was sent to investigate. They found the bodies of Renton and his companion - minus their heads.

"When the news got back to Sulufou," said McCoy, "the ’salt water people’ were furious. They formed a war party and demanded to be taken to the New Hebrides to wipe out the perpetrators. It was a measure of the esteem that Renton was held in and still is. His name will live forever in the folklore of the Malaitan people."

Photo adapted from Nigel Randells Book "The Whiteheadhunder".

World's Deepest Rocks Recovered

May 20, 2000 - BBC

The deepest rocks ever seen have been recovered by Australian and American researchers.

They were found at the Earth's surface on the island of Malaita, east of Papua New Guinea. But they originate from deep within the planet, between 400km and 670km down. This is about twice as deep as anything studied before.

These depths are an important region of the planet's interior, where sudden changes in the densities of rocks occur.

The discovery should reveal new information about the chemistry and large-scale movement of material passing through this transition zone between what is known as the upper and lower mantle.

At the moment, our picture of what the planet is like at these depths has been built up from studying the powerful waves of energy released by earthquakes. Tiny mineral inclusions found in diamonds and laboratory simulations have also helped construct geologists' models.

But Professor Ken Collerson, from Queensland University, who led the Malaita research, says the new rocks will greatly refine the detail.

"It's a terrific opportunity for people interested in the physical properties of rocks to establish that information for these depths," he told BBC News Online.

"It's a bit like the Hubble Space Telescope when it was out of focus. We now have a means of getting a much clearer image of the tomography of the lower mantle because we'll have physical properties to put in our equations."

Professor Collerson, and colleagues, report their work in the journal Science. They describe the Malaita specimens as being mostly made of the mineral garnet. In particular, they contain majorite, a silica-rich form of the mineral that only forms under extreme pressures.

Micro-diamonds

The team used this information to work out the sorts of pressures the rock must have experienced. They calculated pressures of up to 22 or 23 gigapascals.

"This is a huge pressure. It's equivalent to about 250,000 times atmospheric pressure at the surface of the Earth."

In addition to majorite, some of the deep mantle samples also contain micro-diamond.

The rocks would have exploded up through the Earth via deep volcanic pipes. Although this is thought to have happened on Malaita 34 million years ago, the journey itself could have taken just a few days.

"These pipes are similar to the kimberlite pipes of South Africa and elsewhere which commonly carry diamonds originating from depths of more than 150kms to the surface," Professor Collerson said.

Further detailed study of the crystal structure of the unique minerals is to be carried out with a number of international collaborators and with members of the university's Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis over the next year.

Geology News: URL: http://www.crystalinks.com/geologynews.html

Home And Away

These photos have been sent to me by some wantoks in Aussie meeting up with people from all over the world, living abroad as they say. This is the Modern Age where the other side of the world is just hours away.



Globalisation has brought to the island countries the new age in travel, modern technology and the influence of modern culture. We are not alone in this vast Pacific Ocean as it did during the head hunting days, the world is just a click away and has shrinked in size, may be just big enough to settle on the fingers. Thus, this draws us to the fact that travel has become a part and puzzle of some Solomon Islanders. Nowadays, there is some Solomon communities in nearly all states of Austrailia, Fiji, and other Pacific Island countries. Well, start saving and circumnavigate the globe to find out what's out there.

Hiddink ire hints at mind games

By Michael Cockerill(The Age)

Socceroos Zeljko Kalac (left) and Vince Grella take the field before beating the Solomon Islands 2-1 on Tuesday.
Photo: Getty Images

THE last plane out of Oceania was a fraught journey for new Australian coach Guus Hiddink, who has returned to his "proper" job at club level wondering whether a third World Cup fairytale will elude him.

The Socceroos' narrow victory over the Solomon Islands on Tuesday was an eye-opener for the Dutchman in more ways than one.

When he sits on the bench at the sumptuous Philips Stadion this weekend to watch his PSV Eindhoven entertain FC Utrecht in a Dutch league match, his fleeting journey to the South Pacific may seem like a dream.

