Informal portrait of Australian civilians, part of Civilian Monitoring Rotation 12, and Army ...

Informal portrait of Australian civilians, part of Civilian Monitoring Rotation 12, and Army instructors at the end of a two day bush trek which was part of the pre-deployment training prior to going to Bougainville as part of the of the Peace Monitoring Group (PMG). Identified, left to right, back row: Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Martin Levy, Army Psychologist; Lt Col Peter Ludeecke, Army Psychologist; Warrant Officer Class 1 Bill Butterworth, 51st Far North Queensland Regiment (51 FNQR); Steve Lyon; Corporal (Cpl) Stan Lovie, 51 FNQR; Naomi Mears; Peter Davey; Patrick Foley; Paul Wilson; Peta Hudson; Graham Wilson; Major Andrew Treble, Officer Commanding C Company, 51 FNQR; David Peebles. Front row: Cpl Matt Hodges, 51 FNQR; Beth Delaney; Kath Elliot; Cassie Lees; Stan Veitsman. The Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) replaced the New Zealand led Truce Monitoring Group following the signing of a permanent ceasefire agreement on 30 April 1998, and remained in the country until 30 June 2003. The PMG helped build confidence in the peace process by facilitating meetings and distributing peace related information. A total of 5,000 unarmed military and civilian personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu served on the PMG. The conflict in Bougainville was one of the most serious in the South Pacific region since the Second World War, with an estimated 15,000 deaths and up to 70,000 people in refugee or displaced persons camps. It started in 1989 and lasted until the truce agreement in July 1997, although it was nine months until a permanent ceasefire was agreed to and signed.