​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.

​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.

​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.

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.

Carmyl Winkler

In the Dutch East Indies in 1928, a youth congress met and determined to work for one race, one nation and one language for their country. Despite some being punished by the Dutch by exile into swampy country far from their home for many years, they remained determined.

In 1942, the Japanese marched into the Indies, imprisoned the Dutch and after a year or two reopened the schools and proceeded to teach the students in Japanese.

When the Second World War ended on 15th. August, 1945, the Japanese prepared to leave, and the Dutch were still locked up. Two days later, on the 17th August, seizing their chance, some of these original young congress men with other friends, flew a red and white flag and, their leader, Soekarno, proclaimed independence for the new republic of Indonesia. Of course as soon as the Dutch were freed they sent the natives back to their rice, aiming to resume their previous life. However the new Indonesians went to the hills and fought determinedly until, in 1949, under world pressure, the Dutch left the new republic.

Gradually the country that had been left with just ten high schools for a population of over 150 million, trained Indonesians to take over public service jobs, becoming doctors, engineers and teachers.

The new wave of schools and universities started in Java, the most populous although one of the smaller islands, and spread out from there.

By 1961, one of the furthest provinces, Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra, acquired a university. There were three faculty buildings and a number of lecturer’s houses all in the middle of rice fields.

By early 1962, Universitas Syiah Kuala was ready to be officially opened and requested no less than the president of the country, President Soekarno, to come from Java to officiate. 

The only slight problem was that, on the whole, the Acehnese did not have a high regard for the president. To a fiercely Muslim population, his lack of dedication to Islam was not popular. While Muslim in name, he had married one too many wives and Javanese in general were thought as fairly wishywashy Muslims.

Orders were issued. Every household had to make a red and white flag of required size and fly it in the front garden. Soldiers were sent to stand guard along the road the presidential car would take, each man with his back to the road while looking steadfastly at the houses to ensure safety.

Most university students wore their traditional Acehnese dress, with smart white suits and hats for university leaders. The president’s car, number plate Indonesia 1, drew up at the door and the president stepped straight into the hall of gathered audience, Indonesians plus two Australians. I couldn’t understand a great deal of what he said but, to this day, I can remember being so impressed by the charismatic way he spoke and the hostility of the crowd gradually melting away.

I was there.