A bad dream, too, judging by his after-match reaction. After taking the Netherlands and South Korea to the last four of the past two World Cups, Hiddink has serious reservations about whether he can get Australia through the door. "If we play like that in November (in the South American play-offs), it will be mission impossible," he said.

A 9-1 aggregate victory in the Oceania play-offs looks convincing enough, but in the eyes of the coaching staff it has raised more questions than answers.

Hiddink is accustomed to working with players of the highest quality and sets his standards accordingly. After a four-day training camp and his first two competitive matches, it is dawning on Hiddink that the Socceroos may not be as good as he thought.

Most of all, the tactical intelligence which is second nature to Dutch players remains an elusive quality within the Australian team. Hiddink changed formations and positions during the two matches against the Solomon Islands, and it was obvious some could not absorb his instructions.

That Hiddink spent most of the flight from Honiara analysing DVDs with assistants Graham Arnold and Ron Smith suggests it will be back to the drawing board when the squad reassembles for next month's camp.

A few reputations might have been dented. For the likes of Josip Skoko, Tony Popovic, Stan Lazaridis, Tim Cahill, Marco Bresciano and even Mark Viduka, these matches have left them with plenty to prove to the coach.

There were some winners from the Oceania sojourn. There is little doubt fringe candidates such as Jason Culina, Archie Thompson and Vince Grella are applying the sort of pressure that every serious World Cup contender needs inside the dressing-room.

Indeed, Hiddink's bleak portrayal of events in Honiara may also be self-serving. Given that the squad is intrinsically not good enough to qualify for the World Cup, then the greatest room for improvement lies in the mental state of the players.

Hiddink is playing mind games, partly through the media, in an effort to sharpen the focus, motivation and determination of the squad in the hope it might be the difference in getting Australia over the line in November.

It's smart thinking, because to get to Germany, the Socceroos will certainly have to exceed the sum of their parts.

The psychology started within seconds of the final whistle at the Lawson Tama Stadium. Hiddink let rip at his players through the media, and the players put their heads down in response. Asked what was wrong with the performance, goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac replied: "Everything."

It has become clear that Hiddink's word is now law. If the gaffer's not happy, no one is. The players will jump through flaming hoops if he tells them to. And to get to the World Cup, they may have to.

National arms of the SOLOMON ISLANDS

The large arms and the small version or badge

Origin/Meaning:
The arms were granted on July 7, 1978 and are based on the former colonial arms granted in 1956.
The arms show symbols for the different districts of the islands. The two turtles symbolise the Western District. The green cross with crossed spears, shield and arrows, symbolises the Central District. I have no information on the meaning of the chief.
The crest shows a sun over a traditional boat. The supporters are a salt water crocodile and a shark, two ferocious indigenous animals, suitable as protectors.
The shield is based on an image of a frigate bird standing on the motto To Lead is to Serve.

During colonial times the British Solomon Islands used two different arms. The large arms used similar symbols as the later national arms, but with a British lion in the chief. The other coat of arms was used as a badge on the flag of the colony, and showed as a main charge the turtle.

Solbrew SI Rugby Squad

This photo of the Sol-brew sponsored SI national rugby team was sbumitted by some rugby fans from Solomon Islands. The shot was taken after their win over their Vanuatu counterpart at the Korman Stadium, Vanuatu on 29th July, 2005 in the World Cup play offs.

Photo:courtesy of Don Marahare, Vanuatu

The Rugby Squad members are Dubbie Lucas, Chris Tukunga, Mena Dakei, Moffat Tupou, Philip Pugeva, Fredson Soaki, Willie Tuha, Robert Luiramo, Dave Kaitu’u, Steward Baiabe, Elton Loea and Stenna Tengemoana.
Ali Pongi, Keith Namona, Aaron Nasiu, Philip Campbell, Nick Hatigeva, Linton Kamukela, Viv Kelesi, Moses Birisi, Edmond Tei and Blackie Mamata.
Team officials are Lakoa Katalake (team manager), Douglas Hatigeva (head coach), Peter Little (assistant coach) and Eddie Soaki (trainer).

