I’d left work in February 1961 and we’d moved our belongings to obliging in-laws. They graciously took us in for a few weeks. But that’s not the way things work in Indonesia.
We were on our way to work as volunteer graduates to replace Dutch public servants until Indonesians graduated and took over. The scheme had been running for about eleven years. Our proposed place of work changed several times in the next three months but eventually we were off to Aceh in the far north of Sumatra.
We boarded a Norwegian passenger-cargo ship in Melbourne on 26th. May. First stop Sydney for a couple of days, then Brisbane, a one day stop in Makassar, then a night or two in Surabaya, finally hitting Jakarta on June 17. During this time flour and Holden cars were being loaded and unloaded at various stops. The passenger list numbered four, us and two men headed for Malaya. The captain’s Australian wife was making the trip so it was good to have another female on board.
Other volunteer graduates awaited us in Jakarta. Our Indonesian language was extremely basic but the morning after we arrived, we eagerly took a bus into the city centre to find the office that was to organise our travel to Aceh. We found the office but our man wasn’t in. Days went by. We did eventually find our man who told us his department didn’t have the money so try another office. We got to know Jakarta buses and markets quite well. After a month we managed to get plane tickets and we were off to Medan – not quite Aceh but a good start.
After the very basic hostel in Jakarta, the accommodation in Medan was a step in the right direction. We met a few Australians and found that a university lecturer from Aceh (who turned out to be our future neighbour) was also trying to get home so we handed our responsibilities to him. We had several days of ‘Plane’, ‘Bus’, ‘Maybe plane’, ‘No, only bus available’ and after a happy eleven days in Medan, we boarded the bus for a three day trip.
We were on our way to work as volunteer graduates to replace Dutch public servants until Indonesians graduated and took over. The scheme had been running for about eleven years. Our proposed place of work changed several times in the next three months but eventually we were off to Aceh in the far north of Sumatra.
We boarded a Norwegian passenger-cargo ship in Melbourne on 26th. May. First stop Sydney for a couple of days, then Brisbane, a one day stop in Makassar, then a night or two in Surabaya, finally hitting Jakarta on June 17. During this time flour and Holden cars were being loaded and unloaded at various stops. The passenger list numbered four, us and two men headed for Malaya. The captain’s Australian wife was making the trip so it was good to have another female on board.
Other volunteer graduates awaited us in Jakarta. Our Indonesian language was extremely basic but the morning after we arrived, we eagerly took a bus into the city centre to find the office that was to organise our travel to Aceh. We found the office but our man wasn’t in. Days went by. We did eventually find our man who told us his department didn’t have the money so try another office. We got to know Jakarta buses and markets quite well. After a month we managed to get plane tickets and we were off to Medan – not quite Aceh but a good start.
After the very basic hostel in Jakarta, the accommodation in Medan was a step in the right direction. We met a few Australians and found that a university lecturer from Aceh (who turned out to be our future neighbour) was also trying to get home so we handed our responsibilities to him. We had several days of ‘Plane’, ‘Bus’, ‘Maybe plane’, ‘No, only bus available’ and after a happy eleven days in Medan, we boarded the bus for a three day trip.
Bus from Medan to Kutaraja 1961
The bus seats went right across the width of the bus so the way to get on was frequently to climb through the window at your row. I’m trying to remember whether we actually did this but I think the answer is Yes. Much of the road was in very poor condition and there was the odd bridge missing.
The 3-day road from Medan to Aceh
Varying accommodation was provided for our two overnight stops and we did eventually reach Kutaraja, the capital of Aceh.
Mosque, Kutaraja
Almost there but not quite, as the new university, along with the lecturers’ houses, was being built in the middle of rice fields several km. out of the capital.
Facultas Ekonomi (our house over the road)
Before long, a car arrived to take us to Darussalam and our new home at last. Well, no. Some army personnel had occupied the new house while it was empty and there were a number of repairs that had to be made. We were to live in the Mess next door until the house was ready. We actually moved in on August 21, just on three months after sailing out of Melbourne.
'Our House'
Carmyl Winkler
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