Charles Abel, an Englishman, originally went adventuring to New Zealand . Eventually his close association and friendship with the Maori north of Auckland led him to decide to become a missionary and so he returned to England to gain a better education. He fully intended to return to New Zealand, however fate intervened and he came to PNG instead.

The Kwato Mission which he established was noteworthy in its heyday for its emphasis not only on conversion to Christianity, but equally on education and training in practical skills—boatbuilding, carpentry, sawmilling etc for men, and home economics and childcare etc for women, to promote balanced human development.  Unfortunately this was not looked on favourably by the LMS and so a split occurred in 1918 and Abel re-established the mission as an independent self-supporting Association.

Charles Abel with traditional landowners of Kwato Island.

Life in Milne Bay in the 1890s had its dangers and Charles Abel had some close encounters. On one such occasion he anchored the Olive Branch off Maivara and, leaving his wife and daughter on board, went ashore hoping to establish friendly contact. But some distance along the bush track a frantic runner brought him news that his infant daughter had suddenly become very ill, and so the visit was aborted.  Sadly the little girl died, but some years later when friendly relations had been established and Abel was walking along the same track with some men from Maivara one of them confessed, “Taubada, when we pass this place we are always ashamed.” When asked why it was revealed that on the occasion of his first visit they had planned to kill him and this was the spot where they waited in ambush.  Abel realized then that the death of his daughter had actually saved his life. Today Abel’s great-great grandchildren are also intrigued to speculate that, but for the death of that baby ancestor, there would be no Abel family in Milne Bay today.

Charles Abel died in 1930, ironically in a car accident back in England, where he was on a fund-raising tour seeking finance to expand the Kwato work. His two sons and two daughters, who had been born and raised on Kwato, had by this time all returned home from their various educational institutions, and were carrying on the work with their fellow second-generation peers, the sons and daughters of Abel’s PNG colleagues, and there was significant expansion of activities during the 1930s.

Early in the 1960s Cecil Abel moved to Port Moresby and took up a position lecturing at the newly formed Administrative College .  Many of his students went on to become national leaders and some such as Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare are still working in this capacity.  Cecil was involved in the early political movements that led to independence, was a foundation member of the Pangu Party, was the member for Milne Bay regional in the House of Assembly from 1968-72, and was the author of the preamble to the PNG Constitution. He was knighted in 1982.

After WW2 leadership at Kwato was taken over by Russell Abel, Cecil’s younger brother. Before the war Russell had met and proposed to Sheila Porteous in Sydney . Their wedding on Kwato in 1940 was a major social event at the time for sleepy Milne Bay , but married life was soon disrupted by the order to evacuate, and the family did not return to Kwato after the war till 1946.  Chris Abel, his sister Elizabeth and brother Murray, grew up on Kwato, and on the mission outstations in Milne Bay . In the mid 1950s they and their 3rd generation Kwato peers commenced the annual treks to Australia for boarding school and tertiary education, on completion of which they sought employment in Papua New Guinea. Then Russell died in 1965 and his wife Sheila moved to Port Moresby.

A few years before independence Chris Abel with wife and two small sons moved back to Alotau and in 1974 he and several colleagues started Masurina, a multi-shareholder local development company. Now, 32 years on, most of Chris and wife Barbara’s 4 children, and their respective spouses, have an active involvement in the company in one form or another.  The family resides largely at Alotau and includes 8 of 11 grandchildren, and matriarch Sheila, now 93. There are still strong ties to Kwato Island and the successor to the original work, now the Kwato Church .  There is also a strong sense of pride in the Abel family history, and the life and work in Papua New Guinea .

Sheila with Chris and Barbara Abel  and  sons, Charles and Owen in Port Moresby, 1971.

Sheila Abel, with son Chris, grandson Jeff, great-grandsons Tore and Sioni, and great-granddaughter Jemma, on her 93rd birthday.

Three generations of the Abel Family resident in Alotau, May 2006.

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