AUSTRALIA WIN NARROWLY OVER GALLANT SOLOMONS

Football Federation Australia

The Qantas Socceroos will play-off against the fifth-best South American nation in November for a berth at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany following a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Solomon Islands in Honiara today.

Australia won the final of the Oceania qualifying tournament with a 9-1 aggregate win over the Solomons following the 7-0 victory in Sydney on Saturday.

Today's match was vastly different to Saturday's lopsided first leg encounter with the match played in hot and extremely humid conditions and Australia needing to rely on a 59th minute winner from Brett Emerton (pictured celebrating with Archie Thompson) to claim the victory.

Australia, playing their 100th match against Oceania opposition, opened the scoring in the 17th minute through Melbourne Victory's in-form striker Archie Thompson who latched onto a Vince Grella pass to lift his shot over the advancing goalkeeper.

The Qantas Socceroos had more possession but were unable to create much in the way of goalscoring opportunities with only Bresciano, Cahill and Thompson troubling the goalkeeper in the first half.

The Solomon Islands roared on by a noisy home crowd equalised in dramatic circumstances four minutes after the interval. Perth Glory's Henry Fa'arodo scored from the penalty spot after Commins Menapi had his penalty saved by Qantas Socceroos goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, only to see the referee order a retake on the advice of the linesman after Kalac was deemed to have moved off his line.

Kalac was required to make three saves from the initial penalty as a goalmouth scramble developed with Solomons midfielder George Lui sent off as he dived in recklessly on the Australian goalkeeper. Lucas Neill had originally conceded the penalty bringing down Fa'arodo in the penalty area and receiving a yellow card.

The Australians however regained the lead ten minutes later with Emerton finishing from close range as he got on the end of a Jason Culina cross for what proved to be the winning goal.

The final round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers in South America will take place on October 12 (October 13 Australian time) with the draw to decide the order of the play-off matches to take place at the FIFA Congress this Saturday (Sunday Australian time) in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The matches are due to be played on November 12 and 16.

Match Details


AUSTRALIA 2 (Archie Thompson 17', Brett Emerton 59')
SOLOMON ISLANDS 1 (Henry Fa'arodo 49' pen)

Australia line-up: Zeljko Kalac (gk); Lucas Neill, Brett Emerton, Mark Viduka (c) (Ahmad Elrich h/t), Tim Cahill (Luke Wilkshire h/t), Scott Chipperfield (Stan Lazaridis 71'), Vince Grella, Archie Thompson, Jon McKain, Jason Culina, Mark Bresciano

Cautions: Neill 48', Kalac 49', Bresciano 64', Grella 75', McKain 93'

Solomon Islands - Felix Ray Jr (gk); George Suri, Gideon Omokirio, Lesley Leo (Richard Anisua), Mahlon Houkarawa, Henry Fa'arodo (c), George Lui, Francis Wasi, Stanley Waita (Jack Samani), Commins Menapi, Batram Suri (Abraham Iniga)


Referee - Shamsul Maidin (Singapore)
Assistant Referee - Fathi Al Arabati (Jordan)

Assistant Referee - Eisa Ghuloum (United Arab Emirates)

Fourth Official - Santhan Nagalingam (Singapore)

British Solomon Islands Protectorate 1906-1966

These were the flags and the badges of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate around 1906 to 1966 used by the colonial government.


1906-1947 (Solomon Islands)


1956-1966 (Solomon Islands)


1947-1956

The Badge

The Protectorate of the British Solomon Islands had a simple badge consisting of the royal crown, surrounded by the three words on a white field, BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS.

British Solomon Islands badge: 'BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS' around crown. The circle was white, the lettering was black and the crown was in full colour. Used c.1908-1947. Blue Ensign for government vessels. Not on Union Flag.

