Paper short abstract

This paper will consider the history and complications surrounding the Village Development Scheme run by the Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea.

Paper long abstract

Since at least the 1960s, many Lihirians have imagined a future existence characterised by the trappings of modern urban life. For a long time, isolation and limited economic engagement ensured these dreams could not be met. When the early stages of mining activities commenced in the 1980s, visions of this imagined future were expressed through prophesies like 'da lo mon na moni' (we will just throw away money), 'Lihir nitel a city' (Lihir will become a city), and 'Anoikaka nitoi Ladolam' (a ship will come ashore at Ladolam). The ensuing development that accompanied mining activities has brought partial fulfilment; in particular, the provision for permanent housing, and assistance for housing improvement, through the mining company's Village Development Scheme (VDS). For many this scheme has not transpired as anticipated; nor have Lihirians used this program in the ways the company expects. This paper will trace the history and complications of the VDS - its failures and successes - with attention to various local desires and hopes for village transformation, and the realities that inevitably follow.