George Ambo

Who is George Ambo?

Sir George Ambo originally named Ambo Arukaba after his father and grandfather, was an Anglican archbishop who was "the first South Pacific native to be made a bishop", in 1960. He was also known for his role in a "cargo cult" in the months prior to his death.

He was born among the Somboba people, one of seven children, the son of the clan's "specially trained and initiated" master of traditional dances. He learnt to dance in turn, and "had become a leader of the dance [...] before he started school", which he did in 1934, at an Anglican mission school. He was baptised and given the name "George" the following year.

He subsequently became a teacher at All Souls school in Gona, then, in February 1942, attended St Aidan’s College at Dogura in Milne Bay, to train to become a "teacher-evangelist". In July, the Second World War came to Papua in the form of a Japanese invasion. The college remained open, despite being close to the fighting, and Ambo remained there throughout the war. In 1945, he returned to Gona, his home village, as a parish teacher. In the latter capacity, he taught the people of Gona to maintain most of their customs, including traditional dances and what he called "good traditional stories", but also to embrace Christianity and reject their "belief in witchcraft and sorcery". He taught the "stories of the Bible" through "traditional dancing, singing, drumming and miming".