The badge was replaced in 1947 when arms were granted. Gresham Carr 1953says:
It consists of a red shield charged with a turtle standing erect in natural colours; the chief or upper portion of the shield is paly-pily argent and sable, i.e. it has white isosceles triangles, eight in number, on a black background. It is placed on a white circle on the Blue Ensign with the name of the protectorate in black lettering beneath the shield.It was again replaced in 1956.

Pressure on 'Roos defence

Haig Kayserian

Sydney FC striker Saso Petrovski has admitted the pressure is on Australia's defence as they prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against the Solomon Islands in Sydney and Honiara.

Petrovski earned a call-up to the national squad by new Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink after impressing in Sydney FC's A-League pre-season campaign, and the national team's training camp in the Netherlands last month.

The versatile striker exclusively told www.theworldgame.com.au at the Socceroos' public training session on Friday that it was an "honour" to be part of the squad.

"It's a great honour and a huge bonus to be involved at such a crucial stage of Australian football," Petrovski said.

The Sydney FC number 11 then revealed the focus at training had been on the team's defence, as coach Hiddink aims to plug the holes and end the lapses which cost Australia many goals in their failed Confederations Cup campaign.

"Training with the boys in the Netherlands camp, and training here (in Sydney) has been at a very high level of intensity," he said.

"We've done a lot of positional work, working on different things like disciplining the defence."

"There's a lot of pressure on the defence to stay very tight and not concede too many goals."

"So much pressure and work has been put on our defenders that they should be able to cope this time."

Petrovski added that his selection, and that of Melbourne Victory’s Archie Thompson, proves the "importance" placed on the newly-formed A-League by the Socceroos’ coaching staff.

"It's proven with me being here not to just make up the numbers; I'm here because I’m a genuine contender to be pushing for a place, and playing for the national squad," he said.

"We need players like myself backing these guys (bigger names) up if anything goes wrong. If, God forbid, any of the boys get injuries, you definitely need the depth."

"That's where players like myself come in and show what we're about, and hopefully put the pressure on them for a starting spot," he added, before admitting he hoped to "get a run" in the Honiara leg of the qualifiers providing Australia meets expectations and score a big win over the Solomon Islands in the first leg at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night.

"Hopefully the boys will get a good result first game, and in the second game we can be a lot more relaxed, and that's when he (Hiddink) can make a few changes and give a lot of people a run."

Australia's starting XI 1 Mark Schwarzer, 2 Lucas Neill, 5 Tony Vidmar, 6 Tony Popovic, 7 Brett Emerton, 8 Josip Skoko, 9 Mark Viduka (c), 10 Tim Cahill, 12 Scott Chipperfield, 15 John Aloisi, 19 Jason Culina.

Substitutes: 11. Stan Lazaridis, 13. Vince Grella, 14. Archie Thompson, 17. Jon McKain, 18. Zeljko Kalac, 22. Luke Wilkshire, 23. Mark Bresciano

Standby: 4. Michael Thwaite, 16. Saso Petrovski, 21.

Viduka to captain Australia against Solomon Islands

SYDNEY, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Australia striker Mark Viduka has been appointed captain for the first leg of the Oceania World Cup qualifier against the Solomon Islands on Saturday.

New coach Guus Hiddink handed the skipper's armband to the Middlesbrough forward in the absence of regular captain Craig Moore, who was unavailable because of a hamstring injury.

"It's a big surprise to me. It's a great honour and I can't wait," Viduka told a news conference on Friday.

"You always have a think about it but there were always players who were there for longer."

Dutchman Hiddink said he had delayed naming his team until just before Saturday's kickoff, but hinted there may be some surprises in the side that lines up in Sydney.

The Australians are overwhelming favourites to win the two-leg tie and Hiddink said he wanted to use the two matches as part of his planning for the next stage.

The Oceania winner will play off against the fifth-placed South American team in November for a spot in next year's World Cup finals in Germany.

"Winning is the key but maybe we are thinking in two blocks," Hiddink said.

"Everyone is saying it's (going to be) easy... but I don't want to underestimate them or be disrespectful of the opponents."

Australia have qualified for the World Cup finals just once, in 1974. They have won the Oceania title on the last four occasions only to be beaten in playoffs by Scotland (1990), Argentina (1994), Iran (1998) and Uruguay (2002).

DIFFERENT FEEL

"My dream ever since I was a little boy was to play in the World Cup and getting there would be the highlight of my career, that's motivation enough," Viduka said.

"I think a lot of the players also realise that we want it badly and this time round it's got a different feel to it."

Hiddink took South Korea to the semi-finals at the last World Cup but said he doesn't feel any extra responsibility to end Australia's long World Cup drought.

"Pressure is part of our job but it's how you cope with it," he said.

"It's always a challenge but pressure has never affected me in a negative way."

Solomon Islands surprised everyone by reaching the Oceania final ahead of New Zealand but their Brazilian coach Ayrton Andrioli said they faced a near impossible task beating the Australians after having less than a month to prepare together.

"We're not kidding ourselves, we know the task, how difficult it will be," Andrioli said.

"They did not prepare the way they should and the players are not exposed or used to this kind of occasion, so we've been trying to make sure they are focused and able to concentrate.

"They will have to play the game of their lives, because this is the biggest game they've ever played."

Solomon Islands will host Australia in the return leg in Honiara on Tuesday.

Interview held at Buka with President Joseph Kabui and his Economic Minister 23rd August 2005.

This is an account of a trip to Bougainville made by officers of Oxfam in Honiara;

Sixty years ago, this was the centre of the Second World War in the South Pacific. There is wreckage dotted along the coastline. Japanese tourists fly in to pay homage to their fallen soldiers, particularly their naval General, Yamamoto killed near Buka. In Torakino, four hours away by boat, Enola Gay took off with the A bomb.

There are rusted skeletons of piers, wheels of bombers, children carrying sacks of cocoa beans and clusters of vigilant villagers wearing the Pacific trademark assortment of clothes – an NRL uniform, a Townsville scouts company uniform. The beach is black, from the nearby volcano which smokes sulphur from its vents. The people are deep black, like their relatives in the Solomons, to whom they historically belong, before the colonial powers drew lines on a map to separate the two nations.


Adventurous Trip – This is some of the logistical
difficulties one will encounter when you’re not on the road as there were
road blocks to go through.

´We are sitting on a gold mine. But we want to leave Bougainville as it is´ says president-elect Joseph Kabui in a meeting with Oxfam in Buka. ´When I was a boy, I swam in a crystal clean river; after the mining it is now dead´. ´We have two main priorities: economic recovery, closely followed by peace and reconciliation. This will take years, but we have lots of examples of people involved in massacres of villagers – six, ten, twenty- who have begun to make peace´. ´We believe that NGOs have an important role to play in Bougainville because they reach where government can´t. And the good work you are helping with in Paru Paru – we want to open this area up so that people can learn from this experience.´


Presidents’ – Golden Handshake between two Presidents
(Kabui & Rex (in his own right)) of Bougainville and SI.

Paru Paru. Another eight hours by boat past dolphins and crocodiles, and seven hours hiking through the thigh deep mud, mountain rivers and village gardens. There is no electicity. No cell phone coverage. Villagers use the river as a toilet and transport is by foot. Every village has at least one sick child and old people are few. But the gardens are many and kindness and friendliness abounds. Paru Paru is like a regional centre and radiates activity. It has 250 children in primary school, new outhouses and a series of mission-constructed health and education facilities. It has a Visitors Book and a past which speaks of organization during the Crisis. But it is now changing and will change even more over the next few years.



Kabui’s House – This is where Kabui and his family live
during the crisis in Central Bougainville. Village name was not known.

By Tee Kings 2005.